Empire State Digital to speed up small business online presence
A new initiative, Empire State Digital, aims to accelerate New York State-based small businesses’ ability to grow their online presence through a program with leading global e-commerce enablers, including Shopify, Square, Clearbanc, and Etsy.
The partners selected by Empire State Development to participate will offer specialized solutions such as education, free resources, marketing support, and discounted pricing that is unique to the needs of New York’s small businesses. Options can be reviewed on Empire State Digital’s website which includes additional services available to small businesses from Empire State Development’s statewide resource partners, including hands-on assistance, training and counseling.
“This pandemic has been painful in so many ways and has forced us all to find innovative ways to forge ahead and adjust our daily lives and reimagine our economy,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “By helping small businesses grow their digital presence, we’re providing them the tools to be more competitive, resilient and successful – the very definition of New York Tough.”
Empire State Digital is an invitation for those businesses to explore the benefits of expanding beyond their physical brick and mortar location to an online marketplace. Building a digital presence allows entrepreneurs and small-business owners to reach their existing customer base, new markets and provides continuity of business at a time when social distancing is an essential public health priority, officials said.
Empire State Development’s partners will provide counseling and hands on support through the Entrepreneurship Assistance Centers, Small Business Development Centers, Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers, Incubators and Hot Spots. The aim of the program is to give small business access to toolkits and resources to digitize, find new markets and adapt to the new economy due to the changes from COVID-19. Additional companies interested in offering specialized products and services on a concessionary basis to New York small businesses are welcome to reach out to ESD.