The Village of Burns Lake Accelerator Program | NEWS RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release Village of Burns Lake
September 10th, 2020 Rio Tinto

BURNS LAKE – The Village of Burns Lake has partnered with Rio Tinto on a Business Accelerator program that is designed to support local business owners grow their business online so they can thrive in today’s business climate and be set up for long-term success. This pilot program will be entirely financed by a contribution of more than $10,000 from Rio Tinto. Once completed, the new program could be duplicated in other communities across Canada.

Over several months, the Village of Burns Lake conducted several surveys with local business owners. Business owners reported that their sales have not returned to pre-COVID levels and that they believe that their long-term success will depend on their ability to adapt to the digital marketplace.

The Burns Lake Business Accelerator Program will include the following key objectives:

• To provide business owners with the opportunity to increase their knowledge of online business practices
• To provide a 15-week program that consists of a mix of online modules and technical support to help businesses better understand the nature of online business
• To help business owners learn how to develop and manage a website
• To help business owners learn how to leverage social media to market their business
• To help business owners learn how to investigate e-commerce options and integrate it into their website

Village of Burns Lake Mayor, Dolores Funk – “Small businesses are the lifeblood of our community, and COVID-19 has been hard on the local economy. We are happy to support local businesses as they continue to grow, increase their competitiveness and adapt to a new digital marketplace. I also want to thank Rio Tinto for their support on this unique program.”

 

Rio Tinto BC Works General Manager, Affonso Bizon – “COVID-19 impacts have been a challenge for many communities over the past months. By funding the business accelerator program, Rio Tinto is helping local businesses build their online presence to better compete in the new economy. Our partnership with the Village of Burns Lake gives Lakes District businesses an opportunity to participate in the program free of charge. We hope this collaboration can be replicated in other communities across our global operations to support stronger local economies