With many worried about the fate of their favourite hairdresser, fruit shop or brow bar, two Aussie business owners, Jen and Ewen Hollingsworth came up with a solution.
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Vouch For You is an online voucher marketplace, connecting businesses and customers by offering pre-paid vouchers for goods and services. The platform is not a charity, it simply offers access to future cash flow for small businesses at a time when they need it most - and prepares them for the future.
The idea is simple:
- Small businesses of all types and sizes across Australia need cash for ongoing bills and expenses. Businesses could not offer their full product or service during the lockdown but they can offer vouchers now in return for cash upfront.
- Consumers love discounts and will purchase now, for discounts later.
Vouch For You connects businesses with their loyal customer base and allows them to be seen by new customers who are looking for a great deal.
Both e-commerce and bricks-and-mortar stores can use the Vouch For You platform - equally those who already offer vouchers and those who want to start.
"The health impact of COVID-19 has of course been the paramount concern across society, however, both Ewen and I have watched the announcements over the last few months and felt so awful for small businesses everywhere," Jen said.
"During the initial announcements I called a few of the businesses I regularly use and offered to pre-pay for services to help them out. We knew there had to be a way to help on a larger scale - we built the Vouch For You landing page that night."
"This is going to impact businesses for a long time - and we wanted to provide them with a platform that will help grow their business for years to come, mitigate their risk and put them in a strong position for the future.
Vouch For You is not just for cafes/restaurants - although they can use the platform.
"We built this for the thousands of businesses across Australia who rely on the regular customers through the door and are often faced with ongoing bills and expenses that they cannot cover," she said.
Australian businesses can register their interest at vouchforyou.com.au
Jen and Ewen Hollingsworth: Jen launched her first business when she was just 24 years old (fashion label Jennifer Kate) and is currently building an app within the medtech space. She also recently co-launched the Beauty Bags For Bushfire Heroes initiative and is a mentor for small businesses across Australia.
Ewen, previously a lawyer and management consultant, is currently busy building a fin-tech education platform.
