How your business could gain from going to a Tech Adoption for Growth workshop

Workshops are great – especially when they’re free. They offer the opportunity for business owners to learn, not only from leading experts and consultants, but other business owners, too. You also get the chance to help others, by sharing your own knowledge and experiences of overcoming challenges you’ve faced. 

Business owners from across our region have been eager to praise workshops they’ve attended recently as part of the Tech Adoption for Growth (TAfG) programme. Business West and TechSPARK are delivering TAfG, in partnership with the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA), funded by UK Government.

TAfG is a new fully government-funded pilot programme that offers free, practical support to help SMEs and sole traders in the South West get much greater value from digital tools and technology, so they can overcome challenges and become more efficient, productive and profitable. The ultimate aim is to help businesses grow.   

After applying, sole traders and SMEs accepted onto the programme are randomly assigned support through one of two routes.  

• The first is one-to-one consultancy with an experienced consultant who provides tailored tech-related advice. 
• The second is expert-led, peer-group workshops, which are relaxed and enjoyable. 
• Key tech topics covered include AI, cyber security, digital marketing, selling online, accounting software, CRM (customer relationship management) and ERP (enterprise resource planning) software. 

A wide variety of sole traders and small businesses from across our region have already gained much from TAfG workshops. That includes interior designer Debbie Watts, who runs Swindon-based commercial environment design business Ashlar ID. She says: “Technology is really changing my industry. There are things for which technology can be beneficial, but not knowing is quite overwhelming. So, I applied to gain a better understanding of how technology could benefit my business.”   

She continues: “Just being in the workshops with other business owners from different backgrounds, all with similar problems, and learning and sharing solutions together, has been brilliant. I’ve learned so many things.”  

Emma Michael runs her own Warminster-based consultancy, advising small-business owners on how to gain from using AI. She says: “I classify myself as ‘non-techy’ – very much like the business owners I work with. Once you understand AI, you don’t need to be technical. But there are other aspects of the [TAfG] programme, such as digital marketing, that I know less about. That’s why I was excited to apply – to learn more and improve my skills.”  

Emma says she was delighted to take part in the workshop sessions and would highly recommend them. “They’re really interactive and got me thinking more deeply. Sometimes, because, as business owners, we’re so busy, we forget to step away and work on our business, rather than in it all the time. So, the workshops have been brilliant.”  

As a result of attending the workshops, Emma has also reconsidered how she markets her own business. “Email marketing, for example, although I did it, it wasn’t consistent enough. I’m the same with getting customer testimonials. I’m going to make that process easier and make sure I do it at the end of all my own workshops. Really simple things like that can make a big impact.” 

>> Watch a short YouTube video about how TAfG can benefit small-business owners.

Almost 200 South West businesses have already signed up for TAfG, but many more spaces are available. It’s a great opportunity for sole traders and SMEs to learn from leading experts how to get much more from technology – without having to pay consultancy fees. Gaining that knowledge could make a big difference to your business. 

>> Sole traders and SMEs can apply for TAfG here. 

Businesses assigned to the workshops must attend two in person, while two are via Zoom. Each workshop lasts just a couple of hours, so there isn’t a major time commitment, when the benefits potentially could be significant.

• TAfG workshops have been scheduled in June for Swindon (The Workshed), Bath (Innovation Centre, Carpenter House) and Bristol/South Gloucestershire (Bristol and Bath Science Park), with more to follow in Chippenham (Chippenham Golf Club) in September.      

Sole traders and SMEs can apply for Tech Adoption for Growth here. You can also watch a short YouTube video about how Tech Adoption for Growth can benefit small-business owners.