‘It was so easy’
How digital transformation could be the boost SMEs need in a new world.
Sandie and Graeme Sargent’s brand new house arrived on the back of a truck.
Replete with everything from bathroom tiles to television, the 140-square-metre home made the journey from Cambridge to the Wairarapa just 16 weeks after they ordered it.
‘‘All we had to do was get it hooked up to the services, and we were in,’’ Graeme says. ‘‘I can’t emphasise just how easy the whole process was.’’
Three years after their house was delivered, the couple are still firm fans of both their property and transportable homes in general.
For them, the certainty that came with buying a ready-made Elevate house outweighed the risk of the budget blowouts they’d seen with friends building from scratch.
‘‘We knew exactly what we were going to get and exactly how much it was going to cost. That’s a big incentive.’’
The retired couple chose the Box 130 design, priced from $387k, but chose to change and upgrade some of the standard features. The land wasn’t hard to find – their small section is part of a Martinborough subdivision, and the building company handled the consents.
The couple say the quick-tobuild transportable homes are the houses of the future. ‘‘It’s about deciding what it is you really need; how much space you have to have. Our last house was 200sqm and this doesn’t seem much smaller.’’
The Covid-19 crisis has completely changed the way people work, live and shop. To keep up, small and medium enterprises have been actively seeking out ways to reinvent themselves and are going digital to make sure they survive in the post-Covid landscape.
But if your business is not quite there yet, or you want to polish your existing skills, where do you start? Don’t panic: digital may seem daunting but it doesn’t need to be.
The government-funded Digital Boost programme is offering small business owners a step up with free online courses on going digital.
The training and support initiative, which is available now at www.digitalboost.co.nz is a partnership between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and some of New Zealand’s leading digital innovators at The Mind Lab, Indigo and K&J Growth. In other words, the best mix between government support and private enterprise to make your business ‘sing’ online.
The online learning modules takes business owners through six key subjects.
Social media
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and even Linkedin are all different. Knowing which social app is best for your business and how to craft your posts to suit the audience may be the difference between going viral or sinking to the depths of social media obscurity.
Websites
Websites are the storefront of the digital age but not all are created equal, so learn how to set a website up for your business or improve the one you have. Everything from the right domain name to the colours and logos you use on the website can make or break your online presence. Also, learn all about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to make sure potential customers arrive at your digital doorstep after that Google search.
Digital tools
Covid has changed how business owners interact with customers and staff but you risk losing both if you don’t start using the range of (mostly free) tools at your disposal.
Learn how to hold virtual meetings using Zoom, the popular video conferencing tool, and learn how to use Slack to communicate with your team: it’s better than email. Also, get up to speed with the Cloud and what it does, and learn more about creative tools such as finding beautiful (and free) images and photos your business can use.
Small business accounting
The internet means you can now keep track of your business’s finances from anywhere, but online bookkeeping can be tricky to navigate if you aren’t up to speed with the latest accounting tools like Xero and MYOB. The experts will show you how. Invoicing online is also covered to help businesses keep track of income and GST obligations.
Business insights
Customer data can help your business grow but in the past small businesses have struggled with how to use it. With this module you can learn how to use a digital point of sale system to track sales, reduce time spent on admin and manage stock sales. And want to keep a 5-star Google rating for your business, or survey your customers to improve sales and marketing? There are tools for that, too.
Future technologies
If your business is already on a digital journey then the future can look a little scary, but it doesn’t need to be. This module is perfect for businesses looking for new opportunities for growth, covering big data through to blockchains, Artificial Intelligence as gamechanger technology and even 3D printing and how it can be used by your business.
Is your business ready to handle a digital future? Businesses can sign up for the free Digital Boost courses using their unique NZBN number at www.digitalboost.co.nz.