How the Digital Service Squad program reshaped the online presence of local small businesses.

The opportunity to work with Calgary’s small businesses

Working with the City of Calgary’s Digital Service Squad (DSS) program has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my Canadian professional journey. It provided a unique opportunity to work with small businesses being their mentor and coach. I was helping them to embrace their online presence and tackle the digital challenges of today’s fast-paced world. This experience gave me invaluable insights into the struggles of small businesses across industries, and it reinforced my passion for leveraging technology to create meaningful impact.

The scope and mission of the DSS program

The DSS program was developed to provide free support in helping small businesses succeed in the online world. This initiative aimed at empowering small businesses by equipping them with the tools and strategies needed to be more visible online. From website usability improvements to SEO optimization, social media management, content creation, and Google Business Profile setups, the program focused on holistic digital transformation. Throughout my work, I conducted more than 130 coaching consultations, created over 100 tailored marketing strategies, and led workshops that boosted online engagement and visibility for countless local businesses.

Identifying pain points and developing solutions

One of my key responsibilities was to identify the pain points common to small businesses and develop actionable plans to address them. The action plans were discussed and delivered to business owners through the weekly/bi-weekly coaching consultations. A recurring challenge was outdated or poorly optimized websites that failed to provide a seamless user experience. Many business owners struggled with SEO — either overlooking it entirely or misunderstanding its value in driving organic traffic. Social media, while recognized as essential, was often mismanaged due to time constraints or lack of expertise. Additionally, many businesses were either unaware of the benefits of a well-optimized Google Business Profile or had incomplete and inconsistent listings.

For example, during my time with the DSS program, I worked with a commercial interior design firm to develop a comprehensive action plan. Their challenges — ranging from missing calls-to-action on their website to inconsistent branding across platforms — reflected the broader struggles faced by many small businesses. By implementing tailored strategies, including keyword optimization, improving website navigation using UX heuristic principles, and enhancing their social proof through highlighting case studies, we were able to improve their online presence. These solutions were not just about aesthetics but about creating a digital environment where potential clients could easily connect with the business’s value proposition.

Prioritizing core business goals

A crucial realization from my time with these businesses was the importance of focusing on their core mission. Many owners were stretched thin, trying to juggle content creation, SEO, advertising, and day-to-day operations. Often, they entrusted these tasks to third-party agencies that prioritized their recurring revenue over delivering tangible results. This cycle left many business owners disillusioned and distracted from their primary goal: driving sales and serving their customers.

For example, one of my DSS clients was a renovation company that delegated the marketing strategy to a well-known Canadian marketing agency (I won’t mention their name because I don’t want to build an additional backlink for them, lol). So, the renovators used to work with this agency for 5 years. Well, after 5 years of consistent work, the renovation company started to think about whether this work made sense. So, the question was “Should we keep working with them?”. I would say the question was right to the point because the marketing agency used to get paid well just for the “online presence”.

Well, just pretending to do something and get paid regularly — is a good approach.

But not for the renovators.

So, my job was to go after the agency and identify whether the money cost their job.

The SEO part was pretty solid and the website health was fair. As well as several backlinks that drove stable traffic to the website.

However, the Instagram account lacks the basic stuff like highlights, and… a content plan. Hey, don’t get me wrong but what I say is they posted ideal final results from the projects the renovation company completed and nothing else. So, the feed of the company looked like the perfect Pinterest account for inspiration purposes only. There is no engagement. No interaction. No communication with the audience. I truly believe that the marketing agency doesn’t give a shit about engagement anymore. Since they got paid regularly.

So, it is not the third-party agency’s job to engage with the potential customers. They just must post something and “be present”. They must care about the paycheck. They “must not care” about the marketing funnel. The business owner should! However, the business owner does not know about the marketing funnel.

The circle is complete.

So, my main role here was to educate and teach renovation company what they should check and ask from the agency they tend to entrust the marketing strategy.

The role of automation in transforming small businesses

This is where modern tools and automation come into play. Today, small businesses can achieve significant efficiency gains by leveraging AI and automation tools to manage repetitive and time-consuming tasks. For instance, Google Maps-based lead generation can streamline targeted outreach by collecting business data automatically. AI-powered email auto-replies can handle routine inquiries, freeing up time for personalized customer interactions. Tools like ChatGPT can draft detailed client proposals from Zoom meeting recordings, while newsletter summarizers can generate unique content by synthesizing insights from popular industry newsletters.

Social media consistency, often a daunting task, can also be automated. Articles can be rewritten and tailored for different platforms, ensuring regular posting without requiring constant manual effort.

You can read the study case about automated content creation workflow with a built-in validation process on my website.

For more advanced lead generation, databases like Apollo can help scrape industry-specific companies for cold outreach, making it easier to connect with potential clients.

These tools represent a new era for small businesses and startups, enabling them to maintain a robust online presence without being consumed by it. The focus shifts from outsourcing to building an ecosystem of automated processes that work seamlessly in the background, allowing owners to prioritize growth and innovation.

Looking back, my experience with the DSS program has deepened my understanding of the Canadian digital landscape and its potential to transform businesses. By identifying common pain points and offering practical, scalable solutions, we empowered Calgary’s small business community to thrive online.

Automation, AI tools, and AI agents will be critical in helping small businesses remain competitive and aligned with their core mission — serving their customers and driving meaningful results.