B.C. based web design agency, BragDeal, is providing financial relief to help local businesses move online
Have you recently considered opening up an e-commerce store? Or have you been trying to transition your business online for a while now but can’t quite get your online shop off the ground?
Well, if you’re a British Columbia-based business, then moving online just got a whole lot easier and more affordable.
BragDeal Inc., a B.C.-based web design agency, is stepping up to help support local businesses make the move from in-person to online. The B.C. government has implemented a funding program to help businesses create their e-commerce stores, and BragDeal is offering a $1000 discount off their services for anyone who comes to them with this grant.
The Launch Online Grant program is a provincewide initiative that administers grants to small and medium-sized businesses to get their operations online ASAP. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our world drastically, and no one knows that better than local business owners. Shifting to an online business model is one of the safest and most sustainable ways to spur business growth and boost the economy, the B.C. government knows this, and they’re stepping in to help.
Piggybacking off of this amazing grant, BragDeal is offering their services at a discounted rate to help local businesses with the transition.
So here’s what you need to know, The Launch Online Grant program will pay for up to 75% of eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $7,500 per business. Eligible expenses include services such as platform and website development, online content writing, e-commerce platform subscriptions (up to 1 year), digital marketing, staff training to manage the online shop, and more!
Because this program is meant to stimulate B.C.’s economy and support local businesses, the grant money must be used to hire B.C.-based companies to do the online store development. BragDeal, one of Vancouver’s best website development agencies, is letting other B.C. businesses know, they’re here to help. With their top team of developers, designers, coders, and writers, founder and CEO Dan B. wants his clients to know “this is a great opportunity to get things done online, and we’re willing to provide help to make it happen.”
For companies that have struggled to get their online store off the ground or have been dreaming about the shift for a while now and haven’t been able to pull the trigger, this is your time!
With 75% of your costs covered and the additional $1000 off services provided by BragDeal, you will get the best e-commerce store up and running at a fraction of the cost. During these troubling times, any economic relief is a blessing, and this deal is almost too good to pass up.
Over the past few years, many companies have slowly transitioned to partly online, recognizing its many benefits but the events surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic have accelerated the demand for this shift. Unfortunately, this transition has left many great local businesses struggling to keep up. Changing a business model and moving online is expensive and has a learning curve. Just another reason why this grant is so amazing – you can spend the money to hire out services you might otherwise be left figuring out on your own.
Hiring a web design agency takes nearly all the stress off your shoulders because the top website development teams will cover everything from web design, to copywriting, to marketing and advertising. BragDeal even creates personal branding and video animations, and of course, they’ll set up your amazing e-commerce store. No need to worry about maximizing SEO or crafting the perfect UX, the top web design agencies in B.C. will take care of all of that, ensuring you get to focus on what you love, your business and your customers.
BragDeal is doing their part to help relieve some of the financial burden associated with creating an online shop and expanding to new markets and customers, but what else do you need to know about this $7,500 provided by the B.C. government?
The B.C. government, working alongside local not-for-profit foundation Alacrity Canada, is hoping to provide immediate funds to a minimum of 1,500 B.C.-based businesses. Grants will be awarded on a first-come-first-serve basis for all eligible applicants until all the funds are exhausted. Here’s an overview of the application process.
Step 1 – Develop a grant proposal that has an in-depth breakdown of how you plan to use the funds. For example, you must specify how much money will go to the online store development, how much will go into advertising and marketing, and how much will go towards employee training costs.
Step 2 – Complete the online application demonstrating that you are eligible to apply for the grant and submit your proposal from step 1.
Step 3 – Applicants will be contacted within 3 weeks with the outcome of their application.
All eligibility criteria can be found in The Launch Online Grant Program Guide but some noteworthy eligibility criteria include:
- The business applying for the grant is owned by a B.C. resident and primary operations are located in B.C.
- The business is currently operating, registered in B.C., and pays taxes in B.C.
- The business does not currently have an online store or has an online store that has no more than three of the five features:
- Customer registration and information security features
- Shopping cart and order management capabilities
- Payment processing options including the application of appropriate taxes and shipping costs at the time of ordering
- Product catalogue, search, and inventory status
- Website analytics and reporting capabilities
In addition to this eligibility criteria, the funds must be used within 12 weeks with the business ready to start and finish their online shop in the same amount of time. And lastly, as we mentioned above, the funds must be used to hire B.C.-based companies to develop your e-commerce store. With that information in mind, it’s crucial to hire a professional web design agency that can handle the workload and quick turn-around time. Twelve weeks will go by fast, but seasoned web design companies are equipped to work with high demands in tight windows.
For more information on The Launch Online Grant program offered by Alacrity and the B.C. Government, check out their website, and for inquiries about BragDeal and some of the awesome web development services we offer don’t hesitate to get in touch! BragDeal offers a professional and personal approach to business and web design and will ensure that your online store is everything you’ve dreamed of and more.
