In the Australian state of Victoria, more than 600,000 small businesses—those with fewer than 20 employees— represent half of all private sector jobs and more than one-third of the state’s output in goods and services.* Like many around the world, these businesses have been challenged by the global pandemic. To help Victorian businesses thrive in a new digital economy, we are announcing Shopify’s participation in the Small Business Digital Adaptation Program, a $20 million** initiative by the Victoria State Government.
Focused on supporting sole traders and small business, the new program is open to all industry sectors and is part of the Victorian government’s $3-billion investment in cash grants, tax relief measures, and cashflow support to help businesses impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. Shopify is proud to team up with the state of Victoria to help these entrepreneurs and business owners reach existing and new customers online.
As part of the Small Business Digital Adaptation Program, eligible Victorian businesses will receive:
- First 30 days of Shopify for free***
- Rebate on a 1-year Shopify subscription****
- 24/7 support including access to Shopify’s online educational resources
Our contribution to the Small Business Digital Adaptation Program is the latest example of Shopify’s ongoing collaboration with governments around the world to establish resilience programs for small businesses. This year, Shopify has announced similar efforts through Empire State Digital with New York’s State Government and Go Digital Canada with the Government of Canada. These initiatives are focused on building solutions to help a new breed of resilient retailers successfully adapt to the changing face of commerce.
“The pandemic is accelerating the need for small businesses to get online in order to survive and thrive in the digital economy,” said Harley Finkelstein, Shopify President. “It’s more important than ever to support local businesses and provide them an opportunity to sell to anyone, anywhere. We look forward to working with the Victorian Government on this crucial program to help small businesses succeed now and in the future.”
For more information about the Small Business Digital Adaptation (SBDA) program including registration and rebate application details, see here.
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*As of June 2018: https://hub.business.vic.gov.au/business/small-business-in-victoria-by-the-numbers/
**All amounts are in AUD.
***Shopify will offer a free 30-day trial to eligible businesses that register on the SBDA Program website and sign up for Shopify between 15 November 2020 and 28 February 2021.
****The Victorian Government will provide a $1,200 rebate to approved, eligible businesses that have subscribed to Shopify’s platform to reimburse the cost of their Shopify subscription, while funds remain available.