Last week, Help to Grow: Digital was launched, a UK-wide government scheme to give small and medium sized businesses access to the latest digital technology to cut costs, save time, reach new customers and be more competitive.
This is the latest part of the Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Plan for Jobs and follows last year’s announcement by the Chancellor on the two Help to Grow programmes – Help to Grow: Management and Help to Grow: Digital - to boost productivity and drive growth among the UK’s small and medium sized businesses.
A total of £520m has been put into the two programmes, making Help to Grow one of the biggest ever business support schemes of its kind in the UK.
Understanding the practical benefits of adopting digital software, and how to choose the right products and use them in a business, are some of the main barriers to successful digital technology investment. 1 in 3 small and medium-sized businesses also say costs are a significant barrier.
This is why Help to Grow: Digital is here – to give the advice and funding businesses need to embrace the benefits of digital technology, and help their business grow.
Regardless of what your business does, from a construction company to a photography studio, the new Help to Grow: Digital learning platform will provide free, impartial information and advice to help you adopt the right technology for your business and employees.
This platform brings together, for the first time, guidance on how to choose and use digital software to grow your business – designed with input from industry leaders and independent experts.
Costs are a significant barrier to businesses investing in digital software, so discounts worth up to £5,000 to help you buy the right productivity software for your business are now available.
Discounts will cover up to 50% of the software cost, and are available to help you purchase customer relationship management software and accountancy software. Small and medium-sized businesses across the Forest can explore advice and guidance on how to use this opportunity at www.gov.uk/helptogrow to apply for the software discount to purchase what you need.