Castlebar based design company, Avenir Design, has created a not for profit website allowing small businesses, charities, organisations, and individuals to receive vouchers of support from their loyal customers and supporters.
Following the impacts of Covid-19, many small businesses, artists, creators, trades people, charities, religious organisations, etc with loyal customers and supporters have suddenly been unable to earn a living. The few that can deliver their services via online tools, are ill-equipped to receive payments or donations digitally from their customers. This website attempts to address this problem quickly and simply and is free to use.
Any business or individual can set up a free account on the web site. This will create a listing for their business on www.inthistogether.ie which they can share to their customers and followers. These people can then buy “Vouchers of Support” for the business. Excluding standard payment processor fees, 100% of all payments go directly and automatically to each company.
A “Voucher of Support” is whatever you need it to be. It can be treated as a gift voucher to be redeemed at some point in the future or it can be a gift, donation, or token of support for a business or individual at a time of great need. Anyone with an existing business or activity through which they generate income can register. Any business or individual, regardless of location, is free to use the site.
Avenir director, David Quinn, who developed this service, explained further, saying: "Goodwill is the great intangible asset of any business or organisation. Built up over years, it represents the earned trust and esteem of customers and service users. In these most trying times, we saw the need to provide a simple no-cost online mechanism to allow businesses to benefit directly from this collective goodwill in the form of “Vouchers of Support” from their customers and followers.
"A voucher of support can be redeemed at some point in the future or viewed as a small donation or support if preferred. More than ever before in living memory, we are all in this together and now is the time to demonstrate this solidarity - particularly at a local level.
"While the process of getting listed is not difficult, Avenir staff, all working from home, are actively supporting this project and will assist any business getting up and running on the website."
For more information, visit:https://inthistogether.ie/ or https://www.avenir.ie/blog/item/510-a-covid-19-support-site-for-small-businesses.html
