Category: Economic Development
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Informative Resources for Potential Entrepreneurs in the Food Industry
The Government of Ontario is offering new educational resources to assist and guide those who are interested in starting a food business. These resources are intended to inform potential entrepreneurs about various components of starting and operating a food business, as well as to help them discover whether the food industry is right for them. […]
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Award-winning EDAC & EDCO Economic Recovery Projects
When COVID-19 cases began to spike in 2020, municipalities started exploring a variety of ways to support businesses. Across Canada, economic development organizations examined the unique challenges facing their communities and created action plans to help businesses survive and recover from disruption caused by the pandemic. This post showcases organizations and related activities that were […]
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REGISTRATION OPEN: MAY 6TH BR+E COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE WEBINAR
A recent survey of rural economic development practitioners across Canada revealed that business outreach and enhanced BR+E programs are two key avenues being explored to aid economic recovery. Business engagement and the use of business-level data to guide strategic planning have historically been core components of effective economic development practice. The current pandemic has reinforced […]
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Learn How Clients are Using ANALYST to Inform Their Planning Decisions
Analyst is an online tool that pulls data from a range of sources to provide information on regional economies and workforces. Clients can use Analyst to understand the demand for educational programs, identify the skills that employers need, communicate the value of higher education to parents and students, connect jobseekers to the labor market, find […]
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Tips for Hosting a Successful Virtual Annual General Meeting
With the ongoing pandemic, Annual General Meetings (AGM) are being held in a virtual environment using video conferencing. Video conferencing is a good option when meetings can’t be held in-person. Participants still have the ability to be heard and seen in real-time using online meeting platforms. Now more than ever, it is very important to […]
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Register Now: Spring 2021 BR+E Coordinator Training
Do you want to learn how to engage the business community so you can strengthen your local economy? Consider attending the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ (OMAFRA) three-part Business Retention + Expansion (BR+E) training in April: Thursday, April 8th 10:30am – 12pm Thursday, April 15th 10:30am – 12pm Thursday, April 22nd 10:30am […]
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Advancing Opportunities in the South Korean Market to Ontario Exporters
Registration is now open for the FREE South Korea Market Opportunities Webinar occurring on March 10, 2021 from 7:30 – 9:15 PM EST. The Ministries of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT) in collaboration with, the Korea Importers Association (KOIMA) and the Canada Embassy in Korea will […]
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Using Focus Groups for Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E)
A thorough Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) exercise can take several months to complete. However, there may be times when an economic development practitioner may need to gather data quickly. Recently, I had the opportunity to work with the County of Simcoe and the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury to address this challenge as they […]
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Findings From the 2020 OMAFRA Recovery BR+E Surveys
BR+E continues to take center stage for many communities across Ontario as they navigate through shifting local economic conditions. Data gathered through BR+E interviews and surveys can provide a window into the challenges and opportunities faced by many businesses. This precedes effective, targeted actions and strategies to facilitate the growth and success of local businesses. […]
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REGISTER NOW – Why you should attend the 2021 EDCO Conference
Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) Annual Conference and Showcase will take place virtually this year every Wednesday from January 20-February 24, 2021 (9:00-11:15am). The conference series will feature presentations and workshops that are designed to challenge you to learn new and innovative ways to solve real-life challenges facing many economic development practitioners in Ontario. […]