Events and Programs Calendar
Your customers are on the web. Having a strategy for your online presence allows you to market your small business online so customers can easily find you.
In this workshop hosted by the Toronto Digital Service Squad, we’ll discuss the importance of getting your business online, how you can use AI to assist with your website and ecommerce development, and where to start with building your digital foundation for your business.
What you will learn:
✅ What is an online presence and what platforms you can use to set up your website
✅ Utilizing AI for your website and ecommerce strategies
✅ How to create a professionally designed, responsive website for your business
✅ Setting up your Google My Business listing and other online directories
✅ Developing a cohesive brand voice online
Join us to learn how to build the foundation for your business’s online presence.
Hosted by Foodpreneur Advantage, this session is for you if you want to know how to price your food or beverage product appropriately.
In this free 60-minute online seminar learn about:
✅ Understanding your COGS
✅ Cash Flow Management
✅ Planning for Profits
If you want to run a successful business it’s important for you to know the ‘numbers’. Learn how to cost and price your products and services for profitability and how the decisions you make about your operations and production processes affect your bottom line. Understand how to budget and spend money so you can pay all your bills and still have money left in your pocket at the end of the year.
Each participant will receive an Excel Financial Forecasting spreadsheet (blank) and completed examples for both a product and service business to assist you through the process. Use the spreadsheet to develop your individual timeline, operating and capital costs, and pricing calculator to create a cashflow projection and income statement for your business.
You will leave with a better understanding of how to properly cost and price your product to make a profit in the food and beverage industry!
Social media is an invaluable tool for today’s business, whether you are just starting out or have been established for years. Not understanding how to use social media effectively can leave you overwhelmed and ultimately hurt your bottom line as your potential customers can easily find your competitors.
This workshop hosted by the Toronto Digital Service Squad will leave you with a better understanding of how to leverage the power of social media and AI to grow your followers, drive sales and reduce marketing costs.
What you will learn:
✅ How to utilize AI for your social media strategy
✅ How to choose the right social media platform(s) for your business
✅ Best practices for engagement on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest
✅ Planning and curating your social media content
✅ Tools for managing platforms and scheduling posts to save you time and energy
Join us to learn how to build an engaging social media presence for your business.
Looking to strengthen your health and safety programs? The WSIB’s Health and Safety Excellence program offers financial incentives for businesses that take proactive steps.
Key takeaways:
✅Rebates starting at $2,000: Earn back on WSIB premiums for each completed topic.
✅$1,000 planning incentive: Receive a bonus for developing your custom health and safety plan.
✅Essential topics: Employee rights, employer responsibilities, and more.
✅Free resources: Tools and templates tailored for small businesses.
✅Live Q&A: Get workplace-specific questions answered in real time.
Take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen safety programs while reducing costs.
Co-facilitated by Stella Nicastro-Greenough (WSPS) and Cathy Moran (WSIB)
Session Format:🕦 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Speaker Presentation🤝 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Networking
Hosted by Foodpreneur Advantage, this session is for you if you have a food or beverage product that needs the perfect brand to suit the right market.
In this free 60-minute online seminar learn about:
✅ Why YOU are your brand as a new food or beverage business
✅ What to consider when creating a visual identity for your company
✅ What does marketing in 2026 look like?
Amanda DeVries of Eye Candy Design specializes in branding food and beverage companies. In this webinar, Amanda will share her expert insight, from how to create your brand, how to retain and grow your brand to what sort of colours and typography styles are right for your product. You will learn the difference between designing for store shelves vs. food markets vs. digital spaces. She will also cover tips for working with a graphic designer and determining exactly who your product is for. As Amanda advises, “if your product is for everyone, then you are selling to no one”. Know your target market.
You will leave with a better understanding of how to brand and market your product in the food and beverage industry!
Hosted by Foodpreneur Advantage, this session is for you if you have a food or beverage product that needs an accurate and compliant label.
In this free 60-minute online seminar learn about:
✅ Packaging Considerations
✅ Labelling Requirements
✅ Mistakes to Avoid
Packaging and labelling your food product is where marketing meets regulatory compliance and food safety. You know you want your product to look great on a store shelf, but what are you required to put on the label? How do you choose the right package for your product? For this session, we will be joined by Nicole Haney, former Founder & CEO of Boho Bars. Nicole will guide us through what to consider when choosing a package for your food product, what to include on your label, and what mistakes to avoid when packaging your food product.
You will leave with a better understanding of labelling & packaging in the food and beverage industry!
Experience the Small Business Growth Series hosted by the Humber River Centre, where each session is guided by industry professionals committed to delivering practical and relevant content to help support your business at any stage of growth.
Do you ever feel concerned about someone in your workplace, but you are unsure about how to approach them or what to say? It's hard to know how to start a conversation about mental health in the workplace. And it's hard to know how to approach somebody at work who you are concerned about.
It may feel easiest just to leave it alone as it feels too personal. However, in not addressing it, we are missing an opportunity in truly helping someone in a way that really matters. Not only that, but there are big costs associated with ignoring mental health in the workplace. They often come in the form of LOA’s, absenteeism, presenteeism, etc.
Join us for this important session about Mental Health in the Workplace to learn how you can make a real difference in helping yourself, your team and your organization.
What you’ll learn:
✅ Understand what Mental Health and Psychological Safety mean.
✅Discover how to recognize signs that someone in your workplace may be struggling.
✅Learn how to utilize a simple tool to guide you through having a conversation with someone at work about their mental health.
✅Come away with some tangible ideas on how you and your team can nurture an engaging work environment.
Session Format:🕦 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Speaker Presentation🤝 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Networking
Hosted by Foodpreneur Advantage, this session is for you if you are starting a food business and want to make sure you are producing safe products right from the start.
In this free 60-minute online seminar learn about:
✅ Basic Food Safety Principles Every Business Must Know
✅ Practical Food Safety Practices for Production
✅ Common mistakes to avoid when starting your food business
When you’re launching a food product, understanding food safety is essential not only for protecting your customers, but also for meeting regulatory expectations and building retailer trust. In this session, Lisa Cove, Food Safety Consultant and Founder of Shelf Ready Inc., will walk you through simple, actionable steps you can take to build food safety into your business from the very beginning—without getting overwhelmed by regulations.
You’ll leave with a clear understanding of basic food safety expectations, practical steps you can implement immediately, and the confidence to move your food business forward safely!
Experience the Small Business Growth Series hosted by the Humber River Centre, where each session is guided by industry professionals committed to delivering practical and relevant content to help support your business at any stage of growth.
Whether you’re just starting out or managing a growing business, workplace safety is essential. This practical session introduces key safety practices and a powerful free tool to streamline compliance.
What you’ll learn:
✅Spot and solve hazards: Identify common workplace risks and act before they become incidents.
✅Know your role: Understand responsibilities under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).
✅Leverage a free tool: Use our customizable Employee Health & Safety Handbook Generator to create a compliant orientation handbook in minutes.
✅Expand your toolkit: Access free practical resources, training materials, and guidance to grow your safety program.
Let’s simplify compliance and build a strong safety foundation—no matter the size of your business.
Session Format:
🕦 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Speaker Presentation
🤝 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Networking