Gloucestershire businesses go digital with a Boost from The Growth Hub

Businesses in Gloucestershire can now take advantage of Boost - a new diagnostic tool to help them improve their online presence.

The tool has been developed by GFirst LEP and The Growth Hub, with £116,000 of funding from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and is part of Government’s Digital Capability Programme to help small businesses make the most of digital technologies.

Boost will encourage businesses to develop and implement online strategies, whether they are new to digital, or have a presence online and think it could be improved. Users will answer a number of questions based on their current digital profile, which will enable Boost to identify the means that will help them to grow their business online. At the end of the diagnostic users will be presented with a number of resources that can help them, under the themes of increasing brand profile online, capturing customer information, communicating with customers and selling online.

The diagnostic will also enable business people to understand more about cyber security and help them to find ways to develop robust measures to prevent and manage threats. Businesses will also be able to work towards achieving a national standard for cyber security.

Businesses that do not currently have an online presence can learn more about the options available to them, with a whole section dedicated to the reservations business people may have about an online presence for their business.

The Growth Hub has run some taster sessions for local businesses to give a flavour of how technology can help a growing business, and are now hosting more in depth sessions to delve into topics including cyber security, selling online, communicating with your customers and how to capture and use customer information.

The project builds on GFirst LEP’s Retail Pathfinder objectives, which aims to encourage local retailers to drive their ambition for a local digital high street, which is personalised and adapted to them.

Jonathan Davies, Chair of Cirencester Chamber of Commerce said:

“The Chamber of Commerce and Development Trust are delighted to be working in partnership with GFirst LEP and The Growth Hub to offer this excellent opportunity for local businesses to review their digital presence and maximise the business opportunities the online world can offer.

It is really positive to see opportunities like this being delivered locally and I would urge anyone interested in improving the digital presence to sign up now for this free advice and see how your businesses can benefit my being more effective in the ever changing digital world.”

David Owen, Chief Executive of GFirst LEP, commented:

“It’s fantastic to see Boost launched today - I would strongly advise businesses to use this free tool and discover how they can get their business online or improve their current digital profile. There are also some great tips on keeping your business safe online, which is hugely important for businesses today.”

To use Boost, businesses should visit http://boost.thegrowthhub.biz or visit The Growth Hub and have the tool demonstrated to them by a Business Navigator.

For information on cyber security and digital workshops at The Growth Hub, visit http://www.thegrowthhub.biz/category/digital/.