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$7,500 BC Government Grant For E-Commerce Website
Calling all BC Business Owners!
Are you looking for your invitation to finally put together your e-commerce website? Been lacking in the funds to make it a reality?
Well, on February 3rd, the BC Government and Alacrity Canada announced the creation of the Launch Online grant! This grant is a provincial grant aimed at helping BC business owners (aka YOU) better develop their eCommerce options to assist in navigating the post-COVID economic recovery.
12 MILLION DOLLARS will go to 1,500 small and medium-sized businesses in an effort to give a helping hand in creating an online sales portal (or heck, let’s improve that outdated one).
The grant is designed to cover expenses related to:
Building an online shop (with the added bonus of expenses covering product photography and copywriting support)
Improving existing eCommerce platforms (including staff training and time spent on substantial enhancements)
Digital customer acquisition (let’s talk SEO, keyword research, and Google ads management)
Training employees to manage the online shopping platform
This grant will fund up to 75% of eligible expenses for qualifying applicants, up to $7,500 per business 🤑. All accepted applicants MUST be able to complete all activities related to building or developing their e-commerce sites within 12 weeks of receiving funding.
Would you describe yourself as:
A BC Resident who owns a BC company?
Only operating your business inside the province of BC?
Currently, operating and employing less than 149 BC residents?
A registered taxpayer in BC?
An owner of a business license number and GST number; plus a PST and WorkSafe BC number if applicable?
Would you describe your business as:
Having generated sales of more than $30,000 in either 2019 or the year preceding application?
Have repeatable products, or, if you sell handmade art and jewelry, multiple unique products with significant similarities?
Do you follow at least 3 of the following 5 attributes?
Customer registration and information security features (i.e. a customer login portal and credit card encryption)
Shopping cart and order management capabilities
Payment processing options that automatically apply taxes and shipping costs
A searchable product catalog with inventory status
Website analytics and reporting capabilities
Then guess what? THIS GRANT IS THE GRANT FOR YOU!
If you are ready to kick start this exciting new chapter for your business, the BC Grant applications are now open!
The first step is to develop a grant proposal that clearly explains your plan for using the allocated funds (including cost estimates broken down into categories such as online shop development, digital customer acquisition, and employee training).
Next, fill out the Launch Online Application Form through the Launch Online Website.
*Note: this application form will stay open until all funds have been allocated.
The third step is waiting. Alacrity Canada should contact you within 3 weeks of your submission. If you have met the qualifications, you will be conditionally approved and asked to provide supporting documentation (tax returns and business registration paperwork).
If you are approved, you will need to hire a BC-based company or service provider to help you set up your online shop and train your employees (hint hint, nudge nudge ;)).
You will also be required to submit regular progress reports explaining your process for eCommerce implementation.
Remember that last bit about hiring a BC-based company to assist you with setting up or improving your eCommerce business? Well, that’s where Marketing 4 Moms comes in.
Marketing 4 Moms is a BC-based company with over 15 years of experience working with businesses of various sizes and in various industries to develop BOSS online stores. We understand that beginning to even THINK about building or rebuilding your online business is a daunting task, which is why we work together with you to create the eCommerce website of your dreams, all while ensuring the messy details are out of your hair and handled by our talented team.
So, let’s get started! You can book a free consultation with us TODAY and get started on your eCommerce journey.
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