Workshop on Training for Tourism Diversity

Explore the Bruce has Invited You:
(excerpts from an Explore the Bruce News Release)

REGISTER NOW FOR OUR FIRST DIVERSITY TRAINING!

Each year more and more international tourists are visiting Bruce County. Our biggest challenges are: language barriers, cultural differences and communicating safety concerns. Guest Speaker, Michael Zhang will offer professional advice on how to make your business welcoming and safe for our New Canadians.

DMO’s and businesses have gained both a better reputation and a bigger share in the Chinese market through Michael’s help in providing better travel experiences to Chinese tourists. 

When & Where: Please select a workshop that best fits your schedule.

Workshop 1: Monday, May 28^th, 2012- 9am-11am: Tobermory Community Centre

Workshop 2: Tuesday, May 29^th, 2012- 5:30pm-7:30pm: Southampton Town Hall

 *Maximum 50 participants per workshop

Cost: $15 per person (HST Included)

Registration: Pre-registration is required by contacting Lisa Greig at lisa@explorethebruce.com or 1-800-268-3838.

 Please Register by May 23^rd, 2012.
Light refreshments will be offered at the workshop

 

Program Helps Small Businesses Hire an E-Business Intern

The Small Business Internship Program seeks to improve the competitiveness of SMEs (small/medium enterprises) by supporting businesses to actively market on-line and improve their competitiveness with e-business practices and technologies.

Your firm will receive financial support towards the employment of post-secondary students who will work on e-business projects. The Government of Canada will reimburse up to 75% of the eligible wages and related expenses such as statutory employee benefits, to a maximum of $10,000. Your firm is responsible for covering other expenses such as fringe benefits and overhead costs. Support will be available for twelve weeks.

PLEASE NOTE: Funding is limited and based on a first-come first-served basis so apply ASAP

For more information, please follow the link to Industry Canada’s website
 http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/sbip-pspe.nsf/eng/home

or contact the Business Enterprise Centre for general enquiries 519-832-2082

Turn of Power for Just One Hour – Earth Day is tomorrow

On March 31, from 8:30 to 9:30 pm EDT, show your support for a healthy planet by turning off all your electrical devices. From lights, to TV’s to your cell phone, spend one hour without power and think about the choices we all make that affect the Earth we all share.

History – In 2007, WWF-Australia inspired Sydney-siders to show their support for climate change action in the first ever Earth Hour event. It showed that everyone, from children to CEOs and politicians, has the power to change the world they live in. In Sydney, Australia, 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights out for one hour to take a stand against climate change.

For more about Earth Day just follow the link http://www.earthhour.org/

Online Retail versus Brick and Mortar

There are many decisions to make before opening your own retail business. One of them is whether to run an online only store or the traditional brick-and-mortar. Read this BizLaunch blog to review your options.

Online Retail versus Brick and Mortar.

Using Social Media in Your Business

The Lake Huron Learning Centre (LHLC) in Kincardine is holding this four-session course on Social Media, starting Tuesday, April 3, 2012.

For more info, see attached flyer, or visit LHLC’s website.

LHLC – Social Media for Small Business – Feb 2012

E-Marketing Workshop Series in Owen Sound

The Business Enterprise Centre – Owen Sound & Area is holding an E-Marketing Workshop series on February 7th and 14th, at Stone Tree Golf & Fitness, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. each day. The cost, which is includes HST, is $80 and a full breakfast is included.

The workshop series will interest businesses ready to take their online presence up to the next level. The sessions will focus on your website’s role in your business objectives, the importance of editorial content, and the advantages/disadvantages of social media.

To register, visit the Business Enterprise Centre website.

How Google Analytics Can Help Entrepreneurs

Tracking stats on visitors to websites and social media sites can be a challenge for small business owners. Google Analytics (which is FREE – that’s right, no charge) can help.

This article by Mihairi Petrovic in Entrepreneurial Woman explains how you can use this tool to your advantage.

Trends in Social Tourism Marketing

Yfactor’s attached article shows how social media marketing has been used as an effective marketing tool in the tourism industry.

Trends in Social Tourism Marketing

BMO Study: Canadian Business Owners Split On Effectiveness Of Social Media To Drive Profits

Half of Canadian businesses believe that social media has the potential to increase their profitability, according to a new BMO Bank of Montreal survey. Social media tools such as podcasts and social networking sites present significant, cost-effective opportunities for businesses to engage customers; however, only 29% of Canadian small business owners are taking advantage.

The survey found that those who think social media can increase their profit believe it can do so through promoting their company’s brand or reputation (64%); providing broader access to consumers (63%); and encouraging word of mouth endorsements and referrals (62%). The top reasons business owners cited for not using social media are they don’t think it is a valuable tool (29%) and they lack knowledge about social media (19%). For those businesses that use social media tools, Facebook is the most popular choice at 70%, followed by LinkedIn (32%), and Twitter (31%).

A social media presence takes time to build, and the impact on the bottom line is more difficult to measure than some more traditional forms of marketing. Canadian business owners surveyed say that 28% of their marketing efforts are focused online as opposed to traditional media channels.

Source: Market News Publishing, 26 October 2011