October 2, 2020
Halifax Partnership has teamed up with Digital Main Street and Google Canada with support from the Atlantic Canadian Opportunities Agency to support businesses and get up to 100 companies online. The new ShopHERE Program, Powered by Google, provides free website building for small, registered retail and manufacturing businesses. Successful applicants will bring their store online in as little as two weeks with a customized website, hands-on assistance, the training and tools to build, launch, and manage their online store—at no cost.
Participating Businesses Will Receive:
- Customized online store with your business’s information, branding, and logo.
- 1-to-1 help and tools to set up and launch your online store.
- Training in digital marketing, shipping, inventory management, and more.
There are up to 100 spots available. Eligible businesses will be accepted into the program on a first-come-first-serve, rolling basis.
No, there is no cost to participate thanks to the generous support of Atlantic Canadian Opportunities Agency and other public and private partners.
The program includes the entire online store construction, training and marketing support. Ecommerce coordinators can build online stores via Shopify or Square and will walk participants through each platform and help you decide which is right for your business. Shopify is offering a 90-day free trial of their Basic Plan. There are various paid options following. Square offers both free and paid plans.
To be eligible, businesses:
- Are based in Halifax
- Have a commercial location or are home-based
- Have fewer than twenty-five employees
- Are not a corporate chain or franchise