Emily Shandruk draws on her background in conflict management, negotiation and organizational development to help people overcome workplace conflict, work through change and achieve their goals.
Her Thunder Bay consultancy delivers these services under the headings Employee Relations, Project Management and Philanthropy. The challenge is to tell this story in a compelling way that will convey the true value which the business can deliver, when in-person engagement has been replaced with video calls.
Emily worked with the Digital Main Street (DMS) program to create a more compelling online presence that would bring more clients to her (virtual) door. A DMS Digital Transformation Grant and free professional resources have helped her implement new social media and online marketing campaigns, supported by new video and photography, develop an e-newsletter and improve her search engine rankings.
Through compelling and helpful content published through these digital channels, Emily plans to increase her site visits by 15 per cent and her contact list and lead conversion rate from social media by 20 per cent through the spring of 2021.
“I applied for the DMS funding because I wanted to tell my story,” Emily said. “I know that what I do is sometimes confusing – ‘consulting’ can seem vague and I knew that if I could share what I do and why, through video and better social media posts, I would be able to connect better with new clients.”
The Digital Main Street program has been further extended through funding from FedDev Ontario and the Ontario Ministry for Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT). The new round of funding includes $42.5 million from the Government of Canada’s Regional Relief and Recovery Fund, a national recovery initiative delivered by Canada’s regional development agencies. With $7.45 million from Ontario, this combined federal and provincial project will strengthen Ontario’s economic capacity for innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration, and will promote the development of a strong and diversified Ontario economy. For more information, please visit digitalmainstreet.ca/ontariogrants
