SMEs will soon be able to benefit from free eCommerce seminars in a bid to help them boost their online presence. Image courtesy of: Danilo Rizzuti/freedigitalphotos.net
Free e-commerce seminars will soon be offered to small businesses after the
Downing Street behavioural insight team analysed what prevented SMEs from tapping into export markets.
The analysis revealed that SMEs are discouraged from exporting because of ‘soft barriers’ such as a lack of confidence and social links.
But the study found that companies enhancing their online presence are able to boost sales to overseas territories. Downing Street believes the more companies that succeed via online channels, the more that will be encouraged to take the same path.
The new seminars will be given to more than 3500 firms, through the
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ (BIS) Web Fuelled Business initiative, and will take place in 11 cities between January and March of next year.
Topics to be covered in the seminars include search engine optimisation, export finance, online advertising and the use of social media.
Doug Richard, a technology investor and founder of
School for Startups, which will lead the seminars, said: “It’s an intensive nudge. It’s a case where businesses want the nudge but they don’t know how to get from A to B.”
The scheme forms part of the Finance Fitness campaign, run by the Government and recently launched by Business Minister Mark Prisk, which aims to help small firms with all aspects of the financial side of business.
In addition to advice on traditional forms of lending such as banking, the Finance Fitness campaign will also make SMEs more aware of alternative sources of credit, in addition to providing information on important issues such as late payment.