In an effort to encourage and support the campaign for Shop Local, Community Futures Northeast Alberta Partnership and Conseil de development economique de Alberta are managing Alberta iMarket, a full featured online marketplace for small businesses in Alberta. Launched live on April 1, this grass roots initiative promotes all varieties of products and services available in our area. This includes businesses that sell or promote anything - products, services and bookable times. If your business can be part of an online transaction, the iMarket platform can accommodate it.
Services available to iMarket vendors include access to local experts to help get their site set up and train them on how to use the online platform. Not only do they train local business owners, they actually do it in person!
“We are here to break many online barriers with a real human. We will come to your business to help. No step is too simple or too complicated for the support given.” says Corinne McGirr, General Manager, Community Futures Lloydminster and Region.
Compared to other online shopping platforms, iMarket’s monthly fee is only $20 while other sites charge as much as $80 to upkeep the site. This is a very reasonable fee for small town businesses, which are the focal point of iMarket.
“The more businesses that can be found online means there is more business that stays local,” said McGirr, “The changes we have seen in the world this past year has accelerated the need for all our small businesses to seriously consider transitioning at least a portion of their sales to an online platform. The Alberta iMarket is an ideal solution for these businesses to reach our regional market, and beyond.”
For shoppers, iMarket is ideal for staying local and being able to shop from more than one business in a single transaction. This is ideal for people who have made online purchasing their main source of shopping.
At present, iMarket has 107 vendors and over 1600 products available on the platform including merchandise from Vermilion’s own Men’s Den. Owner Kirby Whitlock is very pleased with the program and the amazing support he has received from the team in launching his business online.
“They have been great to work with, an excellent team.” said Whitlock.
If you are interested in launching your business on the Alberta iMarket please contact Community Futures Lloydminster and Region at 780-875-5458. If you want to do some great local shopping check out the website at: www.albertaimarket.com
The Alberta iMarket project has been made possible by the Rural Opportunities Fund, which is supported by Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD). The Rural Opportunities Fund supports community economic development projects and business retention initiatives, including community resiliency projects and business retention initiatives such as succession planning for small business owners.
