Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant
Linking economic prosperity with quality of life.
April 20 | Issue 68
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In this issue...
#CleanBrantford | Business Excellence Awards | Business Before Basketball
Welcome, New Members! | The Business Case for Accessibility
Vote Prosperity | Hamilton Halton Brant Regional Tourism Relief Fund: Apply Now!
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As our Canadian spring is slower to arrive, events in the Chamber are coming up quickly! This week Chamber staff will be participating in #CleanBrantford and #EarthWeekInBrant on Friday, April 22nd, as we complete our annual spring clean-up of the Chamber office and grounds, and some of our neighbours, with some special helpers. Depending on your location, please visit the County of Brant, City of Brantford, and/or https://earthday.ca/ to learn how your organization can participate, and tag @chamber.brantford.brant, #CleanBrantford, #EarthWeekinBrant to show how your business is keeping your property Earth-friendly.
Chamber provincial election activities have begun, with ChamberTV and host President Paul Bisanti beginning to interview our candidates. Please check out all of our episodes here. Look for additional candidate features as recorded, and check out past shows featuring our members.
Our Provincial Election Candidates Event is Tuesday, May 10th, at Walter Gretzky Municipal Golf Course, featuring a shortened Business After Hours event for members only to meet the candidates, then our recorded debate, generously sponsored by the Brantford Regional Real Estate Association. More details to follow soon.
We are most excited, however, for our Business Excellence Awards on May 5th, presented by BDO. Final preparations are in place, and we look forward to celebrating our business community's hard work and achievements with you that night.
See you then!
Dave
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Don't Miss It! Upcoming Chamber Events |
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38th Annual Business Excellence Awards |
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Please join the Chamber of Commerce, Sponsors and Finalists at the Brantford and Brant County Business Event of the Year.
We will moving ahead with our traditional live gala event as well as offering a virtual option. Please join us for the LIVE STREAM of this event via Facebook and YouTube.
- Waterous Holden Amey Hitchon Company of the year award.
- Enterprise Brant Entrepreneur of the year award.
- Bell Community Builder award.
- OLG Diversity & Inclusion award.
- David Baxter Memorial Award - for Individual Outstanding Achievement.
We look forward to seeing everyone either live or virtually on this special night for business in the Brantford-Brant community.
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Business Before Basketball!
The Hamilton Honey Badgers invite members of the Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant to their Business Before Basketball Co-Chamber networking event ahead of their home opener.
The Honey Badgers provide world-class entertainment and the highest quality pro basketball experience outside of the NBA!
Join us for this unique networking experience at 5pm, and then enjoy the game afterward!
May 25th, 2022
Networking: 5-7pm | Tip Off: 7pm
Early bird tickets: $25 per guest
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A warm welcome to all who joined this week! |
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Southwest Safety and Supply |
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Updates From the Chamber Network |
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The Business Case for Accessibility |
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Persons with disabilities make up to 22% of the population. This is a market that no business can ignore.
This webinar will give you an overview of the Business Case for Accessibility. Why every business needs to consider accessibility in all areas of their business.
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WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
• How accessibility will improve your business bottom line.
• The spending power of Persons with Disabilities and their impact on the economy.
• How accessibility gives your business a significant competitive advantage.
• Why all businesses need to embrace a culture of Inclusion in order to thrive.
• How Persons with Disabilities can complement your staff team.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
The webinar is open to everyone. It will be of particular interest to businesses looking to attract more customers, bring in more revenue, and improve their bottom line.
The 2022 webinar dates are April 26; May 24; June 21; September 20; October 25 and November 22. The time will be 1-2 pm for each webinar.
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4-Point Action Plan: Vote Prosperity |
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On April 19, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Ontario Chamber Network will publicly release Vote Prosperity, a document outlining our shared priorities for the 2022 provincial election.
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Hamilton Halton Brant Regional Tourism Relief Fund: Apply Now! |
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On April 6th, the Hamilton Halton Brant Regional Tourism Association (HHBRTA) received a non-repayable contribution of $5 million from the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), to deliver the Tourism Relief Fund to tourism businesses in this region.
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Support is available for small businesses in the tourism sector to recover from the impacts of the pandemic and seize new market opportunities through enhanced or new products and services.
Through HHBRTA for-profit businesses in Hamilton Halton Brant region can apply for non-repayable contributions of up to $100,000 for up to 50% of eligible project costs and not-for-profit organizations can apply for non-repayable contributions of up to $100,000 for 100% of eligible costs.
The fund is open to:
- Incorporated businesses, primarily small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
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Not-for-profit incorporated organizations (including tourism associations and destination marketing organizations)
- Co-operatives (for-profit and not-for-profit)
- Arts and Heritage and Theatre Groups that are incorporated organizations
- Municipalities, Municipal Development Corporations, and related entities
- Small festivals and events that are incorporated
- Post-secondary institutions
- For-profit businesses are only eligible for 50%
- Indigenous/First Nations/Métis Settlement owned businesses or organizations, an Indigenous organization such as Indigenous-led not-for-profits and organizations which include but are not limited to First Nations as represented by their Chief and Council, Tribal Councils, Indigenous Representative Organizations, Métis and Inuit organizations and Settlements
This investment will help tourism businesses and communities safely welcome back visitors, recover from the impacts of the pandemic and prepare for future growth. HHBRTA will oversee the dispersal of Tourism Relief Fund dollars to local tourism businesses and organizations.
Applications close at 11:59PM on Sunday May 15, 2022. To learn more, including project eligibility, how to apply, or to book an appointment with a program expert, click here.
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Supports for Local Businesses |
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PROVINCIAL:
For a full overview of programs provided by the Ontario provincial government, click here.
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FEDERAL:
For a full overview of programs provided by the Canadian Federal government, click here.
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Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant
brantfordbrantchamber.com
519-753-2617
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