Toronto Web Design Agency Launches "Refugee to Entrepreneur" Program to Offer Free Web Development and Marketing Services to Refugees

TORONTO, Feb. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Little Dragon Media, a Toronto based web design and digital marketing agency, announced today the launch of their "Refugee to Entrepreneur" program, designed to offer free web design and marketing services to refugees that want to be self-employed or start a small business.

Penny MacGillivray, program coordinator at Little Dragon media, said: "A refugee technically has many of the skills and qualities required to be a successful entrepreneur, such as drive, hunger and resilience. They often just lack the funds and marketing knowledge to take the leap into entrepreneurship, which is where we think we can help…"

The program will help refugees who meet the minimum requirements stated on the company's website, such as a good command of the English language (or French for those based in Quebec), proof of company registration (preferred but not necessary), education or proof of expertise in their field, proof of refugee status, a minimum of 2 references and certifications or accreditations if those apply. "We have limited resources so obviously we cannot help everyone, especially those that cannot speak the language or those without proper paperwork and education, but for those refugees that meet our criteria, this could be a great opportunity."

"When refugees get to work, they win, and their community wins. Many refugees are highly educated and skilled people. Also some of them were already running successful businesses in their home country before war and political turmoil pushed them to leave everything behind and flee their homeland. It only makes sense to help them recreate their businesses here whenever possible," said Ms. MacGillivray.

For refugees that meet the criteria, Little Dragon will offer a free package which includes:

• Free website design (up to 5 static pages).
• Free logo design.
• Free web hosting for 1 year.
• Free domain name for 1 year.
• Free training on how to update site and use back-end features
• Free Google My Business Account Setup & Optimization
• Free Social Media Channels Setup (Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn).
• Free Citation Profiles Creation & Optimization on 5 Local Directories (e.g. Yelp, Yellow Pages, etc…)

Amine Rahal, founder and CEO of the company, adds, "Giving back to the community is one of the core principles of our agency, and right now there is a huge need to help thousands of refugees settle and make a new life for themselves in this country. These people represent a tremendous workforce for our country if we give them the chance. Also, at the end of the day, we're all newcomers. Whether you're a 5^th generation Scottish, 3^rd generation Italian or 1^st generation Syrian, it's pretty much the same thing. This is the new world and opportunities are available for everyone. The inspiration behind our company's name, Little Dragon, comes from Bruce Lee, who in China was called Xiao Long (Mandarin for "Little Dragon"). During a famous interview he did in the seventies, Bruce Lee was asked:  do you consider yourself Chinese or American, to which he answered: I consider myself a human being. Under the skies, under the heavens, we are but one family. It just so happens that we look different."

For more details on the Little Dragon Media's "Refugee to Entrepreneur" program, email [email protected], or contact Penny MacGillivray, 647-348-4995, [email protected].

Media Contact:     
Penny MacGillivray
[email protected]
647-348-4995
http://littledragon.ca

SOURCE Little Dragon Media

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