Helping Women-Led Businesses Adopt Digital Tools
The Province is investing $544,200 in the Centre for Women in Business’s EDGE initiative. (Province of Nova Scotia)
Women-led businesses in Nova Scotia are getting more support to adopt digital tools to help them grow their businesses, be more efficient and gain long-term resilience.
The Province is investing $544,200 in the Centre for Women in Business’s EDGE (Experimentation, Design, Gain and Evolve) initiative, which helps entrepreneurs outside the tech sector add tools such as automation, data analytics and digital marketing.
The investment in the centre, at Mount Saint Vincent University, is one of nine through the Community Economic Development Fund, which supports projects that have a broad impact on a sector or region.
“The Centre for Women in Business is all about making women’s business dreams come true through practical advice and training,” said Leah Martin, Minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women, on behalf of Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Growth and Development. “This investment will help the centre support more Nova Scotian businesswomen in building successful businesses today and in the future by encouraging experimentation and innovation using digital technology in our ever-changing economic environment.”
Non-profits, industry associations, sector organizations, social enterprises, municipalities, academic institutions and other organizations that benefit the public were eligible to apply for support under the Community Economic Development Fund. Other groups receiving investments include:
- New Dawn Enterprises, for the Cape Breton Island Centre for Immigration; $450,000
- Cape Breton Partnership – design cube project; $213,625
- Historic Sherbrooke Village Development Society – steel storage facility; $152,500
- Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design – support for the wool craft economy; $150,000
- Centre for Local Prosperity – support for local procurement; $105,700
- Lake Charlotte Area Heritage Society – Memory Lane upgrades; $87,531
- Pictou County Partnership – asset study; $78,313
- Chedabucto Bay Folk Society – Stan Rogers Festival venue; $60,000.
Quotes:
“At the Centre for Women in Business, we recognize that digital transformation is no longer optional, it’s essential. This program is about meeting women entrepreneurs where they are and providing the tools and confidence they need to grow and thrive in today’s digital economy. Through practical, personalized support, the EDGE initiative will help these businesses become more efficient, resilient and ready to seize new opportunities, both locally and globally.”
— Tanya Priske, Executive Director, Centre for Women in Business
“It’s the questions you ask and the brain pivots – EDGE challenged me to think differently about my business.” — Stephanie Hovey, owner, Allied Therapy Ltd., Bedford
Quick Facts:
- the Centre for Women in Business is dedicated to helping women-identifying and gender-diverse business owners and entrepreneurs across Canada succeed through exposure, connection and learning in all phases of their business development
- in the Cape Breton Partnership’s project, design cubes are portable units that include equipment, such as a 3D printer, to support prototype development and micro-enterprises in remote areas of Cape Breton
Additional Resources:
Centre for Women in Business – EDGE initiative: https://www.centreforwomeninbusiness.ca/learning/the-edge-initiative/
Community Economic Development Fund: https://beta.novascotia.ca/apply-project-funding-community-economic-development-fund
Provincial programs for businesses: https://www.novascotia.ca/grow-your-business/
Nova Scotia Loyal: https://nsloyal.ca/
Invest Nova Scotia: https://investnovascotia.ca/
Nova Scotia’s business navigator service: https://www.novascotia.ca/regulatoryopportunity/business-navigators.asp