Milton downtown small businesses seek financial support

By Yubin Yeon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Milton Reporter

Milton’s downtown core is home to a vibrant business community, with more than 185 businesses operating in the area — approximately 82 per cent of them classified as small businesses, according to the Town of Milton.

The Downtown Milton Business Improvement Area (DMBIA) represents more than 220 business operators and property owners, reflecting the area’s dynamic and evolving commercial landscape.

However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, many local shops have struggled to recover financially. While public spending habits have shifted back to in-person shopping, many residents continue to favour national chains over local downtown businesses — limiting economic recovery for the small business community.

Avery Teal, social media co-ordinator at the Milton Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber has been working to promote local businesses through various media platforms.

“We’ve been helping small businesses increase their visibility through platforms like Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn,” Teal said. “The goal is to bring more attention to the businesses that make Milton unique.”

As part of the Chamber’s outreach, Dan Rogers, owner of RX Recourse — a corporate fitness and wellness service based downtown — partnered with the Chamber to produce a promotional video. The video, posted to LinkedIn, featured Rogers explaining his services, including “Team Building 101.”

“The Milton Chamber of Commerce was kind enough to help me build a commercial to briefly explain what I do,” Rogers said in a post. The video served as a tool to boost visibility for RX Recourse within the local community.

In addition to the Chamber’s efforts, the Milton BIA partnered with Digital Main Street Ontario to launch a Digital Service Squad (DSS). The initiative offered one-on-one support for small businesses looking to improve their digital presence, including website creation and marketing strategy development.

Mira Nasser, events manager at the BIA, said the program offered grants of up to $2,500 for digital upgrades. In total, $80,000 in funding was distributed to support 32 businesses in Milton.