Some experts who can help with supporting small businesses are coming to town this week.
The Digital Service Squad will be at the Paul J. Yakabuski Community Centre on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, starting at 10 a.m. each day. And the squad will be at the Combermere Community Centre on Thursday, starting at 10.
The Upper Ottawa Valley Chamber of Commerce is the lead for this program, which provides guidance for small business owners.
Squad member Dacota Fox explains how they help.
“You don’t need to be a member to get the services from the Digital Service Squad,” she says. “We help with social media and some of our grants go towards digital marketing, so (we can help you) with digital ads, Instagram ads, Facebook ads, Google ads.”
Fox and her colleague Christopher Chartrand are the squad members who will be in town. You don’t need to make an appointment to visit them.
“They can come by whenever they choose,” she says, adding that she and Chartrand will also pop into stores when they have the chance. “We are sourced out of Pembroke. We decided to do the Pop up offices because we don’t want our clientele to come to us. We want them to do know we’re willing to come to them to help them with their digital presence.”
Kelly Hollihan, of the Chamber, adds that the work of the Digital Squad has heightened importance in small towns like Barry’s Bay where small, independent businesses drive the economy.