NEWS RELEASE
TOWN OF COLLINGWOOD
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The Business Development Centre (BDC) has long been established as the go-to place for business support and is pleased to announce that there are now six great business resources all under one roof to help you.
The Town of Collingwood is delighted to welcome the Georgian Bay Accelerator and the Collingwood Chamber of Commerce to the BDC team, who have just celebrated their first month at the Business Development Centre, at 105 Hurontario St. These organizations will join the Town of Collingwood’s economic development department, South Georgian Bay Small Business Enterprise Centre, Community Futures South Georgian Bay, and the Collingwood Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA).
Whether you’re a start-up and new to the business community, or an established business looking for help with growing and scaling, improving, or streamlining processes, marketing or financing, the BDC is a great place to start.
“We have a unique advantage here in Collingwood being able to have so many resources, all under one roof, the Business Development Centre, to ensure that businesses have access to what they need to succeed,” says Mayor Yvonne Hamlin.
The centre itself is a hub of collaboration, innovation, and resources, comprised of six well-established entities in our community.
The Collingwood Downtown BIA
The Collingwood Downtown BIA is an organization of more than 600 businesses and property owners, which pay a special levy each year to assist in the beautification, maintenance, promotion, and economic development of Collingwood’s downtown area.
The BIA is responsible for annual events like the Santa Claus Parade, Christmas Market and Collingwood Fashion Week and works collaboratively with the Town of Collingwood to present the annual Art & Music Crawl and works with community partners on other community events and promotions. One of the most beloved annual events in our community presented by the Collingwood Downtown BIA is the farmers’ market, which runs every Saturday morning from the May long weekend until Thanksgiving at the corner of Second Street and Pine Street.
“Collingwood Downtown is one of more than 330 BIAs across the Province of Ontario who work together to make our downtown cores vibrant and welcoming as community gathering places. A BIA is an area marketer, event facilitator, public realm investor and policy and partner influencer,” said Susan Nicholson, general manager.
Community Futures South Georgian Bay
Community Futures South Georgian Bay (CFSGB), previously known as the Centre for Business and Economic Development, is a not-for-profit Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) sponsored by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. They are governed by a volunteer board of directors and are one of 61 CFDCs in Ontario. CFSGB has been supporting the small business community for 37 years.
“The Community Futures program is ideal for entrepreneurs looking to start a business or grow an existing business. We can help with advice and mentorship, workshops and training and loans and financing. We love working with the entrepreneurial community. It is vibrant, dynamic, and creative,” says Gillian Fairly, general manager.
The Small Business Enterprise Centre
The Small Business Enterprise Centre offers entrepreneurs all the tools needed to start and grow their business, starting with free consultations with a qualified business consultant.
“This area has been swelling with entrepreneurs eager to either start or relocate their existing business to Southern Georgian Bay and they tend to gravitate towards our centre for advice,” says Tim Newton, manager.
The focus of the Small Business Enterprise Centre is to provide support to start-up and existing small business enterprises during their development, retention, and operation. They provide entrepreneurs with easy access to business consulting services and information covering management, marketing, technology, strategy, planning, and financing.
The Georgian Bay Accelerator
The GB Accelerator is passionate about advancing high-growth companies in the Georgian Bay area. They know that building a successful business takes more than just capital — it takes ideas, momentum, and a supportive community. Since 2021 they’ve been here to provide all three. Their network of mentors are executives, founders, and seasoned entrepreneurs who are dedicated to seeing businesses thrive.
The GB Accelerator offers programs that are fully customized to the needs of each business. In both their launch and growth programs, businesses work with expert mentors to develop a highly targeted strategic plan to get them to the next stage of growth and to enable future success. The GB Accelerator also offers advanced educational opportunities to help entrepreneurs leverage best-in-class technologies and business practices to enable growth.
The Collingwood Chamber of Commerce
The Collingwood Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization, with members encompassing all segments of the local economy, from start-up entrepreneurs, family business, national to multinational corporations. The membership is comprised of businesses that represent all areas of industry, enterprise and numerous associations.
They are dedicated to the promotion and advocacy of Collingwood and area businesses and provide several outstanding benefits, discounts, and networking opportunities that each member including their staff can take advantage of. They represent and support the needs and views of their members, plus enhance and further advance the economic health and vitality of the local business community.
Economic development, Town of Collingwood
The economic development department can assist business owners in finding land and space, provide updates on proposed developments, offers concierge services to assist businesses with navigating town hall, and provides access to information to support informed decisions. “We are here to offer support to local businesses by providing data and information, connecting them with local and regional programs and services and helping with site selection,” says Johanna Griggs, manager, economic development.
If you are looking for assistance with your business, whether you’re starting out or established and want to grow, the best place to start tapping into the resources within the Business Development Centre is by booking an online consultation at livemorenow.ca/connect-with-us.
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