Why digital skills are vital to all businesses

Businesses across all industries are quickly realising the importance of being connected to the virtual world. According to the House of Commons, the UK will need around 1.2 million new technical and digitally skilled people by 2022, whilst an estimated 90% of all jobs will require some element of digital skills within the next 20 years. If you’re looking to start a business, here are just some of the ways having a digital presence can help you get connected. 

Social media 

Whilst it’s a great way to keep up with friends and family, social media is a powerful tool that can help increase your profile, customer loyalty and brand awareness. 

Think of it as the personality of your business, where you can demonstrate your style, engage with people and deal with issues. Most people take to social media to tell you what they think of your business, so it’s important to stay active and engage regularly – you wouldn’t want any bad reviews lingering! 

Setting up a website 

With so many template-ready websites available, such as WordPress, it’s really easy to set up and get your business going – and there are so many benefits. Websites allow customers to browse your products at any time of the day or night, without you having to be there. The right search could even get you orders from around the world – all from the comfort of your own home. 

There are also platforms such as Shopify, Etsy and the ever-popular eBay, where you can sell multiple products and reach a much larger, already established audience. 

Video presence 

Whether it’s for a work call, a doctor’s appointment or business banking, video meetings are becoming the ‘new normal’.  For example, in December 2019, NHS Digital reported just 15% of appointments took place over the phone or online, but by May 2020, 90% of appointments were conducted virtually. Video provides convenience and a little more closeness, without having to travel the distance. 

Video has also been a fantastic tool to reach audiences through social media, with the likes of Instagram reels and TikTok. Businesses are able to showcase their products in unique ways, with behind-the-scenes takes proving highly popular on the platforms. 

Digitising your finances

Most businesses spend a lot of time ensuring the face of their business is digitally sound, forgetting it’s just as important the back-end of your business follows suit. 

Invoices, payroll, inventory and stock and even customer engagement should all benefit from the efficiency of the digital world. There are lots of accounting apps and tools that are designed to save you time and money, so you can concentrate on more important things.

Digital skills are becoming a universal requirement for most businesses and it’s only a matter of time before it becomes impossible to operate without these skills. Whether you’re confident with some of these skills or need support with developing them all, we can provide you with the tools to get your business connected.

Apply now to secure your place for September. See our business courses.