Even before COVID-19 devastated small businesses, brick and mortar shops were struggling to compete with e-commerce. That’s what inspired Summit mom of three Kate Giovambattista to launch beyondmain.com, a site built to help small businesses survive the online shopping boom.
Since COVID-19 has forced non-essential businesses to close, Beyond Main’s mission has become more relevant than ever. Described as part Etsy and part Amazon, Beyond Main’s virtual ‘Main Street’ allows small businesses to safely operate during this quarantine period. With features such as online payment processing, gift wrapping, touchless curbside pick-up, and local delivery, Beyond Main aims to help small businesses operate in this new normal.
A new initiative to support small businesses encourages shoppers to buy a gift card in honor of Small Business Saturday, Gift Card Edition, on Saturday, April 4. Launched in 2019, Beyond Main began offering its shop local online services to businesses in Summit before expanding to other towns in NJ and to NY, CT, RI, CA, and MA.
“We are proud to partner with Beyond Main to help bring the online capability to more of our local businesses and the online shopping experience to more of our residents,” says Summit Mayor Nora Radest.
Giovambattista hopes to support more small businesses through this challenging time by enabling them to sell their products online. “We know how challenging things are for everyone right now,” Giovambattista says. “We hope our platform can help provide some enjoyment, support, and relief to those who need it.”
Summit Downtown, Inc. (SDI), a non-profit organization that represents businesses in downtown Summit, is offering Summit businesses that are not yet on the Beyond Main site a $150 credit towards their annual subscription. To become a small business retail partner in your community, visit Beyond Main and register your business or email Kate@beyondmain.com.
