15/01/02
SUPPORT NETWORK TO HELP FIRMS
EXPLOIT E-COMMERCE
In a major new initiative to
help small firms exploit the multi-billion pound
e-commerce market, world-leading companies in the
technology and banking sectors have today (15
January) partnered with the British Chambers of
Commerce and the DTI led programme, UK online for
business, to set up the first ever support network
of eBusiness Clubs to help more SMEs do business
online.
The cross sector partnership is a
collaboration between UK online for business, BT,
Cisco Systems Ltd, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Lloyds
TSB Bank and Chambers of Commerce and seeks to
strengthen public confidence in online trading and
to remove the technological barriers that small
firms face in doing business online.
The
UK-wide initiative will see the initial creation
of 16 eBusiness Clubs to support and encourage
firms to use technology to succeed in business.
Companies that join the clubs will receive
information, guidance and practical business
solutions to help firms integrate e-commerce
solutions into everyday business
processes.
Facilitated by 16
participating Chambers of Commerce across the UK,
the clubs will meet at a local level, every month
over the next year. Businesses can visit the
eBusiness Clubs’ website launched today for more
information at: http://www.ebusinessclubs.co.uk/
David Lennan, Director General of the
British Chambers of Commerce
said:
“Small firms in the UK are
currently holding back when it comes to getting
online and consequently, this lends itself to the
erosion of UK competitiveness. What is needed is a
collaborative approach where everybody in the
community rolls their sleeves up and works
together to re-position the UK as a serious global
e-commerce player.
“The eBusiness
Clubs will see a coming together of both public
and private sectors with the shared aim of helping
to solve continuing problems that small firms in
the UK face when adopting internet
technologies.”
E-commerce Minister
Douglas Alexander said:
“These
clubs will help small firms tap into a market
worth billions of pounds in the UK alone. Many
small firms have real challenges fully exploiting
the opportunities that e-commerce can offer. This
initiative will be a real boost for thousands of
firms, helping them to grow and flourish. By
creating communities of local businesses that face
similar issues, these clubs will assist companies
really exploit that e-commerce has to
offer.”
Mike Langston, Managing
Director, BT Small & Medium Enterprises
said:
“Through working closely with
small businesses we have gained a great insight in
to the barriers to technology adoption. The
eBusiness Clubs will help people unlock the
potential of technology and fully exploit it to
grow their businesses.”
Richard
Bradley, Director of Small and Medium Business and
Commercial at Cisco Systems Ltd UK & Ireland
said:
“The Internet and Internet
technologies enable businesses to increase
productivity, reduce costs and ultimately become
more competitive. The British Chambers of Commerce
and UK Online for Business understand how
effective Internet business solutions can be.
Cisco Systems Ltd is pleased to continue the
partnership in conjunction with other ICT industry
leaders, to help Small and Medium sized businesses
in the UK evolve to become highly competitive in
the global market.”
David Smith, SME
Manager at Hewlett-Packard UK & Ireland
said:
“The partnership between leading
ICT companies, the British Chambers of Commerce
and Government provides a single voice delivering
real world solution for UK SMEs, in an easy to
understand manner. We are delighted to be part of
this exciting new phase of e-business
development.”
Mark Whitby, Managing
Director at Intel UK & Ireland
said:
“Intel transacts well over one
Billion Dollars electronically every month. We are
sure e-business offers both large and small
businesses enormous opportunities. Intel business
is about providing the core technologies to allow
all businesses to get on-line and maximise their
potential. This initiative will deliver an
excellent platform for SMEs to use and deploy the
latest technologies available to take advantage of
the Internet and develop competitive e-commerce
based solutions.”
David Singleton,
Managing Director of Business Banking at Lloyds
TSB Bank said:
“The internet is
transforming the way in which many businesses
operate. It offers increased selling opportunities
through extending the sales reach and reducing
operating costs through building direct
relationships with suppliers. However, many
businesses do not yet fully understand how to
unlock the potential of this new media for their
business and compete in the new arena. Lloyds TSB
is committed to helping businesses survive longer
and be more successful and the new eBusiness clubs
will play an important role in helping our
customers achieve those aims.”
ENDS
FURTHER
INFORMATION
For further details on the
eBusiness Clubs please call 020 7565 2000 or mailto:info@ebusinessclubs.co.uk
MEDIA INFORMATION
Malik Thahid
Press
Officer
Tel: 020 7565 2020
E-mail: mailto:m.thahid@britishcambers.org.uk
NOTES TO
EDITORS
1.Between February and May
2001, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) ran a
series of ‘Business Case for eBusiness’ seminars.
These seminars were funded by UK online for
business.
2.After substantial analysis of
the feedback received from the seminar programmes,
the BCC identified that there was a demand for
further information, support and events on the
topic of E-business. The BCC identified that a
longer running programme, which had the
flexibility to be tailored to the varying needs of
businesses throughout the UK, could be delivered
to SMEs nationwide in conjunction with UK online
for business, thus helping the UK to become the
best place to conduct e-business.
3.The
British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) represents,
through a quality assured, UK network of
Accredited Chambers of Commerce, more than 135,000
businesses in all sectors of the economy, and of
all sizes. Accredited Chambers seek to represent
the interests and support the competitiveness and
growth of all businesses in their communities and
regions.
4. UK online for business is
a partnership between Government and industry and
promotes the use of e-commerce amongst small and
medium sized businesses. There is a network of UK
online for business advisers situated in the
Business Links in England and their equivalents in
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These
advisers provide down to earth, practical and
impartial advice to individual businesses on how
technology can cut time and cost from the way they
do business. For further information call 0845 715
2000 or visit http://www.ukonlineforbusiness.gov.uk/
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