Posted: Wed 25th Mar 2020
Last week we announced that Enterprise Nation has teamed up with Crowdfunder to enable small businesses to pre-sell their services now on a promise to their customers that they can redeem them later to help them through the coronavirus crisis.
Hundreds of businesses have got involved but we want to help even more so we're expanding the campaign and we need your help!
Small businesses face the potential of a sharp downturn in income due to COVID-19. In response, we launched Pay it Forward to help smaller firms navigate the looming cashflow crisis and provide support and advice.
Through the Pay it Forward crowdfunding campaign, small businesses can:
Set up a Pay it Forward campaign to pre-book things like meals, a room for the night or a ticket to an event based on a promise to deliver in the future. Crowdfunder will cover all platform and transaction fees
Bring in match-funding from large corporates based on their campaign
Seek specific financial support from their local authority and central government
How you can #PayItForward
There are still many more challenges for businesses beyond cash flow in the months ahead and we want to do more to galvanise support and amplify through our platform and social media to reach over one million small businesses.
So, we are now asking for individuals, organisations, business owners and advisers to show their support for #PayItForward by sharing resources and/or offering how they can support small businesses, sole traders and the self-employed.
**We want you to post on Twitter with #PayItForward and tag @e_nation and @crowdfunderuk to tell us how you're helping small businesses.
You can download images to use here.**
Simple ways you can show your support for small businesses:
Can you #PayItForward by sharing the Enterprise Nation crononavirus business support hub with your favourite local business?
Can you #PayItForward by offering your time to a small business owner who needs to chat through a challenge?
Can you #PayItForward by contributing to a crowdfunding campaign of a local business struggling through this crisis?
Can you #PayItForward by running an online event to answer questions for small businesses or helping them feel connected?
Can you #PayItForward by uploading a video of your advice or sharing a blog post with tips for overcoming challenges?
Can you #PayItForward by offering a discount or time-limited free service?
Spread the word about #PayItForward
To spread the word about the campaign, here are some pre-written tweets:
**If you're an organisation, click here.
If you're an individual, click here.**
Don't forget to also tweet with #PayItForward and tag @e_nation and @crowdfunderuk to tell us how you're helping small businesses and the self-employed.
Help us spread the word for the future of small businesses
Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones said the Pay it Forward initiative will help galvanise support behind the UK's 5.9 million small firms.
"We've pledged to offer a package of support and guidance to help keep them afloat in these unprecedented times. Traditional shops on the high street may need help setting up online sales. The vast majority will need support with cashflow. Some may need to consider diversifying.
"We'll be offering training and the latest information on how to access government support, all in one place. We must hold our nerve and move forward together. Pay It Forward is a brilliant and practical way to coordinate targeted support," she added.
Rob Love, founder and CEO of Crowdfunder, is encouraging consumers to support their local businesses during this tough time.
"This is a really difficult time for everyone and there are lots of different things people are worried about, including their jobs. One thing people can do if they can afford it is to support local businesses. Through Pay it Forward, we are committed to throwing Crowdfunder's resources behind keeping business alive through this crisis."
