Of the 3435 businesses that took part in the Government funded Digital Facilitation Scheme, 949 of those came from the Tauranga Business Chamber. A big pat on the back to Anne and Roz from the Chamber who went over and above with their dedication and leadership on this contract.
The Bay of Plenty is being recognised as the highest participating region in a Government funded programme aimed at bringing small businesses up to speed with digital skills and tools.
The Digital Facilitation Scheme provides businesses across the country with the opportunity to complete the Government funded Digital Boost programme through a facilitated format.
Of the 3435 businesses that took part in the scheme, 949 of those came from the Tauranga Business Chamber’s contract.
Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley says Tauranga’s high uptake of the scheme is a reflection of the level of trust in the community.
“A lot of this is trust. When Wellington tends to roll out a national programme, the community may not have a lot of trust that the programme is the right fit for them.
“That’s when we as the chamber step in. We know a lot of the local networks, and work with the Māori Business Association, Katch Kaitkati Eastern Bay of Plenty Chamber and the Rotorua Business Chamber.
“We’ve been working with the local networks that people trust, and I think it’s that strong community connection that has really got the numbers up.”
Cowley says the biggest takeaway from the success of this scheme is the variety of people that have seen benefits from it.
“There’s been people with a huge range of skills, from people who knew nothing and were a bit intimidated, to people who were confident they knew a lot already, who had a website and Xero set up prior to the scheme.
“All of these people have learned significant skills that they were not aware of. They all know stuff now they didn’t know before, so now they are able to speak to experts about how this can be implemented into their business.”
Cowley says if he were to provide feedback to the Government on improving the programme if it were to continue in the future, it would be to “trust the regions”.
“Like it or not, we can be quite parochial, and local businesses trust locals to deliver. The Government should really use the regions to their advantage.”
