Tech Hub unveiled: A report from the launch of our new tech support hub for small businesses

In an exciting leap forward for small businesses, Enterprise Nation and partners Cisco, Sage, Google and Vodafone Business have unveiled their groundbreaking Tech Hub. This one-stop-shop solution is designed to give businesses access to digital tools, training, support and expertise, all conveniently housed in one virtual place.

The hub was officially launched earlier this week at an event in London. There, guests heard from Paul Scully MP, Minister for Technology and the Digital Economy, along with other tech experts and representatives from the partner brands.

In this blog, Enterprise Nation's head of policy Daniel Woolf recounts how Tuesday's event unfolded, looking back at some of the key points of discussion and laying out what the Tech Hub hopes to achieve going forward.

Setting the stage: Emma Jones CBE, founder and CEO of Enterprise Nation

The event commenced with a warm welcome from Emma Jones, who went on to explain the Tech Hub's core objectives and what it would be aiming to do:

• Connecting small businesses to digital resources: Tech Hub is a gateway for small businesses to access the latest digital tools and training.

• Building on success: Leveraging the Enterprise Nation platform, which already serves over 800,000 small businesses.

• Measuring impact: Enterprise Nation is committed to assessing the effectiveness of its digital adoption strategies.

• Tech Policy Consortium: The event also introduced the Tech Policy Consortium, a platform to delve deeper into critical topics like AI and expanding opportunities for small businesses in government and export markets.

A vision for small businesses: Paul Scully MP, Minister for Technology and the Digital Economy

The keynote address by Paul Scully MP underscored the pivotal role small businesses play as "the lifeblood of Britain's economy", generating over half of the nation's corporate revenue.

Mr Scully emphasised how important adopting technology can be in boosting businesses' productivity and allowing entrepreneurs to focus on the things they do best. He also restated the government's aim to position the UK as a global technology leader by 2030.

Mr Scully elaborated on his point about technology leading to substantial gains in productivity, citing research that shows improvements ranging from 7% to an impressive 25%, particularly when businesses embrace a range of management tools.

He also acknowledged the partnership between government and the private sector, with a focus on reducing counterproductive regulations and promoting collaborative efforts.

Q&A session

The Q&A session that followed Mr Scully's address unearthed some interesting insights. For example, Japan's innovative approach of waiving copyright restrictions on large language models (LLMs) to bolster AI services provided food for thought. The UK government's review of regulations in this context, aimed at fostering growth, presented an exciting prospect.

Attendees also discussed the Chancellor's Mansion House reforms, which have the potential to release an extra £50 billion in patient capital. These reforms could significantly contribute to supporting growing businesses.

Making the most of the digital opportunity: Panel session

Next, the audience heard from a panel of experts, including:

• Chris Downing, director for accountants and bookkeepers at Sage

• Benjamin Porteous, head of demand generation at Vodafone Business

• Aine Rogers, director, SMB UKI at Cisco

• Michaela Neild, government affairs and public policy manager at Google

Again, the experts stressed the crucial role that technology plays in improving businesses' productivity, efficiency and access to vital information. The consensus was clear: embracing change and adopting a 'future-ready' mindset when choosing technology solutions is fundamental for success.

Key takeaways from the panel

• Embracing digital technology and change is necessary if businesses are to stay competitive and efficient.

• Expert guidance is so important in helping businesses choose and implement the right technology solutions within their budgets.

• Security must be an integral part of the process of implementing technology.

• Before businesses invest in technology, they should validate their needs by drawing on the experiences of other businesses and professional advisers.

• It's important to leverage case studies and partnerships with industry leaders to gain visibility and lucrative opportunities.

Incorporating AI into businesses: Kerry Harrison, Unclouded

After the panel session, attendees heard from Unclouded's Kerry Harrison, who comprehensively explored AI's role in business. She highlighted AI tools like ChatGPT and Bard for their potential to streamline tasks such as research and planning.

She lauded Midjourney, DALL-E 3 and Stable Diffusion for their ability to generate images, while touting Synthesia – which uses AI avatars to read scripts – as a useful method for creating videos.

Kerry explained how detailed prompting is essential when using generative AI tools. Her overall message was clear: AI can inspire content ideas and allow businesses to explore concepts in visual form in their marketing. She called tools like Otter.ai, which are capable of producing automatic transcriptions and summaries of meetings, valuable assets.

However, Kerry did emphasise that we should see AI as complementing human creativity, not replacing it. She urged businesses to be cautious and fact-check constantly, and underlined the importance of safeguarding data and respecting intellectual property (IP) rights.

Unlocking business growth through digital tools: Tricia and Anna Cusden, Look Fabulous Forever

Finally, Tricia and Anna Cusden, the visionary minds behind Look Fabulous Forever, took to the stage to offer a powerful testament to entrepreneurial success.

Tricia's journey, starting Look Fabulous Forever at the age of 65, is remarkable. Her beauty and skincare brand, which is tailored to older women, met a specific need and found tremendous success. Here are some of the key lessons she and daughter Anna have learned along the way:

• Look to build personal relationships with customers through social media.

• Balancing work and personal relationships in family businesses is crucial.

• Retail and online business are distinct and require unique strategies for profitability.

• Digital tools have become more affordable and much easier for small businesses to access.

• Pitching brand stories to larger companies can open doors to significant growth opportunities.

Conclusion

The event ended on a note of optimism, emphasising the pivotal role of digital technology in shaping the future for small businesses. As the Tech Hub takes flight, the landscape for small businesses is set to evolve in exciting and promising ways, with opportunities to embrace digital innovation, collaboration and growth on the horizon.

About Tech Hub

Backed by top technology firms, Tech Hub is a new-generation, one-stop-shop solution that allows businesses to access industry-leading digital tools, training, support, and know-how to succeed, all in one place. Take me to the hub