Group aims to help businesses damaged during G20.
A group of Ryerson University students formed StartMeUp Ryerson. The group is in the midst of their Protests to Profits campaign on the streets of downtown Toronto, highlighting independent businesses that fell victim to violence in late June.
Photo/COURTESY
Following the aftermath of G20 related property damage, a group of students from Ryerson University are helping independent businesses get back on their feet.
A group called StartMeUp Ryerson is in the midst of their Protests to Profits campaign on the streets of downtown Toronto, highlighting independent businesses that fell victim to violence in late June. The maps are designed to attract customers to 14 locations that had windows smashed, products stolen and watched profits plummet.
With a little assistance from ambitious volunteers like 22-year-old Laura Miller, project manager at StartMeUP, entrepreneurs hope they will be able to make up for at least some of the damages they are paying for without government assistance.
"The motivation for us was that we saw these businesses were affected. The main purpose of our student group is to help small businesses, so when we saw there was a lack of help being provided, we decided to go and help ourselves. We saw the need and went to help them," said Miller.
The group began handing out maps on July 14 and will continue until July 30. They have printed an initial supply of 2,000, but are willing to distribute much more if the demand is there. Some participating stores have agreed to give a discount on products when customers show the map.
When the G20 swept through town, high-profile franchises like Starbucks and banking institutions were targeted. In the midst of the chaos, independent shops like Khalil Salimi's All Leather were also vandalized.
All Leather is a small, single-location business where Salimi has made a modest living selling leather goods since 2001. On June 26, a mob swept passed his 399 Yonge St. storefront smashing two large windows and stealing his products.
Not able to find any government assistance, Salimi is on the hook for $4,000 to replace his windows, must replace some of his inventory and had to close his store for 10 days.
"I am a small business. I don't know why they did this to my store. If I were a big business, like Tim Hortons or Future Shop, I wouldn't mind so much. It would be OK. But I am a small person and it is a small business, not a big one," said Salimi. "They should see me as a person and see the store name and think 'I don't know why they did this to a small business.' I don't understand it at all."
When he was approached by Miller in early July, he was happy to participate in Protests to Profits, which is essentially free advertising for a business that can't afford any extra expenses right now.
"Why not?" said Salimi. "Maybe if people hear about me they will come and support me and buy some stuff. That would really help me a lot."
Businesses participating in Protests to Profits include: All Leather, 399 Yonge St., Barclay Jewellery Ltd., 399 Yonge St., Change Room, 425 Queen St. W., Cooney for Hair, 441 Queen St. W., Digi Copy and Print, 177 Spadina Ave., Due West/Next Door Clothing, 431 and 433 Queen St. W., Fashion Crimes, 322 1/2 Queen St. W., Fraiche, 348 Queen St. W., New York New York, 106-423 Queen St. W., Peter Pan Bistro, 373 Queen St. W., Sammy Scissors Hair and Nails, 173 Spadina Ave., Sushi Extra, 423 Queen St. W., Star Fashion, 423 Queen St. W. and Watch It!, 101-317 Yonge St.