Trading online is becoming a large focus here in Ireland and the government have a National Digital Strategy in place to help Irish businesses get their brands online and reach new markets with a Trading Online Voucher Scheme grant available.
The Trading Online Voucher Scheme grant allows small businesses to boost their online presence and reach new customers. Although we’ve seen the importance of having a website and substantial online presence over the past few years, however, many small businesses are not taking advantage of it, with 30% not being engaged in online sales. 70% of e-commerce sales within Ireland are from markets overseas and on average, €850,000 is spent every hour 24 hours a day online. Your business could benefit from these sales and online traffic and it’s time we supported more of our home-grown businesses.
The grant is available for businesses registered in Ireland that have up to 10 employees and you can receive €2,500 to help pay for various services and tools for your business, including the development or improvement of an e-commerce website. If you have already taken part in the scheme, you are now entitled to apply for a second voucher to improve what you already have!
Rules of the grant:
- 10 or fewer employees (or full-time equivalents)
- Have a turnover of less than €2m
- Have been trading for at least 6 months
- Are located in the catchment area of a LEO
- The grant can not be used for brochure sites, products must be made available for direct purchase on the site.
A full overview of the application rules can be found here
Why should you get a new e-commerce website?
E-commerce has become the new standard for consumers and businesses alike with customers expecting brands to have an online store they can browse and shop at any time they wish. Some customers may even decide not to shop with a business if their online presence doesn’t support online shopping, and find another that does.
- Reach new customers and markets that haven’t shopped with you before. With the internets global reach, there is no limit to how increasing your audience with an online store can drive growth for your business.
- Automate Processes – such as payments and invoices saving you time. This means you’ll finally have the time to be able to do the other tasks on your to-do list.
- Measure your success – See which products perform better and which are becoming your best sellers. This means you’ll be able to work with your stock more proactively and what products should be promoted next.
- Brand Story – allow customers to learn more about your brand and your business. Share your story with them and inspire sales!
- Staying Competitive – An online store means being able to forward plan sales and events for your business to stay ahead of trends.
If you have already availed of the Trading Online Grant Scheme, you can reapply, to further improve your online trading capability. 50% of funding is to be contributed by the applicant business.
How do I apply for the voucher?
The first step is to get in touch with your Local Enterprise Office (LEO) and discuss the application for the voucher. They will then be able to support you through the processes. You can find your LEO here.
Thanks to this scheme and the support available, there is no reason to not get your business online and trading through an e-commerce platform. Here at iSeek, we can provide you with a new e-commerce website that is designed and developed by us (we can even host it!). Using WordPress, our favourite Content Management System (CMS), we can design and develop a website that looks and feels exactly like your brand and unique to you. Plugins allows for a world of functionality that allows for automation, marketing such as email sign-ups and a whole lot more. Having an e-commerce store has never been easier, and there is no time like the present.
When submitting your application to the LEO, you will be required to submit 3 supplier quotes for the desired work, contact us today by calling 021 242 9494 or email support@iseek.ie and we can talk through the processes and quote details.