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

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.

SMEs are well connected but slow to take full advantage of the Internet and ICT

Canadian SMEs are now well-connected to the Internet, but are not taking full advantage of the Web and information and communications technologies (ICT) to increase their productivity and their revenues. These are the main conclusions of the 2011 edition of the NetPME survey conducted by the Centre Francophone d’Informatisation des Organisations (CEFRIO), which showed that ICT is clearly better rooted in Canada in medium-sized companies (100 to 499 employees) and, to a large extent, in manufacturing companies. These companies have the highest Internet connection rate (97.6%) and make the most use of office suites (92.3%), ERP management software packages (34.4%) and websites as Internet tools (78.2%).
In 2011, 70.9% of SMEs made online purchases. Selling online is a much less popular activity, because only 17.9% of SMEs engage in it. And despite the major development of Web 2.0, SMEs have not yet been won over by social network applications.

“Since we know how much the Internet and Web 2.0 can contribute to increasing a company’s revenue and profitability, it is clear that SME executives have every interest in further exploring the opportunities these platforms offer their companies. If they do not take action in this field, they risk losing out on a major potential for growth and innovation,” said Michel Bergeron, BDC Vice President, Corporate Relations.

Source: Canada NewsWire, 19 October 2011

Broadband Bruce County

The County of Bruce is hosting information sessions on “The Business of the Internet” at various locations in the County. The sessions are free and open to both residents and businesses. See attached flyers for more info as well as dates, locations and times.

Walkerton – May 19, 2011 – Bruce County Broadband – Outreach Ad – Walkerton

Sauble Beach – May 25, 2011 – Bruce County Broadband – Outreach Ad – Sauble Beach