Optus has today announced the launch of FutureFit, a series of workshops designed to help small businesses strategically plan digital initiatives, identify and respond to business risks and implement resilience strategies.
The workshops will be conducted across six locations and online (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Wagga Wagga and Perth) starting from Thursday, 7 March and running through April. More than 700 small businesses will have the opportunity to take part in an interactive workshop where they will leave with a personalised digital strategy for their business.
The program aims to support business owners to enhance their knowledge and skills as they adapt to the demands of an increasingly digital economy focusing on how small business owners can plan for digital transformation, incorporate a whole business digital approach and increase resiliency.
Research shows that digitisation is a key driver of success with small business owners. Employees that possess an advanced level of digital engagement are 50% more likely to experience business growth and businesses with digital skills earn 60% more revenue per employee[1].
Emma Jensen, VP Small Business at Optus said: “We understand that running a small business comes with many opportunities and challenges that aren’t always easy to navigate alone.”
“Through listening to our customers, we know that digital capability – and keeping up to date as it rapidly changes – is one of the key issues that small businesses face. We felt there was a real opportunity for Optus to add value by offering a solution to help educate small businesses and reimagine their own digital strategy.“
“The FutureFit workshops we’re launching will enable small businesses to better understand and leverage technology such as AI, social media, digital marketing tools and website development, with the goal of making their business more resilient in a digital age.”
Optus Business customer and Founder of small business, Only the Sweet Stuff, Debbie Hatumale-Uy, knows the importance of digital communities in today’s small business ecosystem and the importance of being able to continue to upskill.
Hatumale-Uy said: “As a small business owner, you can’t ‘set and forget’ your operations, because something that works today might not work tomorrow.”
“We’re building our businesses in a world where there are a lot of changes that can have a big impact on your day-to-day operations. It’s essential that you’re upskilling so you can harness new opportunities.”
“I know how important it is to spend your time effectively. It can be overwhelming to know where to get your information from, which is why I’m excited to see Optus launch workshops that will give small business owners tools to adapt to an ever-changing digital landscape.”
With the ever-evolving digital landscape, many businesses with fewer than 20 employees are forced to prioritise business critical matters over investing in IT teams or other external services. It becomes vital that small businesses harness technology in order to thrive
Expert business coaches from Dynamic Uplift take a gamified approach that incorporates interactive canvases and cards as well as user-friendly apps to simplify complex processes and meet the needs of small businesses regardless of their digital maturity stage. The workshops will cover a number of topics including:
- Putting digital in context – understanding why it’s critical for every business.
- How to better leverage artificial intelligence and the right apps
- Understanding what ‘digital’ could mean for your business, customers, and partners.
- Evaluating your current digital capability and competitive position.
- Planning and implementing your digital strategy.
Robert Kinkade, Director, South Pacific Digital at Dynamic Uplift said, “Australia is well progressed on the shift to the digital age, and no business is immune to the impacts of digital disruption, regardless of size.”
“Many small to mid-sized businesses are seeking urgent support without the budget to hire consulting firms or other advisors, and the business owners and operators are time constrained, meaning that they only have days to devote to this critical agenda, not weeks or months.”
The FutureFit workshops will commence on Thursday 7 March in Melbourne. Small Businesses who are interested in attending any of the events in person or online should RSVP, as space is limited.