Ontario venture to combat unemployment in a new way

Tuesday, 11 August 2020 08:15.PM

- Fight Unemployment combines small business solutions and public engagement to shift spending and keep more money on mainstreets post-COVID. -

Janette MacDonald and Greg Plante are inviting small businesses, business improvement areas (BIAs) and municipalities to think differently about combatting job loss post-COVID with their new business, Fight Unemployment (fightunemployment.org)

In addition to working with individual small business owners Fight Unemployment also offers a range of training programs and tools.

MacDonald, who spent nearly 20 years as an executive in the BIA world, says this work has always been important, but never more so than during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Small business owners have always had to be so many things to so many people. They naturally need support and post-covid, this has never been more true," notes MacDonald. "Our programs and services focus on helping owners think beyond recovery and toward long-term stability, success and sustainability."

In addition to core fee-for-service programs, Fight Unemployment is launching a community challenge to encourage local households to think differently about how they spend their discretionary dollars.

"Everyone of us has a loved one that has been affected by job loss. If we can encourage individuals to shift just 10% more of their household spending into small businesses, the impact to local economies can be in the millions of dollars annually," reports Plante. "Best of all we keep moms and dads, and sons and daughters, working in local small businesses and create new jobs."

Fight Unemployment officially launched today in Huron County, in collaboration with the Municipality of Huron East Economic Development Office and Community Futures Huron, and is already engaged with small businesses across the region.

SOURCE: Fight Unemployment