Sheffield Businesses Opt for a Digital Direction

24th March 2014

The latest round of funded support from Digital Direction, a Creative Sheffield initiative to help businesses expand using technology, has proved popular.

Sheffield businesses have been applying for specialist help to use the internet and new technologies in smarter, more effective ways. Since 2012, Digital Direction has helped more than 150 small businesses in Sheffield to identify and implement cost-effective IT solutions to reach new markets and operate more efficiently. Applications from 30 more businesses are now being progressed. The current programme can provide up to four days of funded consultancy support from IT experts. The consultant works with the business to help define business needs, review options, select solutions and work out how to use them. Digital Direction helped Bradfield Brewery to save money by tracking all their used barrels so they could collect and re-use them. Richard Gill explains, -It's been very helpful. You can't manage without technology in a business these days. It's helped us to keep better records from invoicing to tracking casks. We only have to enter data once so the information on the system is much more accurate and the automatic batch numbering and labelling saves considerable time." Rachel Jarvis at Exhausts UK, another Digital Direction client, agrees: -It's a bit of a minefield knowing what IT system to choose. I was concerned to make sure that we didn't get someone who recommended something we didn't need because of an existing professional relationship with software suppliers or programmers. An independent and objective approach was paramount and that's what we got." To be eligible for support, businesses should have been trading for over a year and be paying Sheffield rates either business or residential. Location on the Advanced Manufacturing Park is also in scope. To find out how to apply, visit the website at: http://www.digital-direction.biz/assessment/apply. Or call 0800 043 5522 and ask for advice on Digital Direction. Applications are open until 1st April so please apply as soon as possible. For more examples of how Digital Direction has helped businesses to improve increase sales and improve the bottom line, please visit: http://digital-direction.biz