Thank you for your interest in the DMS program. The Digital Main Street (DMS) Future Proof Program delivered by Invest Ottawa in partnership with Launch Lab in Canada’s Capital and Eastern Ontario will conclude as scheduled on June 30, 2021. We regret we are unable to accept new applications to this program.
Small Businesses in Your Neighbourhood Need You to Survive
They’re your confidant, your welcoming host, and your trusted sounding board…. please be there for them as they have been for you.
Over the past year, Digital Main Street programs delivered in Eastern Ontario by Invest Ottawa in partnership with Launch Lab, provided free support to more than 1,700 businesses impacted by the pandemic to help them get online and get selling. The following is a sample of success stories from DMS clients.
As we now work towards recovery, please support these and all small businesses online and safely in person.
Backcountry Wok
Melanie Ang, Founder
Backcountry Wok is on a mission to inspire sustainable, nutritious and inclusive adventures with convenient on-the-go meals.
Beck + Adele
Jeff Jenkins, Founder
Beck + Adele is “changing the look of sound” with retrofitted antique radios and solid wood speakers.
BeetBox
Angela Plant, Board Member
BeetBox is an organic vegetable farm located in the urban area of Nepean.
Business Sisters
Doreen Ashton Wagner, Founder
Business Sisters is an organization which aims to bring rural women entrepreneurs together to learn from each other.
Calita Intimates
Rebecca Mazzara, Founder
Ottawa-based Calita Intimates offers comfortable garments in natural, breathable fabrics designed and made in Canada.
Canadian Hard of Hearing Association
Richard Plummer, Director, Business Development and Operations
The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association works to break down barriers for those living with hearing loss by providing resources and technological devices that alleviate the effects of hearing impairment.
Carlington Booch
Jon Ruby, Co-Founder
Carlington Booch is a social enterprise that brews small-batch kombucha, a popular fermented tea drink, to help fight addiction in Ottawa.
Crowded Table Farm
Cynthia Franklin & Sarah Kerr, Co-Founders
Crowded Table Farm is a small-scale farming operation in Kinburn, Ontario aiming to provide fresh, healthy vegetables and eggs to the local community.
Deevey Strategic Communications
Roxanne Deevey, Founder
Through Deevey Communications, its founder Roxanne, advises clients across the public, private and non-profit sectors on how to improve their marketing and digital media.
Duckling Dating
Sue McGarvie, Founder
Duckling Dating is one of the only group-based dating communities in Ottawa.
Easy Breezy Dog Training
Kyla Denault, Founder
Easy Breezy Dog Training offers dog training services for every pesky pooch so that dog owners can lead a happy and enriched life with their beloved canines.
ErgoPrime Inc.
Pam Grills, Founder
ErgoPrime Inc. was founded on the belief that all workplaces can optimize employee health through ergonomic assessments and training, thereby saving money on injury costs and boosting productivity.
Eventfluent
Nichol Turner & Mireille Faucon, Co-Founders
Eventfluent is a virtual event planning firm delivering digital support and organizational services for online conferences and engagements across Canada.
Faye Beverage | Jogo Juice
Marie Pierre Faye, Founder
Faye Beverage offers healthy and delicious vegan drinks containing only the finest and freshest natural fruits and superfoods.
FocalOttawa
Steve Georgopoulos, Founder
FocalOttawa is an intergenerational initiative using a two-fold approach to philanthropy by supporting small businesses while raising money for the Ottawa-based Bridges Over Barriers fund.
Glebe Osteopathy and Wellness
Liam Graham-Morton, Founder
Glebe Osteopathy and Wellness combines massage therapy services, manual osteopathy, and yoga to provide holistic wellness for its customers.
Good Choice Initiative
Noelle Le Conte-Good, Founder
Good Choice Initiative is an online business hub that encourages people in the Ottawa-Gatineau area to live sustainably.
Good Habets
Chris Habets, Founder
Good Habets provides Eastern Ontario with unique and innovative engineering services with the goal of lowering utility bills across the region.
Heart’s Content Consignment
Jill Wright, Founder
Heart’s Content Consignment shop in Rockland, Ontario, gives second-hand clothing a new life.
Hippie Mylk
Jessica Lim, Founder
Hippie Mylk is a leading plant-based milk brand aiming to bridge the farm-to-fork gap for health-conscious people in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.
Hovey Industries
Marco Campagna, Owner
Since 1979, Hovey Industries has been focused on designing and fabricating high-quality metal products that meet the most rigorous industry standards and hold up under the harshest conditions.
Izere Coffee
Deborah Ntawigirira, Co-Founder
Izere Coffee is a Canadian and Burundian coffee company that sources specialty coffee from co-ops all across Burundi.
Karla Briones Inc.
Karla Briones, Founder
Fueled by her own experience as a Canadian immigrant and her passion for business, Karla now works as a consultant helping immigrants and under-represented entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses.
Lexine Photographie
Lexine Ménard, Founder
Lexine Photographie is one of the most popular names in wedding and event photography in the Ottawa area.
Light Your Leadership Inc.
Lisa Anna Palmer, Founder
Light Your Leadership Inc. is a top leadership consulting firm in Ottawa on a mission to help managers and executives connect with their inner leader to engage and inspire their employees.
MLD Micro Labs
Lisa Desroches, Founder
MLD Micro Labs is a health and safety-focused, portable lab service provider that offers rapid on-site COVID-19 testing and infection control plans.
Mojo Creations
Jane Rogers, Founder
Mojo Creations offers a wide variety of handmade bracelets built with powerful gemstones that are believed to bring good energy and healing to the wearer.
MUST Boutique
Jessica Oliver, Franchisee
MUST Boutique sells Ottawa’s top fine Italian clothing and accessories in a personal and intimate storefront.
My ByWard Office
Eric McRae, Founder
My ByWard Office (MBO) is one of Ottawa’s premier co-working spaces.
NAFSI
Celine Hajjar, Founder
NAFSI is a slow fashion brand providing luxury, comfort, and self-expression through sustainably sourced and ethically made garments.
Nims Golden Bagya
Nima London, Founder
Nims Golden Bagya sells high-quality bagya, a traditional Djiboutian dish that serves as a nutritious and hardy treat.
Notaring
Christian Azzi, Founder
Notaring is an innovative online notary service that is transforming how the legal industry serves its clients.
Odyssey Showcase
Deborah Davis, Founder
For over two decades, Ottawa’s Odyssey Showcase has contributed to the study of Canadian history, music, art, and performance through engaging and educational programming.
Oneness Career Coaching
Josephine Mensah, Founder
With dynamic career counselling and business advisory services, Oneness Career Coaching (OCC) is a leading name for Ottawa job seekers looking to make a big career change.
Online Food Bank
Omer Livvarcin, Founder
Through Online Food Bank – the first of its kind in Canada – vulnerable members of our community will be able to access local foodbanks safely, efficiently, and from the comfort of their homes.
The Open Door
Heather Desjardins, Founder
The Open Door is an Ottawa-based resource that provides educational services for parents, students, and educators to help students through tutoring and assessments.
Ottawa Samosa
Owais Khan, Founder
Ottawa Samosa is an online family business selling high-quality, Halal samosas.
OwnerShift
Andrew Scott, Founder
OwnerShift is a virtual consulting firm teaching restaurant owners around the world how to scale up their businesses and effectively manage multiple locations.
PranaShanti Yoga Centre
Devinder Kaur, Founder
PranaShanti Yoga Centre is focused on teacher training, courses, and self-development.
Prezdential Basketball
Manock Lual, Founder
Prezdential Basketball is a social enterprise that breaks down barriers for vulnerable youth by providing foundational life skills and mentorship through basketball lessons.
Productive to the Max
Ann Max, Founder
Ann initially founded her firm Productivity to the Max to organize professional office spaces but has since seen her practice evolve to exclusively help women entrepreneurs gain the strategies and tactics they need for business success.
Quinn’s Ale House
Art Hodgins, Founder
Quinn’s Ale House is a popular Ottawa bar that puts a unique twist on pub favourites with its own line of authentic ales.
Relationship Bliss
Marie-Claire Thauvette, Founder
Relationship expert Marie-Claire Thauvette (M-C) founded her personal consulting business, Relationship Bliss, to teach individuals and couples how to improve their intimacy, communication and connection.
Room2Breathe
Martha Tobin, Founder
We all have clutter in our lives, when it becomes too much, Room2Breathe is available to help clients take control and reorganize their belongings and lives.
Silver 7 Martial Arts
Chris Davison, Etienne Dugal-Tessier
& Delphie Dugal-Tessier, Co-Founders
Silver 7 Martial Arts offers martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, HIIT, and many more family-friendly services for adults and children.
Sunflowers and Butterflies
Krista Ranne, Founder
Sunflowers and Butterflies offers weekly delivery of nutritious, delicious meal kits in the West Carleton and Ottawa area featuring carefully curated vegan, gluten-free recipes.
Teslica
Kory Keogan, Founder
Teslica provides consumers with health, happiness and freedom through its modern electric bicycles.
True Bijoux
Lindsay & Stephanie Appotive, Co-Founders
True Bijoux offers a wide range of jewelry and personalized services and is the sister store to Ottawa’s long-loved Howard’s Fine Jewellers.
Unavailshop
Tevin Haye, Founder
Unavailshop is one of Ottawa’s leaders in sustainable fashion. Founder Tevin Haye launched the business with a mission to cut down waste produced by the fashion industry by recycling and selling pre-owned merchandise.
Unearth Education Éveillée
Jennifer Regnier, Co-Founder
Through tailored certifications, programs, and events, Unearth Education Éveillée helps students build transferable skills that will ensure they are equipped to successfully secure employment and adapt to the future of work.
The Urban Botanist
Emma Terrell, Founder
The Urban Botanist helps residents of Ottawa’s urban areas meaningfully connect with nature and gardening through events and workshops.
Vivic Research
Robin Shaban & Inez Hillel, Co-Founders
Vivic Research is an economic consulting firm serving advocates, think tanks, governments, and other agents engaged in public policy development.
Walking for Peace Publishing
Mony Dojeiji & Alberto Agraso, Co-Founders
Walking for Peace Publishing is a self-publishing company whose intention is to inspire and transform lives through the telling of the duo’s personal pilgrimage story in which Mony and Alberto walked 5,000 kilometres in 13 months across 13 countries.
wild idea co.
Ryan Gencarelli, Co-Founder
wild idea co. is a brand consultancy and creative studio for purpose-driven businesses in the nation’s capital.
5:2:8 Creative Coffee Collective
Jay Lim, Founder
5:2:8 Creative Coffee Collective is a co-working hub and coffee shop all in one, where customers can book time to work in a comfortable, cool and equipped open office setting or try one of the shop’s specialty micro roasts sourced from across the globe.
Many thanks to The Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas and all BIAs within our region for your continued support.
· https://westborovillage.com/
· https://www.kanatanorthba.com/
· https://www.facebook.com/VillageofCarpBIA/
· https://manotickvillage.com/
· https://www.downtownrideau.com/
Program Information & Partners
Introducing ShopHERE
We build your ecommerce website AND cover the cost
You want to sell your products or services online, but you need the ecommerce site to do it. ShopHERE is meant for you. If you apply and qualify, you’ll receive
- Discovery session to determine which ecommerce platform is right for your business
- A custom ecommerce website built by an expert
- Hands-on help to launch your ecommerce website
- Access to free tools that support the launch
- Training in digital marketing, shipping, and inventory management to support online sales
- Account setup for Google My Business or Facebook and Google Ads
- Digital ad credits for Google and Facebook
This program is powered by Google and includes critical support from Facebook, Mastercard, Microsoft, Square, and Shopify.
Grant Application
Get funding to help your business go digital
Thank you for your interest in the Digital Transformation Grant program. Applications are now closed.
The Digital Transformation Grant is $2,500 awarded to small, independent bricks and mortar business owners. The funding is meant to support training, advisory services, and digital technology adoption and implementation.
Program eligibility
Small, independent businesses are eligible based on the list below:
- Incorporated, registered, a home-based business, or located on a main street or in an industrial area, this includes independently owned franchises (non-profits, and technology companies are not eligible)
- Employ 1-499 employees
- Locally owned and operates in Eastern Ontario
- In business for 1 year or more
Small, independent businesses are eligible based on the below list:
- Incorporated (or registered), an artist, a home-based business or located on a main street or in an industrial area
- Employs fewer than 10 full-time employees or, you own a café, restaurant or bar that employs fewer than 25 people
- Owned and operates in Eastern Ontario, this includes franchises
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