Pre-Christmas Boost to Help Promote Small Businesses

Emphasising the importance of supporting the Shop Fingal initiative, Mayor of Fingal Cllr. David Healy said: "LEO Fingal and Fingal County Council has played an instrumental role in supporting and assisting businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Shopping locally this Christmas will make the difference for so many businesses across Fingal who have endured such a difficult time, and I would encourage every citizen of Fingal to get behind this initiative and spend locally this year - it has never been as important."

The Shop Fingal initiative is good news for all of us due to what is known as, in economic terms, the "multiplier effect." According to research in Ireland, every €1 spent locally is worth €4 to the local economy, so there are immense benefits to keeping it local.

Chief Executive of Fingal County Council AnnMarie Farrelly said, "The Shop Fingal initiative is a fantastic way to help people make their buying decisions while encouraging Fingal's residents to keep it local this Christmas. Fingal County Council has been at the forefront of supporting our local businesses during the Covid-19 period, and I would encourage people to play their part in supporting local businesses. With so many businesses having to adapt to the ever-changing landscape that 2020 brings, we are delighted to play a part in promoting the tremendous variety of quality services and products available right on our doorstep."

Speaking about the reasons why LEO Fingal decided to launch the Shop Fingal initiative, Chair of the LEO Network and Head of Enterprise at Fingal, Oisín Geoghegan, explained;

"At LEO Fingal this year, we have placed a significant emphasis on helping small businesses stay front of mind with their existing customers while highlighting ways they can attract new ones. Schemes such as the Trading Online Voucher and the many ongoing training programmes available have helped achieve this. That said, we are conscious that consumers are actively looking for ways to support their local community while looking for easy and convenient ways to shop for their day to day needs and obviously for Christmas. This initiative helps both shoppers and business owners while actively promoting a sense of being in it together."

He further added, "We are especially pleased to partner with Fingal Independent because they play such a big part in keeping us informed about what's happening locally. In times like this, it becomes vital to support the continued flow of useful information relevant to our community.”

For a comprehensive list of the latest information and supports available to Fingal businesses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, sign up to the “Fingal Enterprise News” ezine on the LEO Fingal Homepage to receive updates straight to your inbox.