Member Article

Free digital advice to help SMEs and charities recover from Covid

Free digital advice to SMEs and charities is now available in Coventry and Warwickshire to help them recover from the pandemic and rebuild the area’s economy.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub has joined forces with Digital Boost which aims to support one million small businesses and charities across the UK by January 2022.

Advisers from the CWLEP Growth Hub and Digital Boost will connect people who want to upskill and grow their business with volunteer digital experts from a wide range of high-profile partners including the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Google, Apple, BT and Vodafone.

As well as mentoring calls, there are webinars and workshops available to join on topical issues ranging from funding for start-ups to GDPR support, as well as a resource library to access to find out more detailed information.

Craig Humphrey, Managing Director of the CWLEP Growth Hub, said Digital Boost was a free initiative aimed at providing mentoring, workshops and courses to help SMEs and charities use technology to support their growth.

He said: “Covid-19 has thrown the spotlight on the importance of using digital platforms and, for many, it has opened up new revenue streams.

“But it can appear daunting for those small businesses and charities who are not used to using technology on a daily basis.

“This free scheme is perfect for owners or employees who are looking for help and don’t know where to start.

“The Growth Hub will refer SMEs and charities in Coventry and Warwickshire to Digital Boost to start with free one-to-one mentoring calls with experts who can help with specific needs such as improving search engine optimisation, design and branding, creating a new website or providing a great online customer service, so it is highly personalised and flexible.

“It is not limited to just one 60-minute call – you can book follow-up calls or have calls with other experts in different fields, which are geared towards helping businesses and charities become more visible online.

“There are 2,000 mentors across the UK taking part in this scheme and they have in-depth expertise in specific digital skills.

“There is also an opportunity to join interactive webinars and workshops, again for free, to find out more on subjects including Facebook advertising or creating a great social media presence.

“All this can seem like a minefield if you are not used to it, but the whole programme is designed to help small business owners and charities in a way which is easy to understand, so they can learn at their own pace.

“Digital Boost will help SMEs and charities who may not have business or digital experience to help with their recovery and the area’s economic growth as well as have a better understanding of digital technology.”

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