business.connected

Vodafone recently commissioned market research with Atomik Research which found that Britain’s small-and-medium-sized business (SME) community is being held back by a lack of digital skills:

41% of SMEs are not investing in digital skills

27% of SMEs have not taken any steps to learn new technology

25% of SME owners are buying digital tools but not activating them

Only 35% of SMEs have basic cybersecurity protections in place

There’s huge appetite among SMEs to boost their digital skills, though Enterprise Nation and Vodafone recognise that it’s vital they get the right support, guidance and training to support them on their journeys.

That’s why we’ve joined forces to commit to giving free, expert training to 100,000 SMEs to help them digitally transform by building the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to use digital tools – and to get the best out of them.

Any small or medium-sized enterprise is welcome to register for the programme.

business.connected is for all small business owners, regardless of skills or experience. Whether you’re just starting your online journey or need more specialist advice, we’ll provide training that matches the position you’re in – and where you want to get to.

This is a 12-month free training programme - providing online training to help business owners boost their digital skills, adopt the best technology and stay safe online.

Digital Workshops: workshops and events run by our business.connected advisers are available to select and sign-up to, and will start at the end of May and run throughout the rest of the year.

Webinars: webinars hosted by our subject experts will unpack key digital topics and run fortnightly throughout the year.

e-learning courses: A brand new e-learning programme to boost digital skills. The courses will include specialist solution-based training across collaboration, e-commerce, managing cyber security and more.

Offers: Exclusive Vodafone offers will be accessible via the campaign throughout the next 12 months.

No – it’s completely free.

V-Hub advisers are available Monday-Friday 8am-6pm to discuss a range of digital topics, including digital skills, digital security and remote working. The specific topics they can advise on are:

Digital skills: building a digital presence, creating a website, tracking, get your products online, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and social media advertising.

Digital security: common security threats, security for multiple devices and protecting company data when employees are working remotely.

Remote working: productivity when working from home and online collaboration tools for your team.