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17 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,A ugust 29,2019 insidehalton.com FAMILY MUSIC | KIDS ZONE | FOOD TRUCKS | VENDORS LABOUR DAY WEEKEND AUG 30 - SEPT 2 CanadasLargestRibfest.com FOR THE WHOLE It's never been easy to be a small businessperson. But in the last few decades, con- ditions have been particularly dif- ficult for your average Main Streetficult for your average Main Streetf retailer. The rise of malls, big-box stores and online retailers that will get a product to your door in 24 hours have all made for an ex- ceedingly challenging environ- ment. As a result, there have been losses and there are plenty of downtowns around the province with more vacant storefronts than active businesses. Oakville has bucked that trend, and there are ambitious plans to keep the town's brick-and-mortar stores thriving. Key to that strategy is to stopKey to that strategy is to stopK thinking of the physical store as a separate entity from e-commerce. "One of the most important challenges facing small business in the town of Oakville is their ability to embrace the digital age. It's vital for business today to adapt and become familiar with digital technology," said Stephen Crawford, MPP for Oakville. Making use of what's called a Digital Service Squad, Oakville has trained specialists that help businesses with their online pres- ence. Experts are able to assist with everything from email strate- gy to influencer outreach. The program has been well-re- ceived, and to date there are 30 businesses across the Bronte, Kerr and Downtown business ar-Kerr and Downtown business ar-K eas working with the service squad. Rose Luxton of Lakeside Livin'Rose Luxton of Lakeside Livin'R Home Décor in the Bronte BIA said there were a lot of challenges to being a new business in the ar- ea, but the Digital Transformation Grant Program allowed her to launch the online portion of the business two years earlier than ex- pected. She specifically credits service squad member Nadia Smith with the development. "With her support I have been able to feel confident with the growth and unknown world of dig- ital, which was a very scary (and) daunting place for me. Her knowl- NEWS BRICK AND MORTAR GOES DIGITAL IN OAKVILLE ROLAND CILLIERS rcilliers@metroland.com THE ISSUE: A RAPIDLY CHANGING RETAIL MARKET LOCAL IMPACT: BY EMBRACING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY, TRADITIONAL RETAILERS ARE ABLE TO THRIVE ON THE MAIN STREET Digital Main Street team Nadia Smith and Michelle Bali show Lemonwood Owner Christine Peters a few ideas for her website at the launch of the new Digital Service Squad Grant Program at Lemonwood. The new Digital Main Street team will help small Oakville business upgrade thier online and social media presence to boost online sales. Nikki Wesley/Torstar See ADOPTING, page 18 OR, HOW MAIN STREET LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE E-COMMERCE Find what you're looking for, in the location you want, for the price you want to pay! Catch a Great Deal! Browse our inventory of vehicles by Body Style, popular Makes and Models, Province, popular Cities or by Price. Whatever path you choose, you will find the right car, in the right location, for the right price! Right Choice{ }CarPlacePrice Find what you're looking for, in the location you want, for the price you want to pay! Catch a Great Deal! Browse our inventory of vehicles by Body Style, popular Makes and Models, Province, popular Cities or by Price. Whatever path you choose, you will find the right car, in the right location, for the right price! Right Choice{ }CarPlacePrice Find what you're looking for, in the location you want, for the price you want to pay! Catch a Great Deal! Browse our inventory of vehicles by Body Style, popular Makes and Models, Province, popular Cities or by Price. Whatever path you choose, you will find the right car, in the right location, for the right price! Right Choice{ }CarPlacePrice