A new website has been developed to help support Tucker County businesses facing financial hardships because of the coronavirus pandemic. Support Our Shops – sos.tuckerwv.com – was created to provide a way for residents and visitors who love Tucker County to buy local and support Tucker County businesses during this difficult time.
As shelter-at-home directives continue to keep residents away from routine visits to local businesses, the website provides a list of food and drink establishments that are offering carry out, delivery, or curbside pickup. It also provides a list of essential businesses that are open and nonessential shops that are offering online sales, gift cards, and merchandise.
The Support Our Shops website was designed as a simple platform to encourage people to order food, shop online, purchase gift cards, and support the tight-knit community of local entrepreneurs. Tucker County businesses who would like to join the effort can be added to the list or update their listing by submitting their information through a form on the website. The website is a great way to inform people if a business has temporarily closed because of COVID-19 or a business has transitioned to online sales or similar initiatives. The service is being offered at no cost to businesses.
In addition, Woodlands Community Lenders is offering services to businesses who need an online presence or that need assistance upgrading an existing website. Woodlands can contract a third-party web designer to work with existing business owners to find the best e-commerce solution to get them back in business. Contact Marti Neustadt, Business Advisor for the Mon Forest Business Initiative, at mneustadt@wdgwv.org to start the conversation. Woodlands is also helping small businesses with their loan and grant applications, unemployment applications, and other business advising needs in this time.
The Support Our Shops website is a collaborative effort between the Tucker County Development Authority, Woodlands Community Lenders, and the Tucker County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.