Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership Chief Executive Officer Stephen Thompson. August 28, 2018 Photo by Melanie Irwin.Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership Chief Executive Officer Stephen Thompson. August 28, 2018 Photo by Melanie Irwin.
Sarnia

SLEP offering free consultations for area businesses

Local business owners are invited to take advantage of some free specialized services through the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership's (SLEP) Business Enterprise Centre.

They've hired two part time business counsellors for the summer months.

Brian Maxfield will provide marketing advice to businesses. He has over 15 years of experience in the field, and even made a pitch on the TV show "Dragon's Den". Local small business owner Lisa Isaac will be helping with human resources related topics.

SLEP CEO Stephen Thompson said they've been getting a lot of questions about working during the pandemic, including how to safely bring employees back into the office.

"Over the past months, there have been a lot of questions about how they can be as nimble as possible to adapt to that ever-changing colour framework that we all experienced," said Thompson. "There are definitely a lot of HR questions coming forward, including best practices and items that we never would have thought of before the pandemic."

Thompson said small businesses continue to be the backbone of Sarnia-Lambton, representing 98 per cent of the county's business sector.

To book a virtual appointment via telephone or Zoom, call SLEP at 519-332-1820.

The services are available until September 30.

Thompson said their Digital Mainstreet Program has also been a success, helping over 90 local businesses boost their social media profiles and implement online shopping.

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