Nova Scotia Tech News

March 23, 2020

Dealing with a global health pandemic and the resulting changes is new territory for all of us. We’re making every attempt to keep this list up to date but if anything is missing, please let us know!

Our Top Resources:

• Province of Nova Scotia
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Travel advice
• Prime Minister News Releases
• COVID-19 Assessment Centres
• CDC – What To Do if You Are Sick
• APEC COVID-19 in Atlantic Canada
• Aon’s Infectious Disease Response Task Force

Business Resources

Government Resources for Businesses & Financial Supports

• Business Resilience Service: **NEW, Announced May 25, 2020. This toll-free hotline helps entrepreneurs and small business owners in need of financial planning advice due to COVID-19, including not-for-profit organizations and charities. Call 1-866-989-1080, 7 days a week, from 8am – 8pm (ET). Learn More
• Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF): **NEW, Announced May 13, 2020. This fund recognizes that some business owners and support organizations have not been able to access other emergency support measures. Learn More
• Innovative Solutions Canada has dedicated funding to help combat current and future outbreaks of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and other similar threats. This program will help support the Government of Canada’s fight against COVID-19 by funding R&D and testing prototypes in real-life settings that can help protect Canadians. Learn More
• The Worker Emergency Bridge Fund from the Province of Nova Scotia to help the self-employed and those laid-off workers who do not qualify for Employment Insurance. Government will provide a one-time, $1,000 payment, to bridge the gap between layoffs and closures and the federal government’s Canada Emergency Response Benefit. Learn More
• Tax deadlines have been extended for individuals until June 1, 2020, for those self-employed until September 1, 2020, and for businesses until September 1, 2020. Learn more
• The new Emergency Care Benefit has been created for workers who are self-employed or quarantined/sick with COVID-19 but would not qualify for EI sickness benefits. Applications will be available in April 2020 and can be accessed via your CRA My Account
• A Temporary Wage Subsidy program has been announced or employers for 3-months that will allow eligible employers to reduce the amount of payroll deductions to CRA. This subsidy is available for non-profits, charities, and Canadian-controlled private corporations. Learn more
• BDO have developed a great guide for this program – Check it out!
• Via the Work Sharing Program, Employment Insurance Benefits are provided for eligible employees as income support, and the mandatory waiting period has been currently waived. Both the employee and employer must apply to participate in the program together and agree to a reduced schedule and shared work available over a specific period of time. Find eligibility and learn more
• Under the federal government’s new Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP), Export Development Canada (EDC) and the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) can now provide more than $10 billion of additional financing to customers facing economic challenges caused by COVID-19. The program, announced March 13, helps Canadian businesses in all sectors and regions gain access to credit through EDC, BDC and private sector lenders. Learn more.
• The Innovation Assistance Program (IAP) supports SMEs pursuing tech-driven innovation who have been unable to secure funding under the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). Applications are now closed. Learn More
• The Small Business Impact Grant from the Province of Nova Scotia will give eligible small businesses and social enterprises a grant of 15 per cent of their revenue from sales — either from April 2019 or February 2020, up to a maximum of $5,000. This flexible, one-time, upfront grant can be used for any purpose necessary. Applications are now closed. Learn More

Government Resources 

• Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan: Support for Canadians and Businesses
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Resources for Canadian businesses
• Employment and Social Development Canada (Including Employment Insurance, Labour Programs, Work-Sharing Programs)
• Nova Scotia Government Business Fact Sheet

Business Resources

• Canadian Chamber of Commerce – Pandemic Preparedness for Business
• McInnes Cooper – Coping with COVID-19 at work Employer FAQs
• McInnes Cooper – 3 Legal Remedies for the Contractual Liability Risks Caused by COVID-19
• Halifax Partnership – This is an unprecedented time in the world and our business community.
• Deloitte – COVID-19: Managing Supply Chain Risk and Disruption
• BDC – Business continuity plan and templates for entrepreneurs
• Velsoft Offers Learning System Free
• Video blogs with the Conference Board of Canada
• BDO – Cash Flow Tips
• Helping Businesses Navigate COVID-19 with Grant Thornton & The Cape Breton Partnership
• Grant Thronton –5 tips for extending cash flow amid times of uncertainty

Supporting Employees

• World Health Organization COVID-19 – Business and Employees
• Deloitte – OVID-19: Practical Workforce Strategies that Put Your People First
• UNIFOR – Do’s and Don’ts for employers during COVID-19 pandemic

Member Offerings

Organization	Offering
	Virtual Business Support Hub: A partnership between the provincial government and Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) to offer education, training and guidance for small businesses through a central online hub.
	Free access to the Modest Tree virtual meeting room on #Modest3DXplorer.
	eLearning technologies offered free of charge until at least the end of April – with no obligations or requirements to continue using these technologies after the outbreak. Free courseware tile on Managing the Virtual Workspace.
	Work with Able Sense and move your operations online ASAP – they work within various budgets and can leverage their expertise as #ShopifyPartners to make this transition.
	Become a vLife Founding Partner for free until July 2020. vLife creates meaningful and lasting relationships between BuyLocal supporters and provider
	In order to do their part and help support students, teachers, and parents Binogi are opening registration to all users for a limited time – Binogi is temporarily FREE for everyone!
	For virtual events, SideDoor will waive their 10% split until the end of March and assist you in helping to make it the best it can be. Ticket revenue will go directly to the artist.
	BDO has offered access to their COVID-19 Information Hub. Financial services remain an essential service, and their experts are addressing the important concerns many members are currently facing.
	The team at Grant Thornton have developed a YouTube Playlist for your COVID-19 business questions!

Employee Resources

Working from home is something many of our members are set up for, but not necessarily something everyone is used to. Adjusting from having in-person conversations to digital hangouts can be quite a switch. It’s important to check-in with one another both from a work and mental health perspective.

Working from Home

• VERB – the ultimate guide for working at home
• Zapier’s ultimate guide to remote work 
• The Well – How to Still Win at Working Remotely

Mental Health Resources

A global pandemic comes with many concerns, challenges and can have some serious mental health implications for employees. Below are some useful tips to support employees during this stressful time:

• Get information from reliable sources, such as ca/coronavirus
• Stay informed but follow news coverage about COVID-19 in moderation – be sure to take breaks
• Take care of your body – deep breaths, stretches, exercises, and healthy eating all make a big impact
• Stay connected – thanks to technology you can call and video chat friends, family and co-workers to share how you’re feeling, and check in on them too!
• Remember we are all managing this differently, respect other people’s feelings and decisions
• Know what is within your control, and what is not – try and focus your energy where it makes a difference

Resources

• Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) – 6 Tips to Respond to Employee Anxiety about COVID-19
• World Economic Forum – COVID-19 Mental Health Expert Insights
• BBC News – How to Protect your Mental Health
• Staying Healthy in a COVID-19 World