A few months ago, Buy Local Wales was started as a campaign, to support SMEs starting and wanting to grow their business. Since the mobile app was released, and the website started gaining more visits, the campaign has become an enterprise in its own right. My role is to manage the platforms and support the businesses that join the network.With over 20 years of experience in Design, Branding, Business Development & Marketing, Buy Local Wales offers a way to bring together those skills to support SMEs, connecting them with customers and other business owners, and helping them remain competitive in an increasingly challenging digital marketplace. For years, I saw my favourite local businesses closing their doors year after year, and one of the reasons for this was an inability to adapt and transition to digital.Taking action within our communities, making commitments to support other business owners, and caring about how our purchase decisions affect the local economy and environment are other ways we can support our local businesses. We are determined to build an extensive, interactive, and user-friendly network of local businesses, all of whom adhere to high standards to enhance trust and innovate to reward customer loyalty.If SMEs are to have a chance against the online and high street giants, they need to take advantage of the freedom they have to position themselves as unique, innovative, and accessible to customers. Our mission is to create a space where local people and visitors to Wales can discover the best local businesses when they search online all in one place; where they can get directions, read reviews, watch videos, make bookings, and chat live with business owners, all on one user-friendly platform.More importantly, joining the network and taking advantage of extensive digital marketing services and business referrals is of immense value but also affordable, to make sure micro-businesses, start-ups, and freelancers can afford top-quality services without paying out extortionate fees.