Small biz digital expansion plan

Helen Richardson, MLC candidate for Nelson, today called for the state government to double its investment in online training and development to boost the ability of small business operators to tap into lucrative digital markets.

“I’m proposing the state government provides a much needed injection of funding and support for local small business operators to enable them to succeed in the rapidly expanding digital marketplace,” said Helen Richardson, independent MLC candidate for Nelson.

Under the proposal, funding for the existing state government Digital Coach program would almost double from $280,000 a year to $500,000 with other changes to address issues such as lack of ongoing IT support for small business operators.

The state government would match investment from each eligible small business, dollar for dollar, in $500 increments up to a total of $5,000.

Combined, that would unlock up to $10,000 for each eligible small business for:

• Development/upgrading of websites
• Enabling/expanding e-commerce facilities for online booking and purchasing
• training in web technologies and maintenance

Dean Winter, Executive Officer from industry peak body TasICT, said: “Growth opportunities for a lot of small to medium sized businesses are outside of Tasmania. This policy would encourage Tasmanian businesses to engage with the local ICT sector and open themselves up to new opportunities in national and international markets.”

Casey Farrell, co-founder of The Typewriter Factory, said: “Nearly 90% of travellers use the web as their primary research tool. Assisting operators to advance their online presence will help their businesses and the tourism industry. In encouraging the local ICT sector to get involved in the redevelopment and enhancement of operators’ websites, this policy will help foster creative and innovative thought on how best to use the web to put a shine on Tasmania’s tourism industry.”

Ms Richardson said it was important that Tasmanian IT contractors were encouraged to tender to support local jobs growth in an important potential growth area for the state.

Download:

Digital_expansion_plan_2May.pdf
Helen Richardson, MLC candidate for Nelson