Member Article

The free support that could get Coventry and Warwickshire businesses into the IT fast lane

Firms across Coventry and Warwickshire have been told not to let slow broadband or outdated IT stand in their way of growth and to tap into free advice and support.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce says that sluggish broadband speeds and a lack of knowledge of which technology can help a business to grow is holding back hundreds of companies from expanding.

The Chamber is offering free, impartial advice to businesses across the patch to help them find the right systems and there is also funding available, depending on eligibility, to increase broadband speeds.

Neil Batchelor, a Chamber ICT advisor, believes companies are held back from making decisions about their IT and broadband because they are uncertain of what they need.

He said: “I speak to businesses day in, day out and they know what slow internet speeds means to their business, but are uncertain of what is available or how to upgrade.

“And, because of that uncertainty, they are put off making decisions that could otherwise help them to become more efficient and grow their business.

“That’s why it’s important for companies across the patch to know that we can offer free, impartial advice on a whole range of matters when it comes to IT and can talk about the benefits to the business rather than the science behind it.

“Companies will, for example, have heard ‘moving to the cloud’ yet might not really understand what it means, how that actually makes their lives easier or how it brings business benefits.

“We are keen to explain in very practical terms how that change could help them in their day-to-day work and what steps they can take to achieve it. The Chamber isn’t an IT provider – we have some fantastic members in this sector who would undertake the delivery of any service improvements.

“The Chamber would supply the impartial advice and support to allow companies to make better informed decisions.

“There is funding available to increase broadband speeds too, subject to criteria, and that is something I would certainly urge companies to find out more about while the opportunity is available to them.

“Better IT and faster broadband can boost a business’s bottom line – it’s just important to understand what steps to take to ensure you are investing in the right technology, not just for growth now but for the future.”

If you want to upgrade your broadband or IT systems but are not sure what to do next, contact the Chamber on 024 7665 4321 or email ict-advisors@cw-chamber.co.uk

This activity forms part of the Project: Extending superfast network and building SME ICT capability across Coventry and Warwickshire, and is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .