A SHROPSHIRE and Powys accountant is urging businesses to sign up to a ‘corona credits’ scheme to bring hope to the local economy in the form of StampAid.

Rob Ellis, managing partner of Welch and Ellis, in Willow Street, Oswestry, believes that despite government support packages, businesses in the area are still being devastated because of the uncertainty of reopening.

Pubs, restaurants, hair and beauty salons have had to shut down on government advice and most are still not sure when and if things will return to normal.

Rob, currently working from his Llanfechain home, believes the scheme will help.

He said: “I have a client who is a hairdresser and has now been told they can reopen to sell goods but that is a tiny part of her business and she is very worried.

“It struck me an advance voucher scheme was something which local people could do in order to support a host of local businesses like hers at this time and it way of customers letting that business know they were staying loyal.”

Rob discovered a London firm who already started to offer it and so now he is urging businesses to sign up to StampAid a free service which enables small business customers to purchase goods in advance for redeeming later.

StampAid is a new free service from established loyalty apps provider Stampapp which was set up with independent coffee houses and other food businesses in mind but which can work for a wide variety of business – those who are closed or have limited some of their normal services due to Covid-19.

Rob wants businesses to register in StampAid and for people to visit the website and purchase goods in advance which they can redeem at some point in the future.

He added: “Now is a chance for those customers who can afford to give back and support business.”