Member Article

Campaign to help small businesses exploit digital potential

An independent, not-for-profit campaign that promotes the benefits to small businesses of becoming more digitally engaged and signposting them towards available assistance is launching its “100 Days of Digital” for the second year.

“Do It Digital”, which is an independent, not-for-profit campaign, focuses on promoting opportunities for assistance available to small business owners up and down the country. Its “100 Days of Digital” this year will run from December 22nd until March 31st.

The “100 Days of Digital” kicks off today across various online platforms by showcasing Dot UK, the UK’s newest domain, which can provide an ideal way for small businesses to stand out online. This will be followed by Happus, a Caerphilly-based IT business which runs a free helpline for small businesses owners - the number is 03300 103300 - looking for digital help and support; Enterprise Nation, a small business community offering training and advice for small businesses, and, on Christmas Day, the Good Things Foundation, the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity. Initiatives to be featured at other times during the “100 Days of Digital” will include Barclays’ Digital Eagles, Virgin Business Digital Skills Hub, the British Library’s Business and IP Centres as well as initiatives being offered by local authorities and other organisations across the UK.

The most recent Lloyds Bank UK Business Digital Index in October showed that 1.4m – or 38% - of small businesses lack basic digital skills whilst the most digitally engaged small businesses are twice as likely to report an increase in turnover than the least digitally active. The Good Things Foundation reports a quarter of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and charities feeling that digital engagement is irrelevant to them. This is the issue ‘Do It Digital’ was established to address.

The Do It Digital campaign not only aims to help people take their first steps online but also encourages those already online to engage further and expand their digital horizons. This could include anything from a simple web presence and social media to being able to access a wider market for selling online. The campaign says that digital engagement is crucial for all aspects of business, not just marketing, from recruitment and stock management to banking and accounting, including tax returns online.

“Digital engagement is becoming increasingly central to the development of competitive, profitable and growing businesses,” explains Campaign Director Michelle Ovens MBE. “Do It Digital exists to amplify all the help that is available help for small businesses around the country, pointing small business owners towards practical support and thereby enhancing the success of all digital initiatives from both the public and the private sector.”

For more information visit www.doitdigital.co.uk , on Twitter @doitdigitaluk , and at www.facebook.com/doitdigitaluk

Ends.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Howard Robinson .