Three friends from Portsmouth urge people to shop small through their new website

Brothers Martin Yung and Louis Lawson, and Louis’ partner Fabrizia Rowe, known as Fabby, have set up GoSmall – a marketplace website to allow local sellers to have their products and business advertised in one place.

They were inspired by seeing the number of local businesses adapting their business models during lockdown.

Louis, who is in his final year of a degree apprenticeship in business management at the University of Portsmouth said: ‘Despite the best efforts of businesses, it has been impossible for many to thrive during the pandemic.

‘Although everyone recognised the hardship for smaller businesses, and how larger businesses, such as Amazon, have gone from strength to strength, there have been limited opportunities for the small businesses to grow.

‘We felt that a marketplace website would allow local sellers to have their products and business advertised in one place. This would make shopping and supporting local more accessible and convenient.

‘It would also offer an online presence to independent businesses.’

Louis and Fabby met at Victorious festival in 2019, and both have a passion for business and entrepreneurship.

Throughout lockdown, the pair came up with the GoSmall idea, around juggling home-schooling Louis’s daughter Aliza, and got Louis’s brother Martin on board.

Martin, who started his career as an electrical engineer working in the Portsmouth Dockyard and later with Southern Water, has completed a foundation degree through the University of Portsmouth in business.

And he has also co-founded a wholesale company, where he currently works as a director.

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Since this idea, the GoSmall founders have spent time developing the marketplace website and getting in contact with independent businesses.

GoSmall has recently been advertising for customers and vendors to register their interest via gosmall.co.uk.

Martin, 33, who lives in North End with his girlfriend Demi, and their dog Suki, said their site was free to sign up to and free to list products.

He said: ‘We believe in keeping costs and risk as low as possible for our vendors, so only once a product is sold does GoSmall take a partnership fee (commission).

‘The aim is to reinvest in the platform to increase our network of customers and vendors, creating a strong community to support small businesses.

‘We are excited to launch and looking forward to showcasing the amazing local products in and around Portsmouth.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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