Empowering local businesses to join the global economy
Connexus, the leader in enabling small business success through technology, has secured the support of Amazon Australia to back small businesses seeking to grow their business via an online presence.
Participants in the innovative ‘Pay it Forward’ (Pay It Fwd) scheme, which is funded by Connexus (owned by Australian-founded MNF Group), is helping small businesses in rural areas adopt a digital communications infrastructure. Amazon has joined the innovative program as a partner to help SMBs navigate their ecommerce journey.
The Pay It Fwd scheme was originally launched in Gawler in South Australia in August last year and in Sorell in Tasmania, in February this year. The program provides free digital phone services to local small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) for 12 months. Express Virtual Meetings (EVM), a leading provider of audio and video conferencing services also provided six months free video conferencing to PIF participants via their vmeet.express platform.
In exchange for a free digital phone service, local businesses were asked to ‘pay it forward’ and spend with other businesses in their local community.
A recent survey of participants from both Gawler and Sorell found businesses had ‘paid forward’ over the last 12 months $75,089 within their communities.
Amazon Australia will offer additional account management support to select Sorell businesses participating in PIF and selling on Amazon. This includes providing on-boarding support, training and ongoing account management. Marketing materials will also be provided.
“Connexus is thrilled to be working with small businesses to help them reach their potential. As the world has become smaller due to COVID-19, having an online presence has become more important than ever,” Connexus General Manager Lee Atkinson said.
“We are excited that Amazon Australia is now working with us to help small businesses involved in our Pay It Fwd program to take their businesses to the next level, reaching the hundreds of millions of customers who shop on Amazon globally.”
Connexus will assist a select number of businesses in Sorell over a 6-month period who wish to utilise Amazon’s premium services.
For more information about the national Pay it Fwd scheme, please visit https://www.payitfwd.org.
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About Connexus
Connexus solves the pain of technology for small business. Connexus makes business-grade phone, mobile and NBN easy to understand, quick to setup and simple to use, leveraging world-class innovation and investment to create the best business telecom experience for SMBs.
Connexus is part of the MNF Group, one of Asia-Pacific’s fastest growing technology companies. Listed on the ASX since 2006, it is now twice the winner of the Forbes Asia-Pacific “Best under a Billion” award. MNF develops and operates a global communications network and software suite enabling some of the world’s leading innovators to deliver new-generation communications solutions.
For further information about Connexus visit: https://www.connexus.com.au/