I am open Celebrate this vital day for county’s businesses

MONDAY is set to be the most important day of the year for our economy when thousands of businesses reopen.

That is why we are declaring it #Iamopen day.

On Monday the Reach digital network will make our heroic local businesses front page news.

We will tell millions of people through our websites, social media channels and newspapers that our favourite local shops and services are back in business and finding new ways to safely serve customers while abiding by social distancing rules.

And what’s more, it is free to be featured and get involved.

We appreciate that Monday is just the start of a long road to recovery for many, so our support does not end there.

Alongside #Iamopen Day, we have launched the #Iamopen community too.

By signing up, your business can have access to exclusive marketing advice, offers, networking and participation in future Reach #Iamopen events.

We love our local shops (and indeed, all our local businesses!) so we are particularly excited to see our favourite independents trading again.

It was a dark day on March 23 when the Prime Minister said they must shut, as the nation prepared to enter lockdown and fight coronavirus.

But now, step by step, our cities, towns, villages and communities are gradually reopening and figuring out what “normal” looks like.

On Monday, shops in England classed as “non-essential” can start trading again.

So we are announcing a series of free ways for them to tell their customers they are back in business.

We want to help those of you who are throwing your doors open get back on track as quickly as possible.

That is why we have created #Iamopen Day and we are using our massive shop window to show off yours.

Up and down the country, our trusted and industry-leading local and regional news websites and newspapers will deliver extensive coverage about businesses reopening and high streets coming back to life on June 15.

Each news brand is committed to retweeting hundreds of local businesses throughout the day, to thousands of loyal followers.

They will also be running live blogs to tell minute-by-minute the story of our high streets waking up and the customers returning.

All you have to do to be part of that celebration is tweet us with the hashtag #Iamopen to make sure we can tell as many people as possible that you are ready to welcome them back through the door.

We will also be telling many of your inspirational stories as we build up to June 15 across Reach titles by writing about how you are adapting and ensuring your customers are safe.

We have also created a brand new virtual networking hub, which you can access by signing up to the #Iamopen newsletter.

It will be filled with all the free tools we think you need to help stabilise and grow your business further and start to make up for lost time.

To sign up to the newsletter and for more visit gloucestershirelive.co.uk/ news/uk-world-news/how-local-businesses-can-tell-4203496