Long-established business? Entrepreneur just setting up shop? Whatever your mission, our economic development and community growth department is here to connect you, with networking, support, information and resources at every step of the way.
Whether you’re launching a new venture, growing an existing one, or considering making Meaford your business home, our updated Business Guide has everything you need to succeed.
Explore the new business guide below.
New Business GuideBusiness Retention and Expansion (BR&E) Project
The Municipality of Meaford has launched Building Business, Growing Community, a Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) project to help local businesses stay, grow, and succeed in the community. Supported by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Rural Affairs, the project will gather input from both businesses and residents through multiple engagement channels — to understand barriers to growth, identify opportunities to expand, and determine the supports the community needs — informing the Municipality’s economic development decisions and priorities in the years ahead.
How To Get Involved
Businesses and residents are invited to take part in several ways:
- Attend the drop-in Open House — Monopoly Night, an interactive way to share your input on the project
- Wednesday, September 23, 6:00–8:00 p.m., Meaford Hall Arts & Cultural Centre
- Stay tuned for opportunities to engage in surveys online.
Frequently Asked Questions
A BR+E project helps a community understand the health of its local economy by hearing directly from the people who know it best. It focuses on the businesses already here — because existing businesses create the majority of local jobs and investment — and pairs their insight with input from the wider community. Through an online survey, focus groups, one-on-one conversations, and public events, the Municipality identifies the challenges, opportunities, and supports that matter most, and uses what it learns to guide economic development decisions.
The Municipality of Meaford is leading the project in partnership with Town Hall Consulting Inc., a firm specializing in economic development and strategic planning for Ontario municipalities. The project is supported by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Rural Affairs.
We want to hear from the whole community — every resident and every business in Meaford. Residents can share their perspective through the online survey and the public open house.
As this is a Business Retention & Expansion project, we are especially focused on hearing from local businesses of all sizes and in all sectors — including home-based businesses and farm operations. Existing businesses are the biggest drivers of local jobs and investment, so understanding what they need to stay and grow benefits the entire community.
Your input helps build a clear picture of what Meaford businesses need to grow and thrive. Individual responses are kept confidential and are compiled and analyzed in aggregate. The findings will directly inform how the Municipality supports the local business community.
No — participation is completely voluntary. But the more businesses and community members that take part, the stronger and more accurate the picture, so we hope you’ll add your voice.
Local Business Associations and Partners
- Meaford Chamber of Commerce
- Owen Sound Chamber of Commerce
- Bruce Community Futures Development Corporation
- Made in Grey
Business Resource Centres
Business Support Services
- Georgian College – https://www.georgiancollege.ca/community-alumni/entrepreneurship-centre/
- Grey County Economic Development – https://madeingrey.ca/
- Community Futures South Georgian Bay – https://cfsouthgeorgianbay.ca/
- South Georgian Bay Small Business Enterprise Centre – https://enterprisecentre.ca/
- RTO7 Grey Bruce Simcoe – https://brucegreysimcoe.com/home