Small Business Enterprise Centre

Still in Downtown St. Thomas, just a little further East.

We can't wait to welcome you to our new office space at The Atrium!

If you have an upcoming appointment with us, please double check you've got the location right!

See you soon at 581 Talbot!

This is what a Friday night in Elgin County looks like.

Local vendors. Live music. Botanical cocktails. A fire pit when the evening cools down. And enough space to actually slow down for a couple of hours.

Wildflowers Farm's Friday Night Markets are back June 5, running every Friday through August from 4 to 8 pm. Three Late Night Markets run until 10 pm, with themed evenings in June, July, and August. Fall pop-ups follow in September and October.

Behind all of it are Michael and Michelle Crich, who took over the farm in 2025 and have spent the past year making sure nothing about the place you love changed, while continuing to find more opportunities to grow community right alongside the wildflowers.

Read their story in our latest Small Business Spotlight.

📍 42338 Fruit Ridge Line, St. Thomas
🌿 wildflowers.farm
https://www.sbecinnovation.ca/articles/small-business-spotlight-wildflowers-farm

Respectfully, Steve... not everyone gets to start from there.

Steve Jobs said it. The internet put it on a thousand motivational graphics. And it's not wrong, exactly.

But for many small business owners? It's not the whole truth either.
Because here's what isn't acknowledged enough: even if you genuinely love what you do, you probably don't love chasing invoices. Or redoing your books at 11pm. Or handling a difficult client, a slow season, or a decision that keeps you up at night.

Doing great work isn't about loving every part of it.

It's about being determined enough to do it anyway.

The business owners we work with every day in Elgin and St. Thomas aren't always running on passion. Sometimes they're running on stubbornness, and community, and the belief that they can figure it out.

That counts. That's actually what builds something.

Love what you do when you can. And when you can't, do it anyway.

That's the real work. And we are here to help.

If you don't always love it, rest assured, you don't actually have to.

If thrifting, vintage fashion, and retro finds are your thing, keep reading.

Nostalgia Nights is back in Downtown St. Thomas on July 11, and we're looking for vintage vendors to join the market alongside one of Ontario's biggest classic car shows.

Thousands of people turn out every year for the cars, the nostalgia, and the community energy. Last year, we added a vintage market to the mix, and this year, we want to grow it.

We're looking for vendors selling vintage clothing, retro housewares and home decor, automotive-themed goods, and new retail with a vintage or handmade aesthetic.

If that sounds like your shop, your side hustle, or your weekend market table, your application is still open.

Apply at https://tinyurl.com/2redj553

Got a retail location and a tech upgrade on your wish list? There's a grant for that, and we can help you access it.

The Retail Modernization Project Grant (RMPG) reimburses eligible brick-and-mortar retailers up to $5,000 toward the cost of digital hardware, software, and implementation. Think point-of-sale systems, inventory management tools, CRM software, scheduling platforms, and more.

Here's the part worth knowing before you plan your purchase: this is a pre-approval, cost-share program. That means you need to be approved before any money is spent, and the grant covers up to 50% of your eligible project costs (with a minimum total project investment of $6,000). Once you're approved, you have 30 days to purchase and implement, then you submit your invoices and proof of payment to receive your reimbursement.

To be eligible, your business needs to:
Be a for-profit, incorporated retail business with a physical location in Ontario
Have been operating for at least one year
Have between 1 and 50 employees
Have a minimum of $100,000 in annual revenues in at least one of the last three tax years

Applications are open on a rolling basis, but funding is limited and not guaranteed, so it's worth exploring sooner rather than later.

For More: https://oce.formstack.com/forms/dcc_rmpg_interest_form

From idea to a Sunday tradition in Dutton Dunwich.

This week's Small Business Spotlight shines on the Dutton Farmers Market, a weekly gathering place in Dutton Dunwich that's equal parts fresh food, local makers, live music, and community connection.

Opening day is Sunday, May 31, and the market runs every Sunday from 9am to 1pm through October 4, outside the Dutton Community Centre on Scotland Street. You'll find farm-fresh produce, baked goods, handcrafted items, honey, preserves, and more -- all locally made or grown.

But as Co-Chair Kristina Bell puts it, the market is really about something bigger: knowing the people behind your food, and feeling a part of something. That's the kind of small business energy we love to spotlight.

Read the full feature linked below 🌻
📍 1 Scotland Street, Dutton
🕑 Sundays 9am--1pm, May 31--Oct 4

https://www.sbecinnovation.ca/articles/small-business-spotlight-dutton-farmers-market

Your business will only grow as far as your voice can carry it.

If you've ever stumbled through a pitch, gone blank in a networking conversation, or held back when you should have spoken up -- this evening is for you.

Full Bloom is a keynote experience designed to help entrepreneurs communicate with confidence, build real presence, and perform in the high-stakes moments that actually move the needle.

Chris McAuley of MCAVOY Inc. brings the tools. Wildflowers Farm brings the setting. You bring the ambition.

Monday, July 7 | 5:00 -- 7:00 PM
Light food provided. Cash bar. Free tickets on Eventbrite.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/full-bloom-grow-your-voice-tickets-1990517533526

Presented in partnership with Elgin Business Resource Centre