Workshops and Events
Aug. 25, 2026: Your Digital Storefront: Growing Your Business Online
Your customers are on the web. Having a strategy for your online presence allows you to market your small business online so customers can easily find you.We’ll discuss the importance of getting your business online, how you can use AI to assist with your website and ecommerce development, and where to start with building your digital foundation for your business.
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What is an online presence and what platforms you can use to set up your website
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Utilizing AI for your website and ecommerce strategies
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How to create a professionally designed, responsive website for your business
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Setting up your Google My Business listing and other online directories
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Developing a cohesive brand voice online
Hosted by: Digital Main Street
10:00 am - 11:30 am Webinar
Aug. 26, 2026: Service Canada: Free Hiring Platform & Other Supports for Small Businesses
Learn how to access Service Canada programs and services as an employer or a business. Service Canada provides employers with a single point of access to services and benefits.
This session will include:
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Job Bank
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Grants and Contributions Programs
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Hiring Incentives and Assistance
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Service Canada contacts and resources for businesses
Hosted by Toronto Small Business Enterprise Centre
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Aug. 26, 2026: Starter Company Plus Information Sessions
Starter Company Plus Program is a free program designed to help entrepreneurs launch, expand or grow their businesses. This competitive program provides the opportunity to pitch for up to a $5000 grant, free business training, and mentorship. To be eligible for this program, you must attend one of our virtual information sessions.
Virtual Info Session #1: August 26, 4-5 p.m.
Virtual Info Session #2: September 9, 12-1 p.m.
Aug. 27, 2026: How to Sell Your Food Product
Part of the FoodPreneur Startup Series, this session is offered 4 times per year.
Successfully selling your product involves more than just having great tasting food. Pricing, marketing, and how you position your product all play a key role in ensuring that people will buy it. Learn key factors to consider in successfully selling your product, whether you're selling at markets, online, or to retailers.
Speaker: Nicole Haney, former Founder & CEO of Boho Bars
10:00 am to 11:00 am webinar.
Cost: Free
Sept. 3, 2026: Costing & Pricing to Make Profits
Part of the FoodPreneur Startup Series, this session is offered 4 times per year.
If you want to run a successful business it’s important for you to know the ‘numbers’. Learn how to cost and price your products and services for profitability and how the decisions you make about your operations and production processes affect your bottom line. Understand how to budget and spend money so you can pay all your bills and still have money left in your pocket at the end of the year.
Speaker: Nicole Haney, former Founder & CEO of Boho Bars
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Cost: Free
Sept. 9, 2026: Starter Company Plus Information Sessions
Starter Company Plus Program is a free program designed to help entrepreneurs launch, expand or grow their businesses. This competitive program provides the opportunity to pitch for up to a $5000 grant, free business training, and mentorship. To be eligible for this program, you must attend one of our virtual information sessions.
Virtual Info Session #2: September 9, 12-1 p.m.
Sept. 10, 2026: Branding & Marketing your Food Product
Part of the FoodPreneur Startup Series, this session is offered 4 times per year.
Hear expert insight, from how to create your brand, how to retain and grow your brand to what sort of colours and typography styles are right for your product. You will learn the difference between designing for store shelves vs. food markets vs. digital spaces. She will also cover tips for working with a graphic designer and determining exactly who your product is for.
Speaker: Amanda DeVries of Eye Candy Design
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Cost: Free
Sept. 10, 2026: Insights for Success
Bringing together business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals for a blend of networking, vendor engagement, learning, and meaningful conversation. Featuring keynote Speakers: Corinna-Smith Gatcke and Jordan Brown.
3:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Aquatarium Grand Hall, Brockville
Cost: $55.00 - $80.00
Sept. 17, 2026: Food Safety Fundamentals for Startups
Part of the FoodPreneur Startup Series, this session is offered 4 times per year.
When you’re launching a food product, understanding food safety is essential not only for protecting your customers, but also for meeting regulatory expectations and building retailer trust.
Learn simple, actionable steps you can take to build food safety into your business from the very beginning—without getting overwhelmed by regulations.
You’ll leave with a clear understanding of basic food safety expectations, practical steps you can implement immediately, and the confidence to move your food business forward safely!
Speaker: Lisa Cove, Food Safety Consultant and Founder of Shelf Ready Inc.
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Cost: Free
Sept. 17, 2026: TIAO Tourism Opportunities Forum #2: Workforce & Sustainable Best Practices
Join tourism leaders, educators and industry experts for an engaging day of insights and practical strategies to help strengthen Ontario’s tourism workforce and visitor economy.
Explore innovative approaches to attracting youth through education partnerships, gain the latest updates on workforce trends and talent pipeline challenges, discover how sustainable festivals and events can create lasting community impact, and learn how fostering psychologically healthy workplaces can improve employee well-being and retention.
Learn practical strategies, discover innovative programs, and connect with industry partners working together to build a stronger Ontario.
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Virtual
Presented by TIAO
Cost: Members $25, Non-Members $50
Sept. 22, 2026: Accessibility in Action: Introduction to AODA Website Compliance
This introductory webinar will provide tourism operators with a clear, practical overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) as it applies to websites and digital content.
Designed specifically for non-technical audiences, this session will break down what to consider when building your website, including common mistakes and how to fix them. We will also review important tools that can support building accessible websites.
Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of:
- The different WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) compliance ratings and why they matter
- How to use common compliance tools to support building an accessible website
- The role and importance of colour contrast in accessible design
- The purpose of image descriptors, ALT text and captions in accessible designs
Speaker: Kayleigh Johnston
Hosted by: RTO9 and JBC Consulting
10:00 am webinar
Sept. 23, 2026: Barcodes and Beyond: What You Need to be Market-Ready
Part of the FoodPreneur Startup Series, this session is offered 4 times per year.
Demystify barcodes and learn why unique product identification is key when selling your product on a website, through a retailer or an online marketplace. Having an authentic, licensed barcode, coupled with proper support systems, will help you navigate regulatory and trading requirements while ensuring you are in conformity with your trading partners.
Learn about GS1 Canada Services, their roles played across the supply chain, and tools and resources on how to get started the right way.
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Presented by GS1 Canada
Sept 24, 2026: Labelling & Packaging your Food Product
Part of the FoodPreneur Startup Series, this session is offered 4 times per year.
This session is for you if you have a food or beverage product that needs an accurate and compliant label.
Nicole Haney, former Founder & CEO of Boho Bars will guide you through what to consider when choosing a package for your food product, what to include on your label, and what mistakes to avoid when packaging your food product.
This session is part of the Foodpreneur Advantage Series.
Speaker: Nicole Haney
Hosted by: Small Business Advisory Centre
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Cost: free
Sept. 24, 2026: Networking Event: Leading Your Business with Clarity and Confidence
Running a small business is rewarding—but it can also be exhausting. Between managing your time, staying focused, juggling back-end operations, reaching the right audience, and avoiding burnout, it's easy to feel like you're constantly running on empty.
Enjoy an engaging and interactive networking event featuring bestselling author and leadership expert John Robertson, who will share practical insights to help you reconnect with what success truly means for you and your business.
Speaker: John Robertson
Hosted by: North Grenville Chamber of Commerce
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Kemptville Brewing Co., 386 Townline Road, Kemptville
Cost: Chamber members $13.56. Potential Member $18.08
Sept. 30, 2026: Barcodes and Beyond: Scaling Your Business for Growth
Part of the FoodPreneur Startup Series, this session is offered 4 times per year.
This session will cover key areas to consider and relative impacts as they relate to selling your products regionally, inter-provincially and internationally, including:
- What you need to consider when scaling and exporting with confidence
- Actionable guidance to align with regulatory expectations and prepare for future requirements
- What retailers and marketplaces expect from brand owners
- Why authentic barcodes (GTINs), accurate product data, and high‑quality product images matter
- How to ensure your product meets market‑ready requirements for growth
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Oct. 2, 2026: Beyond the Building: Creating a Culture of Inclusion Seminar
A day advancing accessibility and inclusion for all. Together, the focus will be on embedding inclusion in policy, practice, and people. Event highlights are engaging speakers, personal insights from individuals with lived experience and practical tips to enhance accessibility
Whether you're a business owner, designer, or simply passionate about inclusivity, this event is for you. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn and make a positive impact!
Hosted by United Counties of Leeds and Grenville
9 am - 3 pm
North Grenville Municipal Centre, 285 County Road 44, Kemptville
Cost: Free with registration
To Register use Eventbrite, Email access@uclg.on.ca, or Call 613-342-3840 ext. 2001
Oct. 15, 2026: Hosting Influencers & Media: A Guide for Tourism Operators
When destination partners or Regional Tourism Organizations (RTOs) bring influencers or media to your region, tourism operators play a key role in delivering a seamless and memorable experience. Join this session to help you understand what to expect—and what’s expected of you—when participating in coordinated influencer and media visits.
Designed for businesses participating in hosted experiences, this webinar will walk through how these partnerships work, including how influencers and media are selected, how itineraries are developed, and how operators are invited to take part.
Participants will gain practical guidance on how to prepare for and support these visits, from providing exceptional service and hosting experiences to assisting with bookings, timing, and communication.
Hosted by RTO9 and Attractions Ontario.
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Oct. 20, 2026: Meta Ads Overview: Targeting & Audiences
A strong Meta Ads strategy starts with knowing exactly who you’re trying to reach. In this foundational session, tourism operators will explore how to build and refine effective audience targeting strategies using Meta’s evolving advertising tools.
First introduction session to the Meta Ads platform. This session will focus on the essential building blocks of audience strategy, including how to stay current with recent changes in Meta Ads targeting and how these updates impact campaign performance. Participants will also learn how to identify and select the right audience segments to align with their business goals.
10 am - 11:00 am Webinar. Part 2 will be on October 27.
Hosted by RTO9
Presented by: JBC
Oct. 21-22, 2026: Ontario Tourism Summit
Westin Hotel Ottawa - 11 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa
October 22, 2026: Small Business Success Forum
(formerly Bridges to Better Business)
The evening brings together entrepreneurs, community leaders, and innovators for an inspiring mix of networking, education, and awards. This year’s theme, “Grit, Growth and Greatness,” empowers entrepreneurs to rise above obstacles, embrace growth and achieve greatness.
Who Should Attend?
- Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs: Gain practical insights and tools to help grow your business.
- Medium-Sized Businesses: Discover strategies to scale operations, optimize cash flow, and enhance leadership within your organization.
- Community Members: Support local businesses and learn more about the economic development initiatives in your area.
4-8 pm
Hosted by: Leeds Grenville Small Business
Brockville Memorial Centre, 100 Magedoma Blvd, Brockville
Registration Deadline: October 12th. Space is limited, so register today!
October 27, 2026: Meta Ads Overview Part Two: Building Ad Campaigns
Once your audience strategy is in place, the next step is building campaigns that convert. This session takes a practical look at how to structure and optimize Meta advertising campaigns for stronger performance and better return on investment.
In this second session to the Meta Ads platform, you will explore the core components of successful Meta Ad campaigns, including how ad sets and individual ads work together to reach different audience segments effectively. The session will also cover key budgeting strategies, helping you understand how to allocate spend in a way that supports your goals and maximizes impact.
This session is ideal for those ready to move beyond the basics and start actively optimizing their Meta advertising efforts.
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Hosted by RTO9
Presented by JBC
Oct. 29, 2026: Starting a Food Business & Regulatory Compliance
Part of the FoodPreneur Startup Series, this session is offered 4 times per year.
This session is for you if you are in the early stages of development and are looking to gain knowledge in the food and beverage industry. You will learn about:
- Creating a Business Model
- Doing your Market Research
- Analyzing the Competition
- Your Value Proposition
- Codes and regulations
10:00 am to 11:00 am webinar
Cost: Free
Nov. 5, 2026: Sustainability 101 for Tourism Businesses
Sustainability can feel overwhelming when you're not sure where to begin. This 60-minute webinar is your starting point, designed for tourism businesses that haven't yet formalized their approach. You will gain a practical foundation including common language, concrete first steps, and guidance on tracking progress.
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Presented by GreenStep
Nov. 5, 2026: How to Sell Your Food Product
Part of the FoodPreneur Startup Series, this session is offered 4 times per year.
Successfully selling your product involves more than just having great tasting food. Pricing, marketing, and how you position your product all play a key role in ensuring that people will buy it. Learn key factors to consider in successfully selling your product, whether you're selling at markets, online, or to retailers.
Speaker: Nicole Haney, former Founder & CEO of Boho Bars
10:00 am to 11:00 am webinar.
Cost: Free
Nov. 5, 2026: Sustainability 101 for RTO9 Tourism Businesses
Sustainability can feel overwhelming when you're not sure where to begin. This webinar is your starting point, designed for tourism businesses that haven't yet formalized their approach.
You will gain a practical foundation including common language, concrete first steps, and guidance on tracking progress.
Presented by GreenStep
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Nov. 12, 2026: Costing & Pricing to Make Profits
Part of the FoodPreneur Startup Series, this session is offered 4 times per year.
If you want to run a successful business it’s important for you to know the ‘numbers’. Learn how to cost and price your products and services for profitability and how the decisions you make about your operations and production processes affect your bottom line. Understand how to budget and spend money so you can pay all your bills and still have money left in your pocket at the end of the year.
Speaker: Nicole Haney, former Founder & CEO of Boho Bars
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Cost: Free
Nov. 17-18, 2026: SEe ON Tourism Summit
Both days will be packed with incredible speakers, forward thinking ideas and inspiration to spark creativity and help Envision Tourism Growth in South Eastern Ontario.
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
DEV Hotel & Conference Centre, 1950 Montreal Road, Cornwall
Nov. 19, 2026: Branding & Marketing Your Food Product
Part of the FoodPreneur Startup Series, this session is offered 4 times per year.
Hear expert insight, from how to create your brand, how to retain and grow your brand to what sort of colours and typography styles are right for your product. You will learn the difference between designing for store shelves vs. food markets vs. digital spaces. She will also cover tips for working with a graphic designer and determining exactly who your product is for.
Speaker: Amanda DeVries of Eye Candy Design
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Cost: Free
Nov. 20, 2026: Leeds Grenville Economic Development Summit
North Grenville Municipal Centre, Kemptville
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Nov. 24, 2026: Introduction to Google Advertising
This introductory webinar designed to help tourism operators understand the essentials of Google Ads and how it can be used to increase visibility, drive website traffic, and attract more potential visitors.
Participants will explore the core structure of Google Ads, including an overview of key campaign types such as Performance Max and Search campaigns, and how each can support different marketing goals. The session will also introduce keyword strategy, including how to use tools like Keyword Planner to identify relevant search terms, assess competition, and make informed decisions about targeting.
This session is ideal for tourism operators looking to build a strong foundation in Google Ads and begin advertising more effectively online.
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Hosted by: RTO9 and JBC
Nov. 25, 2026: Flourishing in Agri-Tourism
Full day Workshop
Details to be announced.
Hosted by: RTO9
Nov. 26, 2026: Food Safety Fundamentals for Startups
Part of the FoodPreneur Startup Series, this session is offered 4 times per year.
When you’re launching a food product, understanding food safety is essential not only for protecting your customers, but also for meeting regulatory expectations and building retailer trust.
Learn simple, actionable steps you can take to build food safety into your business from the very beginning—without getting overwhelmed by regulations.
You’ll leave with a clear understanding of basic food safety expectations, practical steps you can implement immediately, and the confidence to move your food business forward safely!
Speaker: Lisa Cove, Food Safety Consultant and Founder of Shelf Ready Inc.
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Cost: Free
Dec. 3, 2026: Labelling & Packaging your Food Product
Part of the FoodPreneur Startup Series, this session is offered 4 times per year.
This session is for you if you have a food or beverage product that needs an accurate and compliant label.
Nicole Haney, former Founder & CEO of Boho Bars will guide you through what to consider when choosing a package for your food product, what to include on your label, and what mistakes to avoid when packaging your food product.
This session is part of the Foodpreneur Advantage Series.
Speaker: Nicole Haney
Hosted by: Small Business Advisory Centre
10:00 am - 11:00 am Webinar
Cost: free
Mar. 4, 2027: International Women's Day
Bring together women entrepreneurs, professionals, business leaders, and community members to celebrate International Women's Day through an inspiring evening of learning, networking, and recognition
Memorial Centre, Brockville
* While every effort has been made to ensure the information on this page is correct at time of publication, please be sure to visit official event websites to confirm dates and times.
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