Ballinasloe businesses fight back with online marketplace

There's no doubt small local businesses have been hardest hit by the sudden onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, but one local town has already begun the fightback to keep the shop local message to the fore despite the shutters being down.

Shopballinasloe.ie is a new online marketplace for the town encouraging people to support the many shops and enterprises that are the backbone of the area through the purchase of vouchers for over 40 businesses in one place, and very soon products from many of these shops, from the comfort of their own home.
Speaking to the Westmeath Independent on Thursday last, Joe Glennon from Kickstart Web Design said the idea came from the business club in the town, The Pulse Club, an initiative of the Ballinasloe Area Community Development, run by Lynn Donnelly who has been a great support.
Through this, he and his business partner David Ansley, had worked on other projects with Araya Business Support Services, run by Honoria Mitchell Black and Niamh Creaven Connaughton, who specialise in marketing, social media and other services. Both businesses are based in Ballinasloe Enterprise Centre in Creagh.
When shops and offices started closing, the four started a conversation to see what they could do to support local traders through a difficult time and they decided to join forces in this new venture which they believe is a first in Ireland.
“We had talked about an online marketplace before and we decided to go ahead with it, and 12 days later we launched,” Joe said, thanking local businesses for their support of the initiative so far.
“We launched last Friday with over 40 businesses coming on board to sell vouchers and there have been great sales since then,” added Joe, who is now working on the next step to allow businesses to sell products on the site like books, jewellery, children's clothes, and much more. That is expected to go live in the coming days.
“People asked is it just for the pandemic, and I say to them no, this is going to be here for the long-term,” Joe said, stressing he would like to see this marketplace for Ballinasloe as unrivalled in Ireland as it moves forward and grows.
“It's not just for Ballinasloe either, people can buy from anywhere from here (the site) so your mother could be living in Ballinasloe, and you can buy her something and have it delivered from anywhere in the world.”
There is a great “community feel” to the venture which has been really well received so far, but it does need to be marketed and supported regularly as time goes on.
“People do want to shop local and it's (the site) is giving people that option,” he outlined, stressing that all four are giving of their time for free to get this venture up and running.
“This gives business the facility to get online quickly and the great thing is they can purchase there on the site too.
“It's not a replacement (for shops closed). We want it to be an additional revenue stream for them,” Joe stressed, saying that the next step will be getting packages ready and up for sale for businesses supplying services like training, beauty etc.
He thanked the Pulse business club for their support of the venture, without whom it would never have happened – describing the group as the most positive thing to happen businesses in Ballinasloe in years. They have already given an update to members on the initiative via one of the many webinars The Pulse Club has facilitated since the emergency began,  on a variety of subjects from remote working to LEO supports, and the new government schemes.