Northern Acreage Supply, a Prince George-based agricultural supplier, was forced by the COVID-19 pandemic to establish an e-commerce store to retain customers and potentially expand their customer base throughout the region. A $4,896 Small Business Recovery (SBR) Consulting Rebate from Northern Development covered 85 per cent of the costs of developing a new e-commerce website.
“Receiving this rebate helped us diversify so that we can continue to serve our customers, especially during these uncertain times when our physical store may not be allowed to help customers in person,” said Kristal Goode, owner, Northern Acreage Supply. “Prior to completing this project, we were concerned that our clients might turn to online shopping from other businesses because we were not present in the online market. Now we can continue helping our customers with their acreage needs across Northern B.C.”
Goode said the novelty of the new e-commerce platform has yet to wear off as staff get excited each time a customer places an order through the online function.
By working with a professional consultant, Northern Acreage was able to develop a functional and attractive website. This new feature will strengthen their business and position them for growth in the future.
The SBR Consulting Rebate was introduced by Northern Development in 2020 to support businesses in an assortment of industries as they adjusted to the challenges brought by the pandemic. The new program provides a rebate of 85 per cent of an eligible project’s rebate, up to $25,000. The funding program is temporarily closed to new applications until June 1, 2021.