Bridges to Better Business event will help entrepreneurs navigate ‘new normal’ during pandemic

GUELPH – Business Centre Guelph-Wellington is gearing up for the return of its annual Bridges to Better Business small business week celebration on Oct. 28, with training, content and speakers focused on helping entrepreneurs and business owners navigate the “new normal” related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Small businesses are the heart and soul of our communities, and we’ve seen that this year more than ever as they’ve struggled to survive,” said Business Centre Guelph-Wellington executive director Kristel Manes.

“We’ve all been awestruck by the creativity and innovation local businesses have shown, so this event is about acknowledging the resiliency required to operate a business, whether we’re working through a pandemic or juggling all the challenges that come with business ownership,” Manes added in an Oct. 20 press release

Bridges to Better Business is a full-day (10am to 4pm) online event, segmented into one-hour sessions that participants can join depending on the relevancy for their business. The event will be held virtually on the Zoom platform and is open to business owners and entrepreneurs across Guelph and Wellington County.

The program will include keynote sessions from local experts, as well as roundtable panel discussion and breakout sessions for more intimate conversations among entrepreneurs and business owners.

The morning will kick off with a keynote address from Peak Wellness founder and CEO Kayla Kozan, who will speak about mindfulness and resilience in business.

Additional topics

Additional topics include:

– COVID Challenges in Business (streams for home-based and brick and mortar businesses), presented by the Business Centre Guelph-Wellington with panelists;

– Business Financials with Nicole Boucek and Kyle Turriff of RLB, and Kevin Bewick of Optim Financial Solutions;

– Lunch Break with Virtual Networking. Regional representatives from FedDev Ontario will be available to provide information and answer questions about COVID-19 related business grants and funding opportunities;

– Strong Foundations (streams on Human Resources with Christie Ferguson from 1 Stop HR; and Small Business Insurance with Geoffrey Cazzola from Jeffery and Spence);

– Digital Amplification with 2H Media; and

– Virtual Networking and closing thoughts.

Registration information

To register and for complete session details, visit http://www.guelphbusiness.com.

The event is being offered at no-cost, and is made possible through the support of the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation & Trade, and FedDev Ontario.