An Post is putting up €2m worth of practical supports to help SMEs get back to business and selling online.
The supports come in three strands, and businesses that are interested will need to register for the company’s Advantage Card in order to gain access.
The three sets of supports are:
- Discounted prices, starting with a 25% discount on parcel services during the period of Covid-19
- A €1m marketing fund that will provide €1,000 worth of Direct Mail to small firms for a local advertising drive or as part of a larger marketing campaign. These will be allocated on a first come-first serve basis from Monday 24 May
- A dedicated e-commerce advice hub providing information and expert tips for help SMEs to start trading online, with links to Local Enterprise Offices and other SME networks.
Mails & Parcels managing director Garrett Bridgeman (pictured) said: “Small businesses are transforming to meet the needs of customers and An Post’s expertise and reach is helping SMEs open up for business, even if their door is closed.
“There’s lots to be learned from the global e-commerce players in getting the digital impact, service quality and customer focus in place from the start. By adding the power of post and the convenience of the local post office to deliver a personal, human touch, we can give Irish companies a real advantage in the national and international marketplace.
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“We’ll have emission-free deliveries in every Irish city by the end of this year and we’re already swapping diesel vans for electric vehicles. There’ll be over 1,000 electric An Post vehicles on Irish roads by 2021 and we know this is of growing importance to online sellers and shoppers.”
Bridgeman added that the latest supports are phase one of a bigger plan that includes a new direct mail service for consumer product samples and a regional initiative, centred around local Post Offices, to assist small firms.
All can be accessed using the Advantage Card, which can be obtained either at local post offices or online here.
