The Spend With Us website, online directory and marketplace for small businesses in rural areas of Australia affected by bushfire and drought has been launched.

Spend With Us provides a platform for small business owners to create a free website store listing to tell their story, promote their business or services and to accept online payments. The aim is to provide customers with an accessible site to discover and purchase local products, accommodation and services.

Spend with Us has also joined forces with the Victorian Business & Services Bushfire Support Facebook initiative, promoting all Victorian small businesses both on the website and through their Facebook page.

Local web designer and Spend With Us founder, Sarah Britz realised that many small businesses in these towns did not have the knowledge, skills, time or money to create an online presence. She was also aware that people who don’t use social media were missing out on being able to find and support many businesses.

“Once I started speaking with business owners who were unsure how they would be able to pay their rent or staff due to the complete lack of tourism trade, which these towns rely on so heavily during the summer months, I knew I had to do something to help. I would love for this site to be able to make a difference to every small business that is suffering within these communities.”