Small Business Week in Canada is all about celebrating the contributions of small businesses and entrepreneurs to our communities and the economy. Small business makes up about 27% of Nova Scotia's GDP and approximately 24% of the total payroll in Nova Scotia. Many tourism businesses are small businesses, and they provide outstanding experiences and services to travellers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has expediated a lot of change is a short time for small businesses. No question, this poses challenges and it’s been a rough time for many businesses. But change also opens new opportunities for small businesses going forward. The theme of this year’s Small Business Week is seizing the opportunity to build the way forward.

There are many resources out there for small tourism business owners – including here at Tourism Nova Scotia! For example, did you know that Tourism Nova Scotia offers a webinar series with practical tips to help you create packages, improve your digital marketing and search engine optimization, and take great photos with your smartphone? Check here for webinar recordings and upcoming webinars. 

Here are a few more tools, programs and supports available to help you reach your business goals.

• Tourism Nova Scotia Business Tools & Resources  – Guides, toolkits, webinars and more! All geared specifically to help tourism businesses start or enhance their business.
• Tourism Nova Scotia Programs  – From digital adoption to marketing to product development, we’ve got a range of programs to help you move your business forward.
• Provincial programs for businesses  - Get help, including financial incentives for hiring and training your staff so you can grow your business.
• Tourism Relief Fund  – Support for tourism businesses and organizations to adapt their operations to meet public health requirements while investing in products and services to facilitate their future growth.
• Small Business Loan Guarantee Program  - A joint initiative of the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council, Atlantic Central, local participating credit unions, and the Province of Nova Scotia to provide loans for small business with a guarantee of up to 90% from the Province of Nova Scotia on the value of term loans.
• Business Development Bank of Canada  – Financing, capital, and advisory services to help businesses grow and succeed.
• Canada Small Business Financing Program  – Access up to $1,000,000 in loans from your financial institution with help from the Canada Small Business Financing Program.
• Propel Student Work Placement Program - Tourism HR Canada’s new Propel program offers wage subsidies to hire students for hands-on learning opportunities.
• WIL Digital student wage subsidy program  - The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) provides 75% of the student’s salary, up to $7,5000 for each eligible student to help employers grow their business by hiring skilled post-secondary students to help them adopt digital technologies and enhance their online presence.