Lighting The Way - Growing a digital presence with Bright Beginnings Montessori
This week we are featuring Alanna Eastcott-Bitzer and Tannis Jeffers, co-owners of Bright Beginnings Montessori in Penhold, Alberta. After noticing a gap in their market for more quality education options, Alanna and Tannis took action, and in early 2023 they launched Bright Beginnings Montessori. Their teaching methodologies offer a fresh angle to learning that focuses on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development. With a new business venture underway, Alanna came to the Digital Economy Program (DEP) to help take the next step in growing her and Tannis' digital presence.
In the heart of Penhold, Alberta, Alanna Eastcott-Bitzer and Tannis Jeffers identified a critical need within their community: more quality education options for children. While larger cities tend to offer a variety of educational choices, smaller towns like Penhold often lack such opportunities. Fueled by their commitment to providing a better future for local children, Alanna and Tannis decided to take action. In April 2023, Bright Beginnings Montessori was launched, a unique educational institution designed to cater to the individual needs and interests of children aged six months to six years. We asked Alanna what inspired them to start this business journey, and she shared,
“We hope to set an example and raise standards for Early Childhood Education. We believe it is important to provide centers for families that want to give their children a head start in their educational journey, and we are dedicated to their children's success.”
On the front lines is Director Tannis Jeffers, a veteran in the field of Early Learning Centers. Her passion for the Montessori model, initially sparked by her son and Early Childhood Education class, drives her to lead the Bright Beginnings team of teachers, delivering high-quality education to the Penhold community.
While the vision and expertise were there, they recognized the need to establish a solid online presence for their new venture. However, Alanna admitted that digital marketing wasn't her strong suit. That's when she turned to the Digital Economy Program (DEP) for assistance.
“We wanted guidance on how to become well established on social sites, website creation and maintenance, and to gain a better understanding of how we could utilize the program to drive our business' success.”
Once signed up, the DEP paired Alanna with Jayda from Community Futures Central Alberta, a local DEP squad member. Together, they embarked on a journey to grow Bright Beginnings Montessori's digital presence. With the DEP's support, they created social media pages, set up a Google Business Profile, devised content strategies, and even worked together to run online advertisements. Reflecting on this experience, Alanna shared,
“This program has 100% positively impacted our business. The changes we have seen include traction in the community. We have been able to reach our target market, resulting in parents connecting with us!”.
With her new skills and digital presence, Alanna can take her and Tannis's business to the next level and attract new customers online. For other small businesses seeking digital support through the DEP, Alanna explained: “There are resources available to all different kinds of small businesses. Whether you're well-established or just starting out, there's something that can positively impact your business and help drive sales.”
Alanna and Tannis's commitment to providing quality education options for children in their community led to the creation of Bright Beginnings Montessori. With the support of the Digital Economy Program, they can now share their vision online and have seen a positive impact on their business. If you're a small to medium business owner in Alberta, click the link below to learn how the Digital Economy Program can support your business.
To learn more about Bright Beginnings Montessori and how Alanna and her team are providing quality education for their community, visit their website here.
To learn more about Digital Main Street and how our Alberta Digital Service Squads can help your business, visit here.
Digital Main Street was created by the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) with direct support from the City of Toronto. DMS is also supported by a group of strategic business partners, including Google, Mastercard, Shopify, Meta, Intuit QuickBooks, Square, Lightspeed, Ebay and Canada Post.
Digital Main Street and Business Link have partnered to deliver the Digital Economy Program in Alberta. Through Digital Service Squads, the Digital Economy Program aims to help small businesses adopt digital technologies to grow and stay competitive. The Digital Economy Program is funded by the Government of Alberta and Prairies Economic Development Canada.
