Brandon Downtown Business Improvement Program (BDBIP)

Our experience was a very smooth process. Great communication and fast response times. This grant will help our business by increasing customer traffic to our location and customer awareness.

Working with the BDDC and Emmanuel was effortless for us. We appreciate the efficiency of the program and the organization. The launch of Brandon Jobs will benefit downtown as it will drive increased customer traffic to our location and we hope someday will be showcased as a Brandon success story when it goes global!!

As a new organization in Downtown Brandon, having access to practical and supportive funding through the BDDC has allowed us to gain exposure faster than we otherwise could have. Starting up any business is expensive and knowing we could access financial help for our website, social media, and printed promotional items allowed the BIZ to get our name out there and gain momentum faster than we otherwise would have been able to.

My experience working with BDDC and Emmanuel has been very positive. Emmanuel has consistently responded to my calls, emails, and texts in a timely manner. He is approachable and knowledgeable about available resources. So far, the grant has helped cover one month of my rent expenses. BDDC has helped our business remain downtown, to provide access to mental health and addiction counselling for participants.

Our experience with BDDC and Emmanuel was a good one. The grant has helped our organization, as we now have an updated and more user-friendly website. Our old website was 10 years old. It was on it's last legs and some people found it frustrating to navigate. The Y is a big part of Brandon's downtown. Having an updated website allows us to communicate with our participants, and potential participants, more effectively.

Our experience working with BDDC and Emmanuel has been very positive. The initial visit to our office with Emmanuel, the opportunity to access substantial funding, and supporting our access to local expertise have been instrumental in successfully accessing the grant, and using the funds to advance our business.

The experience with BDDC was wonderful! Emmanuel was a great help in the process from start to finish. He made the application and process smooth & easy for us to understand. We were able to apply the grant to upgrade our accounting software systems to better streamline for employees & clients. BDDC's help will provide more online services for new & current clients who are unable to attend the local branch.

The grant was important in helping us move capital projects forward in a timely manner. It would be no exaggeration to say that our improvements would not have happened in the past year without the financial assistance of the BDDC and Emmanuel. The building we received help for housing 12 entrepreneurs in an entrepreneurship incubator. As well, there are an additional 8 tenants on both floors. These businesses would have looked for other accommodations if upgrades were not made. Perhaps even leaving the downtown area.

The BDDC grant was much appreciated in this high-interest rate environment to help overcome the hurdles of starting a business downtown. These hurdles include old infrastructure, attracting healthcare staff, and neighbourhood security. We moved into a 67-year-old building in 2021. To meet modern healthcare codes, building plumbing and electrical needed to be replaced and safely dealt with old materials in up to six flooring layers.

The support from BDDC has been key to growing our business. While the costs associated with running a business in downtown Brandon are lower, we’re not always able to reinvest resources into the business as we would like to. The grant we received has allowed us to spend important time growing our business, and we’re grateful.