Páirc Uí Chaoimh this week hosted the Staying Ahead Digital Roadshow, the second in a series of events held by Google in partnership with Enterprise Ireland which aims to upskill and educate Irish SMEs in reaching new customers, expanding their businesses, and future-proofing their operations for a digital world.
The Staying Ahead Digital Roadshow includes talks and workshops on the various Google tools that can help Irish SMEs find and understand new clients overseas, followed by one-to-one sessions with key Google executives.
The Cork event brought together almost 300 SMEs from across Munster, which was also attended by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Des Cahill, and representatives from the Cork City Council and Cork Chamber of Commerce. The aim of these events is to help SMEs tell their story online in an effective way, to market to new and existing clients, and maintain and grow relationships effectively through digital.
The Staying Ahead Digital Roadshow is part of a dedicated programme which has seen Google provide training in digital skills to over 60,000 businesses and individuals across Ireland. Google is now partnering with Enterprise Ireland and Local Enterprise Offices to bring their Digital Garage to a number of regional locations over the coming months.
With over 90% of jobs requiring digital literacy in the near future and small companies growing twice faster when they have a strong web presence, Google say it is crucial that both employers and employees keep up to date with the opportunities presented by online technology.
Speaking this week, Head of Google Ireland, Fionnuala Meehan said, "With only 17% of Irish businesses selling across borders online, we see huge opportunities for Irish SMEs to be innovative in the digital marketplace and to become exporters of goods and services. We know that companies with a strong online presence will grow twice as fast and employ twice as many people as those with a minimal or no web presence, and at a time of uncertainty - now more than ever - we believe it is important that Irish SMEs are supported in getting online to build more successful and sustainable businesses."
She added, "We constantly see small regional businesses that have grown into international exporters after successfully promoting themselves online: for example Morgan O’Driscoll, who now sells art internationally from his office in Skibbereen, or Kate Hyde of Glencove Group, who started in her spare bedroom and now employs 20 people across Ireland and the UK. Stories such as these are inspiring because without the online marketplace they would have been unable to develop and expand from their regional offices to the international successes they are today."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
