Trading Online Voucher Scheme
It is an uncertain world we live in at the moment and for small business owners it's even more difficult. With COVID-19 we have seen a large number of businesses lose revenue and employees as the pandemic continues to negatively affect the economy. However for some e-commerce businesses online sales have never been higher; experiencing a major growth over a short period of time. There are a number of different grants available to SME's to assist with setting up and managing their online sales function, the one that we are looking at below in particular is the expanded Trading Online Voucher Scheme.
The scheme is run as part of the Government’s National Digital Strategy. It is designed to assist small businesses with up to 10 employees to trade more online, boost sales, and reach new markets. The scheme offers financial assistance of up to €2,500 with co-funding of 10% from the business along with training and advice to help your business trade online.
The scheme is designed to make setting up an online trading platform an affordable investment for all small businesses, while offering invaluable expertise on how to develop a virtual marketplace presence. Offering assistance in various areas digital marketing, including website design, social media marketing, and search engine optimisation. The scheme may also recommend outsourcing to low-cost marketing consultancies such as Precision Plan Marketing to kick start your online business journey.
To qualify for the Trading Online Voucher Scheme your business must meet the requirements below:
Limited or no e-commerce presence;
10 or less employees;
Turnover less than €2m;
Applicant business must be trading for at least 6 Months;
Business must be located in the area covered by the LEO to whom they make their application i.e. LEOs cannot accept applications from businesses located outside their jurisdiction;
Previous voucher recipients may apply for a second voucher.
Speaking with experience from setting up a marketing consultancy business, I understand how difficult and costly it can be to create and establish your company online. I recommend all our smaller clients, who match the criteria above to apply for a voucher. Below are three top tips when it comes to setting up a business website.
For more information on the voucher scheme contact us here.
