Top Canadian Small Business Grants for CRM Implementation/ Upgrade

There are a number of reasons why implementing or upgrading a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system can be a wise investment, and with small business grants from the provincial and federal levels of government available to pay a large portion of the costs there is no better time than now to get started.

Why Consider CRM Implementation or Upgrade?

As the name itself implies, CRMs improve the communication between your business and clients and your company’s ability to organize and manage the sales process and related resources.   A few of the most notable benefits of an effective CRM system include:

• Centralized sharing of data puts information in the hands of any employee that has an interaction with an existing client;
• Quality of customer service also benefits from the ability to collect customer profile data that can used in crucial decisions like content generation and the development of product and service offerings;
• Businesses can also gain vital knowledge of strengths and weaknesses of their sales process and sales team which can help drive improvements like training programs for your staff; and,
• Powerful automation and reporting tools in order to minimize resource requirements and improve forecasting abilities.

Small Business Grants from Canadian Government to Fund Your CRM Implementation/ Upgrade

Mentor Works suggests utilizing the following programs to fund your business’ CRM system implementation or upgrade:

1. IRAP Accelerated Review Proccess (ARP) Business Grants from the Canadian Government

IRAP Accelerated Review Process (ARP) small business grants Canada can help fund a variety of projects that aim to solve a technical challenge and covers up to 80% of direct labor costs and 50% of subcontractor fees, up to $50,000.  In addition to CRM and ERP implementation and upgrades IRAP ARP Program fits a number of strategic initiatives.

Canadian Business Grants Sample Projects:

• Technology Adoption, Assessment, and Feasibility Studies
• Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma Projects
• Product Development & Commercialization
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Web Presence Optimization Strategies

2. Canada Ontario Job Grant (COJG)

The Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) is a small business grant that provides businesses with funding for training their employees. Businesses can obtain up to $10,000 per employee to cover 66.67% of training costs.

3. CareerConnect Canadian Government Grants for Hiring

The ICTC CareerConnect hiring grant will cover 50% of an eligible candidate’s wage, up to $16,000, for any internship that it at least 3 months in length, but can go until February 28, 2014. Candidates must be permanent Canadian residents who have graduated from a related post-secondary program and are under the age of 31.

This small business government grants for hiring program covers approximately 1000 information and communications technology (ICT) positions.

Small Business Government Grants ICT Sample Positions:

•  Web Designer/Developer
• Computer Programmer
• Mobile Application Developer
• Computer/Hardware Engineer
• Graphic Designer/Illustrator
• Computer and Information System Manager
• Interactive Media Developer

4. HRSDC Career Focus Canadian Small Business Grants for Hiring

HRSDC Career Focus funding for small business hiring program covers up to $20,000 or as much as 100% of a recent graduates wage for a maximum 25 week employment.  The position must be “career-related work experience”.  The process takes roughly 6-8 weeks, but it is recommend to plan ahead by 3-4 months.

Qualified small business grants employers will include any of the following:
• An incorporated business
• An Organization (including not-for-profit, professional, employer and labour associations)
• Any public health or educational institution
• A band/ tribal council
• An aboriginal organization
• An individual
• A municipal government

More Canadian Small Business Government Grants

Contact a Canadian government funding expert for guidance on selection and access of these and other Canadian business grants and small business loans Ontario.   You can also sign up for our Canadian small business grants and loans weekly e-newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.