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Training, Events, and Webinars
Business Training
Bruce County's Business to Bruce programs organizes series of business development seminars, webinars, and other learning opportunities to start, grow, or advance a business.
Free Workshops to Help Your Business
Join us this fall for numerous free webinar series, where you’ll get the tips, tricks, and tools from industry experts to help you start, grow, scale up, or sustain your business. Whether you’re seeking guidance in digital marketing, QuickBooks, human resources policies, financial management, or how to start or succeed in the restaurant industry, we have the training for you – all free to you and your employees.
If there is a topic that you'd like to see, email us at info@businesstobruce.com so we can look into it. We want to provide our entrepreneurs with the learning tools they need to succeed and grow!
Grey Bruce Small Business Week | Oct 18 - Oct 22, 2021
A week of webinars and workshops to support our small business community.
Grey-Bruce Small Business Week is presented by Business to Bruce, Grey County Business Enterprise Centre, The Hub Huron Kinloss, Catapult Grey-Bruce, Futurpreneur, BDC and Bruce Community Futures Development Corporation.
See the schedule below for all webinars and workshops running throughout the week.
Grey Bruce Economic Update - Oct. 18th 9am-10am
Join Brain Davenport from RBC Dominion Securities as he provides an update on the Grey Bruce economy. Brian will speak to the current trends within the business environment and how these trends will impact business owners throughout Grey and Bruce County. Following the economic update we will discuss the Grey Bruce entrepreneurship ecosystem providing an update on the supports and programming available to assist Grey Bruce entrepreneurs as they start and scale their businesses.
Business Planning 101 | Oct. 18th 2pm-3:30pm
Take this workshop if have a good grasp of your business idea and want to develop the foundations of a solid business plan. Participants will:
- Learn the essential elements of a successful business plan
- Begin writing the four key sections of the business plan (Company Profile, Marketing Activities, Market Research, and Operations)
- Identify the gaps, goals and next steps required to complete the business plan
Social Media Content Creation | Oct. 18th 6-7:30pm
Do you struggle with creating content for your social media platforms? Content is king in the digital marketing space, and in this webinar we will discuss creating and scheduling content, content pillars, captions, user generated content, engagement, content creating resources, and more! In Content Creation for Small Business, you will learn the importance of content, how to create it for your business with ease, and creating and fostering relationship and connection with your followers. You will leave with a clearer understanding of a content strategy that you can immediately implement for your online presence.
Clarify your Business Message | Oct. 19th 9-10:30am
A 90-minute messaging workshop to help your business stand out, get clear how you help people and reach the right audience. Facilitated by Heather and Julie of Master Your Message.
Elevator Pitch Training | Oct. 19th 2pm-5pm
Using the essentials of effective storytelling, you will craft a compelling narrative that will help your venture to stand out in front of investors. You will get the opportunity to create a pitch presentation and practice the delivery in a small group setting led by expert pitch facilitator and founder Chris Giantsopoulos of MaRS Discovery District. Due to this event having limited capacity, priority will be given to businesses located within Grey and Bruce Counties.
Wednesday Warm-Up | Oct. 20 9-10am
Bring your coffee and join The Hub, Grey County Business Enterprise Centre, and Catapult Grey-Bruce for Wednesday Warm-Up. Wednesday Warm-Up is a virtual entrepreneur networking group that meets monthly, where regional entrepreneurs network and discuss topics related to business. This group was created earlier this year to offer a space for entrepreneurs to virtually connect, expand their network, and have expansive conversations.
DE&I an Employer Success Story | Oct. 20 2-3:30pm
Join Gemma Mendez-Smith, Executive Director of the Four County Labour Market Planning Board, as she shares her “Employer Success Story” of hiring newcomer talent to her team. In this event, you’ll hear more about FCLMPB’s initiatives to create a sense of belonging for newcomer employees through strong workplace and community practices.
Introduction to Email Marketing | Oct. 20 6-7:30pm
When you build email marketing infrastructure, you are investing in a long-term sales strategy. A month of ad-spend can drive sales now. Applying that same budget to email marketing can drive sales for a year or more. Email marketing is one of the most effective online sales tools. Mastering simple best practices and key concepts can help you increase conversions and avoid the spam filter. Facilitated by Matthew Herchel CFO of 2H Media.
Cashflow Forecasting 101 | Oct. 21 10-11:30am
Participants will: -Better understand how to complete the Start Up Cost and Cash Flow sections of the business plan -Learn how to create realistic sales forecasts -Understand how the business plan and cash flow interconnect -Complete the first draft of the start-up costs and first month sales / expenses -Set a realistic date for completing the business plan and cashflow
Talent Attraction & Retention | Oct 21 2-3:30pm
In the last 15 years, Mandy and her team have interviewed over 10,000 people and successfully worked with hundreds of business leaders and entrepreneurs. Mandy will share valuable insights on what top talent want today, what leaders are doing to win top talent, and retention strategies you can implement in your business to keep your top performers engaged and productive. Following the keynote Mandy will be facilitating a panel featuring local employers and job developers. The panel will speak to the labour market within Grey Bruce as well as strategies being utilized locally to both attract and retain employees.
Financing for Start-ups | Oct 22 10-11:30am
In this webinar we will discuss financing options for businesses in the start-up phase of their development. We will talk about how start-up financing is traditionally structured and what small businesses need to know in order to access financing. We will also take a closer look at the various financing opportunities available locally through Bruce CFDC, BDC and Futurpreneur.
Capital Options for Scaling | Oct 22 2:00-3:30pm
You have a proven concept, customers and your business is taking off, but cash is holding you back. During this panel discussion (with Bob Nichol from the Bluewater Angel Investor Group), we’ll talk to some local funders about the capital solutions they provide and things to consider when exploring funding options.
Thanks to the support of the Grey-Bruce Small Business Week sponsors all events offered throughout the week will be free to attend. However, certain events have limited capacity so we ask that you only register for the events which you are able to join virtually. You are able to register for events individually, allowing you to pick and choose which may interest you.
Fall 2021 Webinars Series
Missed a webinar? Contact us to receive the recording and additional resources.
The Basics Series
Your guide to starting a business, setting yourself up for success, and pursuing your passion.
QuickBooks Series
Learn how to use QuickBooks to simplify tracking your business' financial health and keep clear records.
Start-up Business Guide Series
Everything you need to know about starting your business and navigating toward success.
Missed a webinar? Contact us to receive the recording and additional resources.
Digital Marketing Series
*Note: this webinar series is only open to those operating a business in Bruce County. Due to space limitations, we ask that if your business is located outside of a Bruce County municipality, that you do not register.
Let us help you develop and execute a digital marketing strategy to help grow your business and reach more customers.
How to Start a Restaurant Series
From your mindset to strategy plans, learn the foundations to starting your bar or restaurant.
- Starting a Bar or Restaurant: The Non-Negotiables | Nov 2 | 6:30 – 8:30 pm
- Deep Dive: Feasibility Studies + Concept & Brand Strategy + Business Plans | Nov 9 | 6:30 – 8:30 pm
- Developing a Profitable Food Menu | Nov 16 | 6:30 – 8:30 pm
- Developing an Epic Beverage Program | Nov 23 | 6:30 – 8:30 pm
- Hacking the New Normal | Nov 30 | 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Human Resources Series
Learn about hiring practices, employment legislation, and building a workplace your employees will love.
- Intro to Employment Legislation | Nov 3 | 6:30 – 8 pm
- What You Need to Know About Workplace Policies | Nov 10 | 6:30 – 8 pm
- Employee Handbooks, an Essential Business Tool | Nov 17 | 6:30 – 8 pm
- Legally Defensible HR Practices You Need to Know | Nov 24 | 6:30 – 8 pm
- From Employee Attraction to Separation & Everything In-Between | Dec 1 | 6:30 – 8 pm
- Defining and Communicating your Workplace Culture | Dec 8 | 6:30 – 8 pm
Annual Events
Bridges to Better Business | Nov. 25, 2021
Each Fall we host our annual Bridges to Better Business event that focuses on providing business owners and entrepreneurs with knowledge, resources, and tools (aka the bridge) to build a better business.
More details to come soon for this year's Bridges to Better Business Event.
International Women's Day
Our annual International Women's Day event takes place around International Women's Day (March 8th) and aims to inspire and train female entrepreneurs and female-owned businesses.
Business Resources
Training with the Small Business Centres Ontario
As a proud member of the Small Business Centres Ontario network, we have teamed up to help you achieve your entrepreneurial goals at your own pace. SBCOntario has amazing Business Start-up sessions for you to take at your own pace. Simply sign up and gain access to 30+ free online courses. Take your business knowledge beyond the basics! Once complete, connect with us to get one-on-one guidance about your business growth!
Learn how to set up a Google My Business
Contact us for a copy of 'How to Setup your Google My Business Profile' guidebook.
