Digital Thunder Bay Program
Digital Thunder Bay is a project of the Thunder Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre, made possible with funding from the Ontario Business Improvement Areas Association (OBIAA), based on the Digital Main Street training platform.
Digital Thunder Bay works with local marketing experts to provide FREE one-on-one digital marketing teaching and mentoring for small business owners. Our team of experts have been helping businesses for years, they can help you with website management, social media, branding, email marketing, ecommerce, google my business and more. Also, they can take a free 360 photo of your store/shop and can guide you through the process of the $2500 Digital Transformation Grant application.
How It Works
- Set up a FREE meeting with one of our Digital Experts below.
- Get expert marketing advice to improve your businesses’ online presence.
It is just that easy!
Meet the Digital Thunder Bay Team
Squad Coordinator
After 11 years of experience leading digital projects for different companies, he knows the importance that digitization generates for businesses in their communities.
Squad Member
Brian’s passion is to work with clients to help them develop effective campaigns that drive engagement online through social media platforms. His experience includes managing and leading teams, designing and executing marketing strategies, running effective digital media advertisements, analyzing results, and reporting. He also has a background in web development and Search Engine Optimization.
Currently, he is working at Firedog Communications where he handles clients such as Strasser & Lang, the United Way of Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay Counselling, and the Hydro One Waasigan Transmission Line and others.
Squad Member
Brook founded Sociable Thunder Bay in early 2020. Brook moved to Thunder Bay from Minnesota in 2018 where she had been working with the Minnesota DNR, State Parks and Trails Division for 8 years as their Digital Marketing Specialist and Project Manager. She started with Confederation College in early 2019 as their International Marketing Lead and recently left that role to purse Sociable full-time.
Squad Member
Dylan has been working in the website design and development industry for nearly 6 years and is a co-founder of Digital Mammoth. With his knowledge, Dylan can proficiently create custom applications, and develop WordPress/Shopify themes that exceed the industry expectations. He strives everyday to expand his knowledge so he can provide clients with highly functional digital solutions.
What is a Digital Transformation Grant?
Grant Objective:
- Provide small business owners a comprehensive plan to guide their digital transformation. Provide small businesses with the digital literacy skills they need to execute their digital transformation either through a do-it-yourself approach and/or being a smart consumer when purchasing these services.
Businesses that are eligible include:
- Has a permanent 'brick-and-mortar' establishment in Ontario
- Is owned by an Ontario Resident operating a business in Ontario
- Is owned by an Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident who is over the age of 18
- Is employing 1-50 employees
- Is NOT a home-based business
- Is paying commercial property tax (commercially assessed), either directly or through commercial rent
- Is a registered business in Ontario and/or is incorporated
- Is open for business/operating at the time of application (not a start-up)
- Is open to the general public for walk-in and onsite purchases of goods and services - NOT A WHOLESALER OR MANUFACTURER
- Is NOT a business supplying digital services to other businesses (e.g. website design/development, SEO, programming)
- Is NOT a franchise, including those individually owned and operated
- Is NOT a not-for-profit/ charitable organization
- Is NOT renting office space on a temporary basis (month-to-month)
- Is NOT in a shared workspace such as a hot desk or dedicated desk
- Is NOT a purely online business
Eligible and Ineligible Expenses
- Digital Marketing
- Hiring a consultant/agency/person to execute Digital Marketing initiatives
- Website
- Redesign, Improvement of existing website
- Development of new website
- Software
- Graphic design software
- Productivity Software (LastPass, Hootsuite, Dropbox, etc.)
- Social Media Software (Hootsuite, Buffer, etc.)
- Security Software
- Other software as evidenced in the DTP
- Microsoft Office.
- Website Hosting.
- Domain Name Renewal.
- Software Subscription Renewal.
- Signage and printing.
- Logo redesign and rebranding.
- Unnecessary or excessive equipment (or equipment you already have and want to upgrade) (as determined by OBIAA in its sole discretion).
- Business Owner’s salary or current employee salary for executing the project.
To apply for the Digital Transformation Grant you must complete the Digital Transformation for Main Street program, which includes:
- The Digital Main Street Assessment
- Has passed the eligibility quiz
- The online training
- Developing a Digital Transformation Plan
