Small Business Saturday Blog

What are your business goals for 2020? Or even for the decade to come?

As small businesses up and down the country take stock of the last year and look ahead to the future, there will undoubtedly be lots of New Year resolutions aimed at saving time and money and driving growth.

Embracing technology is definitely something that should be at the top of the to-do list for any small business with these aims.

The pace of technological advances means that small firms who embrace innovation today will be tomorrow’s success stories.

It is estimated that improving SME digital skills would lead to the biggest productivity gain in the UK, at around £18.8 billion.

Whether it is the powerful insight offered from data analytics, or the efficiencies delivered by marketing automation, and accounting software, many technologies can really benefit small business.

These types of innovations can sound complicated to adopt, but they are surprisingly simple and cost-effective. With the right strategy they can have a big impact.

Despite this, many business owners can feel understandably overwhelmed by the technology out there, not knowing where to start and worried about the time it will take to set up and train staff, along with the cost to run.

This is why the Small Business Charter (SBC) has just launched a new government-funded programme, Leading to Grow, to help microbusiness owners to engage with and implement digital and new technologies that could support their businesses to grow.

The SBC brings business schools, small business and entrepreneurs together to exchange knowledge and drive local economic growth.

We are focusing on microbusinesses (which employ 1-9 people) with this programme, because they are particularly well placed to scale-up.

The Leading to Grow programme will combine workshops and one-to-one advice on how to adopt new technology, including reviewing new technologies that can help you to grow your business. Tailored support will be provided, along with the opportunity to learn from and connect with a network of small businesses and business leaders based in your region.

Starting from the end of January the programme will be free for microbusinesses and available through fifteen business schools across England. It has been made possible through funding from the Business Basics Programme run by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Innovate UK.

With so many areas being covered across England – including the North, Midlands, London and the South East - it is hoped that this programme will help a large number of microbusinesses and support economic growth across many regions.

Click here to find a business school in your area and apply for a new year business boost.