Spring Activator launches program to help BC entrepreneurs recover from COVID-19

tech program

Spring Activator, an incubator and accelerator based in Vancouver, has launched Business Resilience Program, a new online course designed to help small businesses and entrepreneurs in British Columbia recover from recent closures and other impacts related to COVID-19.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it quickly became paramount that entrepreneurs and businesses needed guidance to survive.”

The Business Resilience Program helps entrepreneurs assess the current state of their business, create a plan, and take necessary action. The program, which is free for businesses to join, allows users to work through four online video modules and 18 subtopics, along with training from subject matter experts and industry-specific strategies. Each section includes actionable steps for participants to follow and additional tools, templates, and resources.

“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, founder of Spring Activator.

The Business Resilience Program allows partners, such as incubators, accelerators, credit unions, funders, and government institutions, to opt-in to the program and offer their communities access to its educational content for up to one year.

“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.”

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The program has an a-la-carte format, allowing users to select the most relevant content for their current needs. Users can also access an online community platform of curated resources and local entrepreneurs. Spring Activator 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.

Current partners on the program include the City of Campbell River, the City of Richmond’s Economic Development Office, credit union Vancity, The Sunshine Coast Credit Union, the District of Squamish, and The City of Powell River.

“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 of 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,” Green added.

Image source Unsplash. Photo by Austin Distel.

Isabelle Kirkwood

Isabelle Kirkwood

Isabelle is a Vancouver-based writer with 5+ years of experience in communications and journalism and a lifelong passion for telling stories. For over two years, she has reported on all sides of the Canadian startup ecosystem, from landmark venture deals to public policy, telling the stories of the founders putting Canadian tech on the map.

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