Small Business Services

Starting or growing your business? These organizations can help:

Accessibility in Ontario: Information for Businesses

Whether you’re a business owner who wants to make physical changes to your store or an employer who wants to help an employee, it’s important to have clear tips and resources

Business Development Bank of Canada

The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is Canada's only financial institution devoted exclusively to entrepreneurs. BDC helps create and develop strong Canadian businesses through financing, advisory services and capital, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises.

Canada Digital Adoption Program

The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) can help get your business online, give your e-commerce presence a boost, or help digitalize your business's operations. CDAP provides funding and support to businesses, as well as training and work opportunities for young Canadians.

Canada Small Business Hub

The Small Business Hub is a resource provided by Statistics Canada to help existing and aspiring small business owners and entrepreneurs plan and run their enterprises by helping the small business community better understand the country's population and society, as well as the context in which businesses operate.

County of Simcoe Economic Development Office

The County of Simcoe Economic Development Office works in partnership with the Town to assist your business in finding cost-competitive land and industrial and commercial spaces, accessing resources and development incentives, and obtaining vital economic data and information

Entrepreneurs Connect

Entrepreneurs Connect is a showcase for entrepreneurship news, events, and happenings in Barrie and the surrounding area, and allows business owners to build, increase, and manage their networks.

FOCUS Community Development Corporation

If you're looking for employees, FOCUS can help. FOCUS offers employers job posting services, workshops, human resource information, and wage incentive/subsidy programs.

Futurpreneur Canada 

Futurpreneur Canada fuels the entrepreneurial passions of Canada’s young enterprise, providing financing, mentoring, and support tools to aspiring business owners aged 18-39.

Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre at Georgian College

The Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre assists entrepreneurs in four main areas: training, connections, funding, and mentorship. 

Innovators Alliance 

Innovators Alliance is a peer-to-peer group of CEOs who believe in driving business growth through innovation. Members meet to explore new ways to adapt to the changing business landscape, learn from one another's experiences, and share knowledge.

Nottawasaga Futures 

Headquartered in Alliston, Nottawasaga Futures provides a variety of business support services, including: government liaison and human resource development; financing for startup, growth, expansion, and reorganization; and advice and counselling.

Ontario Capital Growth Corporation

Ontario Capital Growth Corporation (OCGC) is the venture capital investment agency of the government of Ontario. OCGC was created to promote and develop the venture capital sector in Ontario, to assist high potential technology companies access capital vital to grow and prosper.

Ontario Centre of Innovation 

Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) supports the commercialization of academic intellectual property (IP), industry-academic collaborations, and the development and adoption of emerging technologies.  

Ontario Small Business Access 

Get support, information, and advice to run your small business with Ontario Small Business Access.

Sandbox Centre for Shared Entrepreneurship & Innovation 

The Sandbox Centre for Shared Entrepreneurship & Innovation connects people and their ideas to business resources; where guided collaboration and sharing of collective knowledge support the journey to success.

Save on Energy

Saving energy means improving your bottom line. With Save on Energy incentives for lighting, refrigeration and more, not only can you cut your electricity costs, but also make your business more comfortable for your customers and employees.

 Small Business Program

The Save on Energy Small Business Program is designed to help small businesses across Ontario make equipment improvements to reduce their energy consumption, at no cost. Leveraging the success of the former Small Business Lighting program, this new and improved program offers small businesses direct-install incentives on an expanded range of equipment – both lighting and non-lighting. An investment in energy-efficient equipment upgrades is an investment in enhancing your customers’ experience, employee satisfaction and your bottom line.

Save time and money

Small Business Centre | Barrie, Simcoe County, Orillia  

The Small Business Centre encourages and supports entrepreneurship by being a one-stop source for all your small business needs. Services are free and include business feasibility and guidance, business plan consultation, advice on regulatory requirements, coaching, training, networking, and support service referrals.

Startup Canada

Startup Canada provides the infrastructure to connect communities across the country to peer-support, advisors, funders and other important resources to strengthen the environment for entrepreneurship from the bottom-up.

Tourism Simcoe County

Tourism Simcoe County (TSC) provides training and workshop sessions, grant funding, and product development support to tourism operators. 

 Agritourism Toolkit

The Agritourism Toolkit provides guidance for planning and developing an agritourism business in Simcoe County. If you are considering the addition of an agritourism component to your farm, the expansion of your existing operations, or just want to explore what it takes to get into the agritourism industry, then this Toolkit is for you!

The toolkit contains all the information you will need to help you decide whether agritourism is right for you. It outlines the steps you will need to take to add an agritourism component to your existing farm business or to help grow your existing agritourism business. The Toolkit is divided into four components based on a standard business development planning approach.

Access the toolkit

Local business organizations

Business Improvement Associations

Chambers of Commerce

Employment services