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E-business,
The new way to conduct business using the very latest technologies available in this Information Age, should be the primary goal of any company wishing to secure their business well into this century.

Essentially, e-business is the conducting of all business via electronic media, for example e-mail, EDI and the World Wide Web. This is a far-reaching concept that includes all areas of business being conducted in this way. For over five years now, WesternConnect has been helping Northern Ireland companies achieve this goal.

WesternConnect has won four Leader+ ebusiness programmes for micro businesses in the rural areas of Derry, Coleraine, Magherafelt and Fermanagh. If you are interested in the programme and think that your company is eligible, click here to get in touch with our team

Rural Area Partnership In Derry Ltd (RAPID), Coleraine Local Action Group for Enterprise Ltd (COLLAGE), Magherafelt Area Partnership (MAP), Fermanagh Local Action Group (FLAG) has been appointed by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to administer the LEADER + Programme. WesternConnect have been awarded the contract to design, develop and to implement all four programmes on behalf of these organisations.

One of the overall aims of the Leader + Programme is to assist local micro businesses expand and grow to sustain existing jobs. The target groups of LEADER+ is women, farming families, long term unemployed and young people.
Consultations with statutory bodies and other relevant agencies such as Invest NI and Business Start have identified a gap in business support provision. This gap relates to business development after the initial impetus derived from the business start up programme. At this stage, small rural businesses tend to focus on increasing production and sales and other aspects of the business, such as the development of specific business systems which address practical business needs could be neglected. These needs will differ between businesses and could vary from the provision of highly specialist software with appropriate training in its use to the basic presentation of account information which would save the amount of time taken by the accountant to prepare accounts and hence save the business money.

The aim of the Programme is to encourage rural micro businesses to undertake training and mentoring and avail of LEADER+ financial support to use IT to make their business more efficient. The aims are:

• To expand on the benefits of the use of new know how and new technology.
• To improve business efficiency.
• To increase business competitiveness.
• To reduce business costs.
• To provide bespoke business support in the use of IT and specialist financial software to one nominated person from each participant business, in order to improve the efficiency of the business.
• To provide capital grant-aid at a rate of 50% of eligible costs towards the costs of a computer orsoftware.
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COLLAGE
Phase 2 of the COLLAGE ‘ICT for Rural Business’ Programme commenced in May 2005 with the successful recruitment of a further twenty five rural businesses within Coleraine Borough Council.

Each business received an initial visit by an experienced WesternConnect mentor during which a business and technical assessment was carried out. This assessment enabled training needs to be addressed and action plans to be developed for each business. A series of training sessions were then developed based on these results.

The training sessions commenced in August and are due to end at the start of September. Following this stage of the programme each business will be able to avail of twelve hours one-to-one mentoring to cover the following:

  • To aid the implementation of any agreed ICT support plans.
  • Each business will be advised and assisted on making an application to COLLAGE for an appropriate grant towards hardware and software.

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FLAG
WesternConnectis currently delivering an innovative, interesting and stimulating programme to 75 micro businesses in the rural areas of County Fermanagh. The programme is specifically aimed at companies in manufacturing, engineering and creative industries as well as innovative or ground breaking businesses. The programme is particularly focused on businesses that have recently diversified or traditional businesses operating in new markets.
The programme has been developed based on our extensive expertise in the application and deployment of ICT, e-business and the marketing and recruitment of programmes for micro and small businesses throughout Northern Ireland.
Through a series of workshops and mentoring, participants will be provided with the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to begin to use ICT and e-business to increase trade and profitability.
The structure of the programme is as follows:

A business and technical assessment is conducted on each participating company to develop a deeper understanding of their business processes and how they can be enhanced using ICT. An assessment on the businesses training needs is also conducted at this stage.

Through a series of hands on workshops, businesses get a chance to see how they can implement IT processes into their own business. Workshops include introductions to MS Office, Internet and email, Accounts, CAD, web development and using e-business for competitive advantage.

Each business receives up to twelve hours of one to one mentoring with a WesternConnect consultant to implement new technologies and processes and build on the training.

Each participating business can then avail of a grant to purchase new hardware or software. WesternConnect will help the companies through the grant process including procuring equipment. The grant is 50% grant assisted and a maximum of £490.00 can be claimed.
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MAP
Magherafelt Area Partnership
Leader+ phase 2 In the first third of 2005, WesternConnect provided IT training to twenty-one rural businesses in the Magherafelt area. This was the first of three phases of an IT development programme run by Magherafelt Area Partnership and funded by Leader+. Building upon this success, WesternConnect is committed to offering IT training and consultancy to a further fourteen companies through the second phase of the rural IT development scheme. After a recruitment drive, fourteen micro-businesses enthusiastically signed up for the programme. After only seven workshops, these micro-businesses have already experienced the benefits from IT training. The training has been designed to encompass a variety of skills likely to be of use in today’s e-business environment including:

  • MS Word  - letter & document writing
  • MS Excel  - spreadsheets
  • MS Access  - database design
  • MS Explorer and MS Outlook  - internet and e-mail
  • Macromedia Dreamweaver   - a web development package
  • MS Publisher – a desktop publisher package used to create customised marketing material
  • SAGE Line 50  -  a information management system specifically used for maintaining accounts, stock management and storing information about customers and contacts

These workshops concluded on the 16 th August and each company is being contacted to arrange follow-up mentoring. The mentoring is delivered on-site and comprises of two days IT consultancy tailored specifically for the individual companies; examples of mentoring delivered during phase one are given below:

  • Adding new web pages to a company website
  • CAD (computer aided design) training

Building a database to store and maintain customer information including recent orders
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RAPID
With the first Phase of the RAPID Leader + project coming to a close, Phase 2 of the project is currently well underway.  Recruitment of phase 2 began in early June and now a total of 24 participants have been successfully recruited onto the programme.  Each business completed an initial visit with a WesternConnect consultant where a training and business needs assessment was carried out and from which a personalised action plan was devised.  Workshops are being held throughout the month of August and will be followed by one-to-one mentoring tailored to each individual’s business needs during the months of September and October.
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WesternConnect have recently been appointed by the Welsh Development Agency to the Wales E-business2 Program. Through this program WesternConnect will help Welsh SME’s recognise the benefits that new advances in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can bring and appreciate the extra efficiency they can achieve; the speed, the cost savings and the enhanced customer service they can deliver. 

The primary focus of WesternConnect will be to give businesses all the benefits of a modern ICT system and processes that can grow with them, as they progress towards increased profitability.

WesternConnect will assist companies based in Objective 1 and 2 areas with the specialist assistance most enterprises need to ensure the best ICT solution is specified and delivered for their business. WesternConnect will ensure that these businesses can continue to compete and secure their long term future of prosperity. 
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WesternConnect has also recently compleated a contract with COLLAGE to provide an ICT programme for rural business in the Coleraine Council area.

The objective is to deliver an innovative, interesting and stimulating programme to 20 micro businesses in rural areas within Coleraine Borough Council to raise awareness of the benefits of e-business and help rural companies to increase trade and profitability.

COLLAGE have selected WesternConnect for our track record and proven expertise in working with rural communities and driving the economic development agenda for local government.

Moyle District Council Carry Out Ambitious E-Business Support Initiative with the Help of WesternConnect

Challenge
In 2002 Moyle District Council went to tender for the design and delivery of an e-business support initiative for small and medium sized businesses in their area. The objective is to raise awareness of the benefits of e-business and to assist the small businesses within the council area to set up a web presence and move toward e-commerce and e-business.

Solution
WesternConnect was contracted by the Moyle Council to deliver this innovative and stimulating programme to small businesses in the area, to which they are responsible for the recruitment of these small businesses.

Consultants from WesternConnect have developed this project to assist small businesses with little or no experience of ICT to gain a greater understanding of the benefits of technology for their business. The project takes the format of awareness generation, workshops and mentoring sessions. As a result these businesses can enjoy the many associated benefits such as reduced costs from electronic trading and greater market penetration with internet advertising.

Achievements
Phase 1 of this project ran over the course of 2003, during which 35 companies participated in training and mentoring with WesternConnect. Phase 2 of the project is currently being started, with companies being recruited and materials being prepared.

Customer Satisfaction
"As a student new to IT the courses, tutors, equipment all combined to make it a very positive learning exercise. Since the completion of the course I've had the confidence to 'go it alone' and when I have any hassles I just lift the phone to WesternConnect. Thank you."

A representative for one of the small businesses recruited in phase 1.
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