Business View Oceania - Dec 2023

6 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 5, ISSUE 12 “The number of businesses coming on board is expanding throughout Sydney, and we have plans for expansion nationally and (one day) beyond,” Cindi says. “The company’s ethos is cemented in supporting local, small, innovative, like-minded businesses, to help them grow, prosper and thrive. “Online shopping is escalating, yet local businesses that are curated for our communities have been unable to realise any significant uptake in this, as bricks-and-mortar stores have not been set up to account for these market shifts,” Cindi adds. “Additionally, they often do not have the inclination or skill set to get into eCommerce and it is often not viable or cost- effective for them to do so.” Cindi sees local businesses as the innovators and fabric of our communities, but understands that developing eCommerce platforms is an expensive and daunting exercise for many of them. “With to GET, a local business has access to an instant, online platform that showcases their produce to local shoppers and integrates into their payment system, helping them embrace the new digital era and grow, ensuring our local shops are sustainable over the longer term,” she avers. “We’re also making local shopping even more convenient – whether you’re a grocer, florist, butcher, baker or candlestick maker, we bring all your local speciality stores online in one transaction, for click-and-collect or home delivery.” Prior to launching her new business, Cindi worked in marketing for over 25 years, largely in the tourism industry. “I have worked closely with small businesses, often onboarding them to larger platforms,” she says. “Across both the corporate and government sectors, I was able to gain a unique insight into building local solutions, which I have used to help build toGET. com.au . I’ve always been a creative thinker with an alternative perspective. I also achieved an MBA from UNSW, and was a winner in the UNSW Founders New Wave female start-up program, which provided additional funding to launch to GET.” Seeing that local communities are at a crossroads now, with real threats to the viability of innovative local businesses, Cindi thinks there are many ways to preserve them by improving their competitiveness and sustaining them into the future. “to GET aims to work with them to provide them with a fairer share of the growing and shifting consumer preference,” Cindi concludes. Source- nsidesmallbusiness.com.au , Tim Ladhams, First published on December 21st,