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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDSD-2022-150 - Love My Business Support Programs Development Services Department www.kitchener.ca REPORT TO: Finance and Corporate Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: April 4, 2022 SUBMITTED BY: Cory Bluhm, Executive Director, Economic Development, 519-741- 2200 ext. 7065 PREPARED BY: Jordan Dolson, Marketing & Program Coordinator, Love My Business, 519-577-0680 WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: March 17, 2022 REPORT NO.: DSD-2022-150 SUBJECT: Love My Business Support Programs RECOMMENDATION: That the proposed programs for the Love My Business initiative, as outlined in report DSD-2022-150, be endorsed. And further, that City staff be directed to implement additional direct assistance programs where deemed permissible by the Ontario Municipal Act, as generally outlined in report DSD-2022-150 REPORT HIGHLIGHTS: The purpose of this report is to seek Council support to administer $100,000 in Love My Business marketing support programs from the Economic Development Investment Fund 2.0. The key finding of this report is that the Love My Business program will have an intake period of May 1, 2022, to October 31, 2022, and will aim to assist businesses who were impacted by COVID capacity restrictions in areas of suburban Kitchener. The financial implications are that the City will spend $100,000 as previously approved by Council as part of the Make it Kitchener 2.0 Economic Recovery Framework on April 19, 2021. Community engagement included consultation with businesses in January and February of 2022. This report supports A Vibrant Economy. BACKGROUND: In 2021, City Council approved an Economic Recovery Framework and allocated up to $5 million to support a series of business recovery efforts. Unleashing community spirit and *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. spending power is a key goal within the framework. Subsequently, City Council approved the creation of a Love My Business program to support suburban business areas. In late 2021, the City was successful in securing funding to offer the My Main Street Ambassador program to support urban main street businesses. The Love My Business program has been designed to support those commercial businesses who are outside of the main street business areas. The implementation of the Love My Business program supports local businesses seeking to re-engage with their customers and attract new ones. Where appropriate, it also leverages REPORT: The Love My Business program aims to inspire residents to spend their money in their communities, in this case, suburban areas of - support grassroot connections between local businesses and their surrounding neighbourhood residents, while facilitating collaboration among businesses. During the months of January and February 2022, the Love My Business Marketing & Program Coordinator consulted with 20 businesses from across affected industry groups (retail, restaurant, entertainment, fitness, and beauty). Staff focused on businesses that primarily rely on in-person services and have been heavily affected by Covid-19 restrictions over the past 2 years. In general, the feedback staff received included: Interest in collaborating with other businesses; Interest in social media training and content strategies; Interest in giving back to their communities through sponsorship opportunities and fundraising efforts; Interest in growing their exposure across the Waterloo Region area; and, Interest in events and community collaborations. After consultation, the following support programs are being recommended to Council: 1. Community Event Funding Businesses that partner with another Kitchener business to host a community event will be eligible to have up to $1,000 worth of event expenses covered. Examples of the types of events and experiences staff would anticipate include: Pop up artisan or food markets; Family activities and/or performers; Live music or entertainment for celebrations such as a business anniversary or holiday event; and, Workshop or educational event. Community events are opportunities to heighten connections in neighbourhoods, while also increasing foot traffic and exposure of participating businesses. Where possible, the City will utilize existing special event equipment to support these events. Likewise, where appropriate, staff will look for opportunities for such events to integrate with Love My Hood events and programs. The intake period will be May 1, 2022, to October 31, 2022. 2. Marketing Collaboration Funding Sharing business stories that build emotional connections with the wider community will inspire residents to support businesses in their neighbourhoods. Businesses will have the opportunity to collaborate on marketing opportunities that suit their specific interests. Examples of collaborative marketing methods staff would anticipate include: Developing a direct mail campaign to feature multiple businesses Hiring a social media influencer or content creator to develop a series of stories of multiple businesses within an area Developing advertorials or sponsored news content for online or in- print publications that include stories on multiple businesses This funding dedicates up to $500 per business toward a marketing collaboration. In order to receive funding for a marketing collaboration, at least three businesses will need to work together. Program details for programs #1 and #2 as listed above, as well as eligibility requirements, are outlined in Appendix A. 3. Digital Content Support Businesses can book a one-on-one consultation with the Love My Business Marketing and Program Coordinator to assist with digital content creation. This may include batch producing photos and video content for social media, creating Instagram Reels, getting started with TikTok, and automating scheduled content. This form of programing is not dissimilar from those commonly offered by the Small Business Centre but would be specifically targeted to bricks and mortar businesses. Future Program Considerations Should interest in the above noted three programs not exhaust all of the funding, staff will consider additional programs. This could include, for example, direct grants to businesses to support recovery where deemed permissible by the Ontario Municipal Act and within . Should future programs require legislative approvals, such as a new Community Improvement Plan, staff will return to Council for future consideration. Integration with Love My Hood As the Love My Business Marketing and Program Coordinator continues to engage local businesses, they will also look for opportunities to encourage businesses to engage with applicable programs of Love My Hood. This could include, for example, opportunities to apply for additional funding through the LoveMyHoodMatching Grant to support neighbourhood-based placemaking and community events. STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT: This report supports A Vibrant Economy. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Capital Budget Funding for the Love My Business Program was previously allocated from commitment to support economic recovery. It is anticipated that up to $100,000 in supports would be distributed between the three programs identified in this report. Operating Budget The recommendation has no impact on the Operating Budget. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM the council / committee meeting. CONSULT In early 2022, 20 businesses were consulted with including restaurants, cafes, retail businesses, gyms, hair salons, a brewery, a barber shop, and a nail salon. It is intended that the Love My Business Marketing and Program Coordinator will continue to engage with businesses directly to let them know about program opportunities. This engagement will happen in-person and electronically. COLLABORATE As the economy opens up and the weather gets nicer, staff also plan to host in-person networking events with the Love My Business community to facilitate collaboration and peer to peer learning. PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES: DSD-2021-43 APPROVED BY: Justin Readman, General Manager of Development Services Appendix A: Love My Business Program Overview Appendix A City of KITCHENER Love My Business PROGRAM OVERVIEW 1. Introduction The City of Kitchener has launched the Love My Business program to support suburban businesses re-engage their customers (and attract new ones) by supporting collaborative marketing initiatives and providing access to business support services. This program was developed to assist businesses that were deeply affected by COVID-19 restrictions. With the ultimate source of economic recovery lying in the spending potential of our residents, the Love My Business program focuses on building community and engaging customers through marketing collaborations. 2. Love My Business Area The Love My Business program intends to serve businesses in suburban areas of Kitchener and is available to any business located outside of the My Main Street Program areas, as described on 3. Intent and Objectives The intent of the program is to offer marketing support to suburban businesses (similar to the The objectives are as follows: i. Create community among suburban business owners ii. Facilitate collaboration between businesses iii. Increase connections with customers 4. Make it Kitchener Recovery Framework The Love My Business program was approved as part of the Make it Kitchener Recovery Framework by Council on April 19, 2021. The Love My Business program supports the goal of unleashing community spirit and spending power. The support this program provides aims to engage new customers and re-engage previous ones through creative and collaborative marketing strategies. More information on the Make it Kitchener Recovery Framework can be found at: https://www.makeitkitchener.ca/mik-2-recovery-framework-final-draft-high-res-.pdf 5. Funding Support Programs: The funding programs that exist within the Love My Business program include: 1. Community Events Funding 2. Marketing Collaborations These funding programs run alongside a digital content support program that will assist businesses with social media and short form video content. All initiatives and applications for assistance for any funding program are subject to funding being available. In all situations, the total level of the funding provided shall not exceed the value of the work done. 5.1. Community Events Funding Background Community events are opportunities to heighten connections in neighbourhoods, while also increasing foot traffic and exposure of participating businesses. The intake period for this funding is May 1, 2022, to October 31, 2022. Intent The intent of this program is to increase community and customer connections with businesses while also facilitating collaboration and cross promotion between Kitchener businesses. Eligibility Requirements Applicants must meet the following application criteria: The business is located within suburban Kitchener, as identified in Schedule A. The business was required to close or reduce capacity during 2021 or 2022 COVID-19 Provincial restrictions. The business provides in-person services at a bricks and mortar location. The business has a City of Kitchener business license, if required to have one. The community event must include a collaboration with at least one other Kitchener business, performer, educator, artist, or speaker. The community event must be made available to the public and must be free. The City of Kitchener reserves the right to deny or refuse any application. Financial Assistance A business can apply for up to $1000 in in-kind support toward hosting a community event. This could include, but not limited to, the cost of hiring a performer, setting up tents and tables, etc. All applications shall be submitted electronically or in writing, addressed to the Love My Business Marketing and Program Coordinator. All applications for assistance under this program will be considered subject to the availability of funding in the Love My Business program. Businesses will be notified of the outcome of their application as soon as possible, but typically within 2 to 3 weeks of application submission. Businesses may only apply for one community event funding opportunity. This funding is a one- time opportunity and is not intended to provide financial support on a recurring basis. 5.2. Marketing Collaborations The funding dedicated to marketing collaborations gives eligible businesses an opportunity to target new customers and grow their community connection in collaboration with other businesses. Background Marketing is a key method for businesses to attract new customers and begin to build new community connections. The intake period for this funding is May 1, 2022, to October 31, 2022. Intent The intent of this program is to provide businesses with exposure to new customers through marketing collaborations (including but not limited to direct mail, social media influencer campaigns, digital or print media advertising, etc.). Eligibility Requirements Applicants must meet the following application criteria: The business is located in suburban Kitchener, as identified in Schedule A. The business must collaborate with two other suburban Kitchener businesses who also meet these eligibility requirements. The business was required to close or reduce capacity during 2021 or 2022 COVID-19 Provincial restrictions. The business provides in-person services at a bricks and mortar location. The business has a City of Kitchener business license, if required to have one. The City of Kitchener reserves the right to deny or refuse any application. Financial Assistance A minimum of 3 businesses must participate in a given collaborative marketing effort. Each collaboration may apply for up to $500 per participating business to cover the costs of a collaborative marketing effort. The Love My Business Marketing and Program Coordinator may limit the total funding allocated to a collaborative marketing effort. All applications shall be submitted electronically or in writing, addressed to the Love My Business Marketing and Program Coordinator. All applications for assistance under this program will be considered subject to the availability of funding in the Love My Business program. Businesses will be notified of the outcome of their application as soon as possible, but typically within 2 to 3 weeks of application submission. Businesses may only apply for one marketing collaboration funding opportunity. This funding is a one-time opportunity and is not intended to provide financial support on a recurring basis. 6. Advisory Support Programs In addition to the funding programs listed in section 5, businesses can book a one-on-one consultation with the Love My Business Marketing and Program Coordinator to assist with digital content creation. This may include batch producing photos and video content for social media, creating Instagram Reels, getting started with TikTok, and automating scheduled content. Consultations will be provided on an as-requested basis, subject to the availability of City resources. Alternatively, businesses may be directed to the various programs of the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre. Schedule A: Love My Business Map The Love My Business area includes the yellow shaded area. The excluded areas (in black) are covered by the My Main Street Ambassador program (Lancaster/Victoria St. E, Downtown Kitchener, King St. East, and Belmont Village). Note attached to report in separate PDF file Program Areas Love My Business Program My Main Street Ambassador Program Lancaster R I St W/Victoria St E Downtown Belmont King St km 00.512