Launched With Six Community Partners To Bolster Critical Need For Free Small Business Support
CAMPBELL RIVER – Spring Activator Inc, a global incubator and accelerator that empowers entrepreneurs and entrepreneur ecosystem organizations, launched the Business Resilience Program, an online program designed to help small businesses and entrepreneurs recover from recent closures and other impacts related to COVID-19 by helping them evaluate their current business, create a plan to survive, and take necessary action to thrive once again.
The program has launched with the support of Discovery Foundation and six partners across the province who will offer the initiative in their communities, including City of Campbell River (TECHHatchery Initiative), City of Richmond’s Economic Development Office, The Sunshine Coast Credit Union, District of Squamish (supported by Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Squamish, and the Downtown Squamish BIA), The City of Powell River (supported by First Credit Union, and Powell River Community Futures), and Vancity.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it quickly became paramount that entrepreneurs and businesses needed guidance to survive, and more importantly support as they prepared to emerge from these challenging times,” said Keith Ippel, Spring Activator Founder. “Our Business Resilience Program goes beyond the short-term monetary relief offered, and is designed to scale provincially, nationally, and globally, to provide the crucial framework necessary for increasing levels of tailored support needed to overcome this, and future crises.”
The Business Resilience Program was created by experts in strategic growth and entrepreneurship roles, allowing partners (donors, funders, incubators, accelerators, credit unions, and government institutions) to opt-in and provide their business communities access to the educational content for six months to one year.
The program, free for registrants, allows users to work through four online self-paced video modules and 18 sub-topics, with bonus materials including training from subject matter experts and industry-specific strategies. Every section includes clear and actionable steps for participants to follow, through tools, templates, and resources which address:
- Module 1 – Assessing your Current Situation
- Module 2 – Formulating your New Plan
- Module 3 – Running Your Plan
- Module 4 – Funding Your Plan
“The Business Resilience Program will be a pivotal offering for our small business customers who don’t know where to start with their recovery efforts, and also as an educational tool for long-term business viability,” said Elizabeth Lougheed Green, Director, Community Investment at Vancity. “This small business community plays an instrumental role in fostering success for our province and empowering them with this information will be key as our economy rallies together.”
The program format is ‘A La Carte’, allowing users to go at their own pace and select the most appropriate content for their current needs – businesses can also access an online community platform of curated resources, local entrepreneurs, as well as Economic Development and partner members.
The program aims to build resilient entrepreneurs and businesses across the world by collaborating with strategic partners who can support this community and allow them to prosper.
“Having access to these resources and an experienced, engaged community has significantly improved my recovery efforts,” said Michel LeBlond, owner of LeBlond Project Consulting Services who accessed the program through Vancity. “Every step of the curriculum from finances to customer marketing and fundraising is comprehensive and insightful, and it has enabled me to review and rekindle my commitment to my business.”
To learn more about Spring and The Business Resilience Program visit: spring.is/business-resilience-program/
About Spring
As a certified B Corporation®, Spring is a global incubator, accelerator, and advisory firm that empowers impact entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial ecosystem builders to build better businesses and change the world. Their global advisory services have helped more than 70 different incubators, accelerators, foundations, and governments on five continents enhance their capacity to maximize impact. Through their impact programs, they have helped more than 750 entrepreneurs create 350 companies and raise more than $24M in funding.
