This week is Small Business Week and here in Wellington County that’s a big deal.
We have so many small businesses, from downtown shops to local hardware stores to vendors at the local farmers’ markets.
They’re everywhere.
Be sure to thank the entrepreneurs in your life and show them your appreciation this week.
Here at the Wellington Advertiser we would like to thank small businesses for everything they do and I look forward to telling more of your stories in Business Leader.
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As I’ve mentioned before, our fall edition of Business Leader focused on milestone anniversaries of a few Wellington businesses.
One of those is Askett Appliance Center. Keith Askett’s store, located on Main Street in Palmerston, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Five decades ago Askett opened what was then the only appliance store in Palmerston. Since that time he has seen many businesses come and go, but he’s always remained a fixture in the same store on Main Street.
Interestingly, when Askett started out, most of the appliances were manufactured nearby in places like Fergus, Guelph and Cambridge. However, now most are imported.
While we still have a number of manufacturing businesses in Wellington, it’s interesting that the manufacturing of appliances, something every household needs, has shifted so much to overseas production (saying that, businesses like Danby Appliances in Guelph-Eramosa do still produce locally-made appliances).
Askett also said that most of his clientele came from about a 20-mile radius. In the current social, political and environmental climate we live in, it’s refreshing to hear about a local business dealing with large appliances that delivers to local people, which results in less trucks on the road and less gas burned.
Congratulations, Keith, on the 50th anniversary of Askett’s Appliance Centre.
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Small businesses in Minto will benefit from the new “Digital Service Squad.”
The Minto Chamber of Commerce and the Community Improvement Partnership of Hanover recently received a grant from Digital Main Street to set up the squad to help downtown small businesses improve their online capabilities.
The digital services squad will help businesses set up a Google Business Profile, conduct a digital-readiness assessment, take training and apply for a $2,500 digital transformation grant.
When I’m looking for a new service provider I always turn to the internet first. And with everything internet-related changing faster than I can blink, this seems like a great and much needed resource for all businesses.
Minto businesses looking to work with the Digital Service Squad can contact Somer Antonopoulos of the Minto chamber at info@mintochamber.on.ca.
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Don’t forget to email questions/news tips to businessleader@wellingtonadvertiser.com.
