Entrepreneurs and independent businesses in need of support and guidance to operate successfully in the digital age are being given a helping hand by Google’s Digital Garage and Apple Store at this year’s Liverpool Loves Business.
Liverpool Loves Business will take place between 9am and 5pm on Thursday 4 August at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Pier Head Liverpool.
This year, a key focus of Liverpool Loves Business looks at how business is pitched, won and delivered digitally.
Liverpool Loves Business 2016 is being supported by Google and the Digital Garage, and the Apple Store at Liverpool ONE.
Google is hosting a Digital Garage masterclass and two key 40-minute seminars – Tell Your Story Online and Reach New Customers Online. Delegates are invited to go along for a ‘digital tune-up’ and learn the skills needed to make the most of the web. This is the ideal way for both employers and employees to keep up-to-date with online technology.
Tell Your Story Online – The first step towards making the most of the internet is to show off the best of your business online. Make your website shine, on computers and mobile devices, develop rich content, and manage your presence on Google.
Reach New Customers Online – Take the next step and make your business more visible online so that new customers can find you. Understand the cornerstones of digital marketing, and learn how to use online marketing tools to reach prospective customers.
Research from Google has shown that SMEs across the UK believe digital technology has an important role to play in the future of their business. Yet nearly one in three (29%) businesses find that high training costs means they can’t boost their skills.
The Digital Garage initiative is part of a multi-million-pound investment outside of London, and aims to be a growth engine for 250,000 Brits – giving them crucial skills for the digital age.
Eileen Naughton, Google’s Managing Director for UK & Ireland, commented:
“In the digital age, a basic understanding of how the online world works is useful – and when it comes to business, it’s essential. We are welcoming all Liverpool Loves Business attendees to attend seminars at the Garage and learn more about how digital can help them grow.”
Apple Store at Liverpool ONE will be delivering a series of workshops on how to utilise digital services and productivity apps to streamline business operations. Free sessions will include card payment facilities; creating perfect product images; and making promotional videos – all from mobile devices.
Liverpool Loves Business is organised by Orb CIC. Festival Director Josh Boyd commented:
“A big drive at Liverpool Loves Business 2016 is to encourage independents, and small and growing businesses to become more technology savvy and bring their business into the digital age.
“We have a wealth of experience on-hand to give free advice, including Google’s Digital Garage and the Apple Store, advising delegates how to stand out amongst their contemporaries, and clever and effective ways to market their businesses and services online.
2Digital training can be extremely expensive and small businesses just do not have the budget for this level of quality of expertise, so join us at Liverpool Loves to find out all you need to know to become visible in the digital world of business. Register for your free delegate pass today.”
Last year’s inaugural Liverpool Loves Business event was hailed a huge success when it attracted more than 700 delegates from over 420 organisations to the Cunard Building. It was also Liverpool City Region’s largest, local SME conference in 2015.
Delegates will again benefit from a full programme throughout the day, including guest speakers, one-to-one business advice clinics, networking sessions, and two stages offering seminars covering a diverse range of topics.
Guest speakers for the business strategies and advice programme are confirmed as John Drysdale from Noguru with pitch perfect strategies and advice for securing new work; Andrew Weatherstone from Nonconform Design with business ethics, building a brand that consumers can respect and trust; and utilising the Liverpool City Region Enterprise Hub.
How to build a business consists of a programme of seminars in which key representatives from the Liverpool City Region business community will talk delegates through all aspects of growing a company. The line-up features David Williams and Oli Press from Independent Liverpoolwhose focus is online business; Matt Bell from Rex Retail will talk about retail; Dave Mooey from New Moon Company will advise on food and drink business; while Keith Hanshaw from the Leather Satchell Company will chat about his experience as an export business.
Liverpool Loves Business will also feature The Bigger Pitcher – a challenge during which entrepreneurs and SMEs from across Liverpool City Region will present their business ideas in a bid to win cash prizes and business support.
The Bigger Pitcher is being presented in association with business accelerator programme, Spark Up and will see the festival join forces with local business networks to give entrepreneurs from across the City Region the opportunity to compete for up to £5,000 worth of prize money and business support. Applications have now closed to participate in The Bigger Pitcher.
The Bigger Pitcher consists of four categories – Spark Up, Start Up, Growth, and Social Value. Each category features prizes to help develop and grow the winning enterprises.
To register for a complimentary Liverpool Loves Business delegate pass on Eventbrite, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/
Liverpool Loves 2016 takes place over three days – Liverpool Loves Business on Thursday 4 August; Liverpool Loves Nightlife on Friday 5 August; and Liverpool Loves Festival Day on Saturday 6 August.
Keep up to date about Liverpool Loves Business at www.liverpoolloves.co.uk/
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