Since 1998, ruralnet|uk has been running a successful programme of support to rural businesses to help them to improve their business processes by offering them consultancy in the suitable application of IT as well as a programme of training courses tailored to their needs, to assist them in their understanding, management and hands-on use of new technologies. Weave your own Web and Online Marketing courses in Warwickshire, have empowered SMEs and micro-businesses to use the Internet to promote their own products and services.
Programmes for Wired for small businesses and Trip for tourist businesses have been renewed for another year. Both programmes are supported by Warkwickshire County Council.
The WIRED project has offered free consultancy and subsidised training to the following target groups:
- Rural businesses: businesses in rural areas across the whole of Warwickshire, for the whole range of sectors including land-based businesses.
- Micro-businesses: those employing under five people.
- Diversifying businesses: those businesses seeking to introduce new services to adopt new business practices or to respond to emerging markets or opportunities.
- Diversifying businesses: those businesses which are isolated or which do not already make use of existing support in the region.
The aim of WIRED web page training is to learn and understand the principles of web page writing by spending a day doing it yourself 'hands-on'". Apart from a few creative ideas, attendees on the course bring along information about their own business in the form of sales brochures, letterheads, logos and photographs.
Businesses gain confidence in using the technology, creating their own site as well as keeping control of their own information and subsequent updates to their site. The small workshop approach allows one-to-one help in translating their creative ideas into a prototype site. Businesses take away their work on disk and a copy of the software used on CD-ROM. A one-to-one approach is essential to ensure that no-one's needs are neglected.
Web advertising and selling is value-for-money on the small investment needed (£50 - £1000) and allows a small business to have a 24-hour-a-day presence on the World Wide Web equal to a much larger urban business. With the added opportunity to sell by using the Internet to communicate with their customers, many businesses can make use of the growing importance of e-commerce which is now increasing by 20% a year.
“I enjoyed both courses and have certainly found them extremely helpful in the development of my website. Being a startup business I have to be very careful with costs and so the very reasonable charges for the courses were very much appreciated, as well as the advice about freeware. I could easily have been persuaded by a website company to spend large sums of money developing a site over which I would have little direct control. Being able to amend and update the content myself makes it much more immediate and responsive to the development of my business”. (Simon Venn – Landscape Business)
“Your help and advice has been very constructive, and we have take immediate steps to improve our website and search engine optimisation.” (Janice Brindley, Marketing Manager, Ardencote Manor Hotel, Claverdon, Warwick).
“I was amazed that I managed to link pages, add graphics and links after only half a day’s training. My own website is receiving hundreds of hits a week and many of my clients have decided to book an appointment after reading the website. So many thanks for the excellent training and I have recommended your training to fellow therapists.” (Fiona Mack, physiotherapist)
See the WIRED website for more information.
Funded by Warwickshire County Council
Contact: Sue Margetson
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