A Holywood man has created a tech-for-good project to help support and sustain local NI businesses through the upcoming Christmas shopping period.
Matt Stevenson founded Support Local NI, which allows local businesses to be listed on his new website for free.
His aim is to aid small businesses that may be facing negative financial implications in the lead-up to the seasonal period, due to Covid-19's effects.
Matt told Sync NI: "Having had my own family affected by the impact of Covid-19 on local businesses, I was inspired to try and do my part to help in some way!
"I have a number of partnerships with ‘prominent’ local businesses and I am receiving submissions for all types of local businesses every day."
Matt is a Senior Communications Officer at The Consumer Council, an organisation that promotes people’s consumer rights in Northern Ireland.
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By setting up Support Local NI in his free time, he hopes to have consumers browse the site and buy from local stores that will support creators, entrepreneurs and families across NI, and to have more businesses register so that they can be discovered and get more exposure.
The Support Local NI site has received around 2,000 hits to date since it launched at the end of October and over 50 businesses have registered.
Matt added that this currently covers at least one business in every district in NI.
A new ‘Browse For Gifts’ section has also been launched to let people browse local stores where they can buy gifts ahead of Black Friday and Christmas.
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Visit Support Local NI here.
