Embedding a culture of digital intelligence and data literacy is one of the ways our own small business community can thrive and compete convincingly with the rest of the world. 

“Business.connected is already making good progress by building a wave of digital adoption which could transform our global performance and help the UK’s smaller firms achieve important growth. 

“It’s wonderful to see the private sector come together and take this step to support our startup and small business ecosystem including marginalised businesses from deprived areas to flourish.” 

Andrew Stevens, Head of UK Small and Medium Business, Vodafone said: We created the business.connected programme with one goal in mind; to ensure SMEs have access to the best tools, services and guidance to help stimulate their growth – free of charge.  

“We welcome the additions of JP Morgan Chase and Builder.ai to the programme as it is a great example of big business coming together to support the SME sector. It's exciting to be a part of this initiative to help SMBs build and grow their business online. Our partnership with Enterprise Nation, Vodafone and Sage will go a long way in fulfilling our mission of digitally empowering SMBs to achieve their full potential and help them thrive in the UK and beyond," said Varghese.

Cherian, Senior Vice President, Revenue, Builder.ai. added, “Digital transformation is now a way of life for every business, but most SMBs have limited resources and the technical knowledge to digitise. The all-in-one business kit will enable small business owners; essential digital capabilities, features and functionalities to succeed and become more relevant to their consumers.” 

The scheme will pool the knowledge of its partners to offer free digital learning pillars which include everything from managing an online business to digital marketing and cybersecurity, with Vodafone as the leading partner across all topics and delivered via the Enterprise Nation business support platform. 

Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll, has informed the initiative’s e-learning curriculum with a focus on accounting and finance, with Builder.ai joining as the e-commerce partner providing digital support for small businesses through its webinars and money-saving offers. 

Kirsty Waller, VP Performance Marketing UKIA, Sage, said, “We’re delighted that Builder.ai and JPMorgan are joining the Business.Connected hub. The benefits of being part of this community to help accelerate tech adoption are boundless. Seeing small businesses thrive during periods of instability will boost the digital economy and help unlock growth.” 

JPMorgan Chase will support a new series of bootcamps aimed for marginalised businesses in London and the South East.  

These are specifically aimed at supporting small firms that have not yet adopted any form of technology. Participants can access the series covering topics including website development, creating a marketing strategy, and producing social media content. The first five sessions will take place online, with the final session in person.