Vodafone and Enterprise Nation to offer free online training to small businesses

businesses.connected campaign will support over 100,000 SMEs

Vodafone and Enterprise Nation have committed to offering free, expert training to 100,000 small businesses to support the UK’s economic recovery.

The partnership will see Vodafone and Enterprise Nation offering extensive online training to help business owners boost their digital skills and stay safe online.

The training will focus on online essentials such as setting up a website, online trading, using collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams and protecting businesses from cyber-attacks.

Different levels of training will be on offer depending on the online experience of the SME.

Research from Atomik Research and commissioned by Vodafone found that:

• 25 per cent of SMEs are not activating tech/app solutions after purchasing
• 34 per cent of SMEs aren’t clear on which digital tools are right for their business needs
• 27 per cent of SMEs haven’t taken any steps to learn new technology
• 41 per cent of SMEs have not invested in digital tools
• Only 35 per cent of SMEs have basic cybersecurity protections in place

1. Training will support four key areas: Productivity and collaboration – using communication and planning tools amongst employees to provide the foundations for the future of smart working
2. Building a presence online – providing the know-how and skills to put your business in front of new audiences
3. Managing digital security – raising awareness of the risks that exist online, and how to ensure you and your customers stay safe
4. Optimising connectivity – helping owners to choose the right connectivity options for the new way you run your business

The training can be accessed via the Vodafone V-Hub and will include live online workshops and webinars. 

Vodafone UK head of small businesses Andrew Stevens said: “Whether we like it or not, the future of small business is to have an online presence, for teams and customers – but so many business owners just don’t have the experience to make that happen, let alone safely and in a way that gives a great customer experience. We are providing a complete support service, that helps businesses identify the right tools for them, activate them, and make the best use of them to improve their operation. 

“We’re here to help Britain’s small business community, and I look forward to working with business owners and seeing the new opportunities they’re able to create for themselves as they venture online.”