An Invercargill marketing company has spearheaded a campaign to arm local businesses with free resources to help cushion the blow of COVID-19.

Thrive, the brainchild of Market South, is a toolkit of free business tools that cover a range of topics in, which individual companies have contributed their expertise to, from business response plans to tips on how to manage marketing among COVID-19.

Market South creative director Carla Forbes said the team had been looking at ways it could support Southland businesses, when marketing consultant Lucy Coutts pitched Thrive.

“What COVID-19 has done to everyone is really quite overwhelming, and we know everyone is hurting at the moment, so Thrive is about looking out for our Southland economy in a tangible way,” she said.

Thrive brings together several Southland businesses who are offering their tools usually given to clients to help businesses take situations by the horns and do what they can to thrive and survive in this new business landscape. Market South, for example, would be providing its brand identity tool and Findex, its business response plan framework.

Findex managing partner and Southland Chamber of Commerce president Neil McAra said it was great to see businesses rallying to help each other, but the current landscape meant most businesses were in survival mode.

“What is important in these times is to understand is how and where you can respond in the short-term while not losing focus on the longer-term risks and opportunities."

“It’s great to see professionals sharing there their trade, with real and tangible tools,” he said. 

Thrive resources will be available on Market South’s website, and will have content added as more resources become available.