Stouffville business receives $10,000 grant

Owner and founder Janice Patera of Nature’s Gifts and Organic Spa received the federally-funded My Main Street Local Business Accelerator program grant, a $10,000 non-repayable grant for business development
The Stouffville Chamber of Commerce applied for the My Main Street Local Business Accelerator program late 2021 and was one of 65 southern Ontario Main Street business areas selected.
My Main Street is a $23.25-million investment by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario which helps drive business and restore vibrancy to local communities after COVID-19.
Karen Mortfield, Main Street Ambassador, advises qualified and interested downtown businesses on how to effectively collect and use market research and share community resources so they can steer their business and make informed decisions.
The Stouffville Chamber of Commerce’s participation in the program allows for up to ten of its Main Street businesses to apply for non-repayable $10,000 grants.
The $10,000 grant covers a small portion of Patera’s losses due to the pandemic but the grant has allowed her to revamp her website, do search engine optimization (SEO), pay for Google ads, increase her social media presence.
Other Stouffville Main Street businesses are applying for the $10,000 grant, and have until the end of the year to apply.