Main Street

The three million businesses that line the main streets and side streets of the local economies. These businesses are diverse and include retail shops, small grocery stores, personal services such as hair and nail salons and spas, hardware stores, local contractors, restaurants, trade services such as plumbers and electricians, and small manufacturers and wholesalers. The health of these businesses is directly related to the health of the local economies in which they operate, which is why their success is vital to the communities they serve.

The Rise And Fall Of Digital Initiatives For Toronto Retailers
The Rise And Fall Of Digital Initiatives For Toronto Retailers
May 13, 2020  |  Retail

It’s one step up and one step back for the retail community in Toronto. In the same week, the city’s Digital Main Street program got...

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Toronto To Launch ‘Digital Main Street’ To Help SMBs Get Online
Toronto To Launch ‘Digital Main Street’ To Help SMBs Get Online
May 12, 2020  |  SMBs

In Toronto, a new service called DMS ShopHERE, powered by the Schulich School of Business, aims to help small companies and artists move their businesses online....

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The New Reality For Main Street, Freelancers Amid The Coronavirus
The New Reality For Main Street, Freelancers Amid The Coronavirus
May 11, 2020  |  Today In Data

The post-pandemic reality is setting in for Main Street retail even though the crisis is hardly over, while Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan guidance issued in late April marked...

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Saving Main Street: Advocacy Groups Propose New Government Relief Programs
Saving Main Street: Advocacy Groups Propose New Government Relief Programs
May 08, 2020  |  Retail

The crisis is hardly over, but post-pandemic reality is setting in for Main Street retail. Government program subsidies and loans have been snapped up by...

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Earnings Reports from FIS to PayPal Herald Point of Sale’s ‘New Normal’
Earnings Reports from FIS to PayPal Herald Point of Sale’s ‘New Normal’
May 08, 2020  |  Earnings

For companies like Fiserv, Fidelity National Information Services (FIS), PayPal and others, selling terminals, offering payments platforms and designing checkout buttons, top and bottom lines...

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Will PPP’s Lack Of Clarity Fail To Protect SMBs And Paychecks?
Will PPP’s Lack Of Clarity Fail To Protect SMBs And Paychecks?
May 08, 2020  |  Commentary

During last week’s On The Agenda discussion of the many twists and turns that now characterize the PPP program, Karen Webster, Planters First Bancorp CEO Dan Speight, Ingo Money CEO...

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ADP’s Massive Job Loss Tally Underscores Main Street Lending Urgency
ADP’s Massive Job Loss Tally Underscores Main Street Lending Urgency
May 06, 2020  |  Economy

The pandemic has spared no one on Main Street – the fallout has touched everyone, from the smallest of storefronts to the largest of mid-sized...

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PPP’s Banker Versus Borrower Dilemma
PPP’s Banker Versus Borrower Dilemma
May 01, 2020  |  SMBs

Since the launch of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in early April, the single-minded focus of the U.S. Treasury, the banks approved to process PPP loans and...

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NEW DATA: Two-Thirds Of Main Street SMBs Are Not Ready For The Post-Pandemic Restart
NEW DATA: Two-Thirds Of Main Street SMBs Are Not Ready For The Post-Pandemic Restart
May 01, 2020  |  Coronavirus

  The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a massive consumer migration to digital commerce. Consumers living under stay-at-home orders are going online to manage their personal...

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