EDMONTON -- The latest round of COVID-19 restrictions are forcing many businesses to limit in-person services or close their doors completely.

With many customers now looking online for all their shopping and service needs, a newly expanded program partnership with the City of Edmonton, University of Alberta, federal government, and local businesses is helping local companies make the digital dive.

The Making Edmonton Digital program initially launched last year and was able to help over200 local businesses. The city contributed $75,000 in the fall to help the program while the School of Business provides a business with a student consultant to help them achieve their digital or marketing goals.

Now some new funding from the federal government has doubled the amount of businesses the partnership will be able to assist.

Because of the local and federal grant support, the program is completely free for local businesses in Edmonton to participate in with students able to spend up to 12 hours toward a company’s digital marketing.

U OF A ABLE TO HELP PROVIDE A SOLUTION TO LARGE NEED IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY: THOMSON

Heather Thomson, executive director for the School of Retailing at the University of Alberta’s School of Business, said the Making Edmonton Digital initiative was all about helping local businesses go digital as restrictions during the pandemic forced customers to rely more on e-commerce options.

“We saw that there was a large need with the business community and we saw a solution that our students here at the university (could provide),” Thompson said.

“The pandemic has certainly proven that there is a need for this,” she added. “Consumer behaviour has changed so much over the last year. There isn’t a sense we are going back to a normal. So more consumers are happy with shopping online.”

Business students are able to help local businesses build new e-commerce sites or expand existing websites, perform search engine optimization, increase digital literacy, or provide social media marketing strategies.

“Businesses are loving the support,” Thomson said.

“They’re loving how quick the turnaround is and I think they’re really enjoying how they are able to work right with a student and make a customized digital plan that the student helps them execute.”

Thomson said the program is a natural compliment to a student’s academic progression.

“They’re able to take what they’re learning in-class and are able to implement it in the real-world,” she added.

Eddie Lee, digital marketing consultant and fifth-year student at the University of Alberta bachelor of commerce program, said he joined the program after seeing news of how local businesses were being adversely impacted by the pandemic.

“Because we are learning so many different strategies and ways to make businesses succeed in my schooling it’s really nice to directly apply that to business owners that are able to use that to their benefit.”

Eddie Lee

Fifth-year University of Alberta business student Eddie Lee (CTV News Edmonton)

Lee is one of 14 University of Alberta School of Business students participating as a digital consultant.

For Lee, participating in the program has been a valuable experience because not only is he teaching businesses new skills or enhancing their digital commerce, but he is learning from them too.

“There’s a lot I learn too, a lot of things you can’t learn in business school,” he added. “It’s such a wholesome and gratifying experience.”

PARTNERNSHIP PROGRAM ALLOWS FOR ‘INCREDIBLE’ LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, SAYS LOCAL BUSINESS

Shirley Pietrzykowski, founder and franchise owner of Driving Miss Daisy, participated in the program and said it was an “incredible” experience.

Her business looks after seniors and persons with disabilities by helping them maintain their independence by providing friendly assistance, accompaniment, and safe transportation opportunities.

Driving Miss Daisy started in St. Albert but now has six franchises across the Edmonton area and over 50 around Canada.

Driving Miss Daisy

Driving Miss Daisy founder and franchise owner Shirley Pietrzykowski (CTV News Edmonton)

Pietrzykowski saw the program advertised on television and immediately thought it would be beneficial to her business.

“I just thought it was an incredible opportunity.

“When you’re a small business owner there’s areas of your comfort and there are areas that you are not comfortable with. When it comes to digital it is an area I am not comfortable with.”

Pietrzykowski said starting a digital presence for her business was always something she wanted to create but ultimately never got to do because of overseeing day-to-day operations.

“You get busy with running a business and your team,” she said. “There’s just so many different levels that it becomes overwhelming. Then you throw COVID into the mix.”

Driving Miss Daisy now has a website and social media presence.

“When it’s an area that you are not familiar with, you don’t even know what questions to ask.”

For Pietrzykowski, having a good web presence was helpful before COVID-19 – but has now become an absolute necessity. She says since expanding the website, her business has been able to better connect with people living outside of Edmonton who want to arrange services to look after their parents or grandparents who live in the city.

Having an experienced university student partner with Driving Miss Daisy has proved to be an invaluable addition, Pietrzykowski says.

“It’s an incredible opportunity,” she said. “There is so much to gain… what better way for me to learn.”

To participate in the program, businesses can visit Making Edmonton Digital’s website

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Chelan Skulski