Cupar businesses selling products through new CuparClicks website

CuparClicks, created by CuparNow, Scotland’s award-winning digital improvement district, offers support for businesses, enabling them to sell and promote products and services to CuparNow’s growing audience – both at home and abroad.

CuparNow’s Steering Group chairwoman, Alison Strachan, said: “Before and throughout the lockdown, CuparNow has shared updates with businesses and customers on a whole range of Covid-19 related issues. This included support for our business community as well as key information to advise everyone on what’s been available from Cupar during the lockdown. We became aware of businesses who, having had to close their physical premises, were unable to continue trading in any other way because they had no online trading presence. That gave us the idea.”

The site is launching with more than 15 businesses on it and – with the help of a user guide created to offer step-by-step advice – businesses are now loading and managing their own content.

Simon Baldwin of Destination Digital – the company delivering CuparNow – explained: “If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that digital is at the very heart of all we do: communication with friends and family, a new reliance on home working, support for education – and the dissemination of vital information to share health and wellbeing messages to support all, especially the most vulnerable in our community.”

“This new platform is creating a project that will run and run to support those businesses who choose to make use of it.”

Businesses and organisations loading content to CuparClicks will have their messaging shared far and wide. CuparClicks and CuparNow’s delivery has won the backing of many. MP Wendy Chamberlain tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons earlier in the year and won cross-party support.

Ms Chamberlain said: “CuparNow is less than a year down the road from winning their ballot last December. In that time, they’ve built a hugely engaged audience that now includes one in four people in the town following them on Facebook alone. I am sure CuparClicks will add real value to businesses and the wider community.”

MSP Willie Rennie added: “I’ve seen all that CuparNow has been delivering throughout the lockdown. Their service has been a significant boost - from the free Wi-Fi to their sharing of information that has helped all, including the most vulnerable. CuparClicks will add further to CuparNow’s award-winning delivery.”

The new site launches just before non-domestic rate paying businesses in Cupar receive their 2020-21 levy bills for the digital improvement district. CuparNow requested the bills were not issued back in April. When bills are issued in September, CuparNow has arranged for all to have a six-week payment period – including an extension if required. Simon explained: “A huge amount of support has been provided across more than 250 days since the successful ballot. We will now be issuing levy bills to enable all the work to continue – including the ongoing development and promotion of all digital channels.”