News / Start-ups
Free digital training for SMEs
A second tier of courses has been launched by the Government-backed Digital Business Academy aimed at enabling UK SMEs improve their profile and trade online. The portal now offers 11 free modules to teach students how to start, run or join a digital company.
One course – ‘How to Use Social Media for Business’ – has been designed by local digital marketing consultancy Valuable Content, based in Spike Island. It aims to demonstrate how to make the most of social media for business and features three examples of West-based companies that are using such skills successfully: start-up dining app Wriggle, online beer club BeerBods and Clutton Cox Solicitors, a long established law firm in Chipping Sodbury.
Recent research by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), a quarter of the UK’s SME owners say they do not possess basic digital skills.
Richard Dennys, Head of Digital Business Academy, said: “Small business owners are aware of the value that having a good online presence and trading capability can provide, but it is another thing knowing how to go about getting that right.
“Our aim is to take some of that pain or confusion away by giving them tools through these courses, which can be viewed online at any time and stopped and re-viewed whenever it’s convenient.
Sonja Jefferson, who founded Valuable Content in 2000 said: “We wanted to be able to make something that everyone could get involved with – and to help dispel any myth that you need to be a 25-year-old who has grown up using Twitter.
“To do this we were able to work with three outstanding companies who are all very different and who have been successful in making social media an integral part of how they go about their day-to-day business lives.”
Paul Hajek, managing director of Clutton Cox Solicitors, said: “We are a small firm in Chipping Sodbury and have been around for many years, so it could be surprising that we have been so successful through our online and social media channels.
“But I realised quite early on as I was using the internet for my own research to find things I needed how powerful a tool it would be. Our online communication now means we have a national profile and a brand people recognise.
“For us, it’s about knowing there are people out there online asking questions and that we can help them answer them – and if you’re not the one helping you can bet someone else will be.”
Matt Lane, founder of BeerBods, believes it’s important not to be afraid of digital marketing: “Put any worries or misconceptions about social media to one side and watch this course. It really will help figure out what approach is best.”
Image – Sonja Jefferson and Sharon Tanton of Valuable Content
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
