Free workshops help firms into the digital age

The workshops are being offered as part of the Digital Derbyshire Business Support programme.

Leader of Derbyshire Dales District Council, Councillor Lewis Rose, said: “Businesses with a local customer base have a wide range of online marketing options available to them.

“The right choices of what to use are very much dependent on the type of business.”

A workshop entitled ‘Developing a Local Online Marketing Strategy’ takes place at Callow Hall, Ashbourne, on Wednesday, May 14, with online booking available at http://www.ebusinessclub.biz

Cllr Rose added: “This first event of the series in Hartington will help businesses understand the mechanics and potential costs of each marketing channel and what is likely to work best for their kind of business, from coupon–style offer websites to advertising on Facebook or Google.”

Digital Derbyshire is a £27million programme being led by Derbyshire County Council to improve broadband across the county. The county council has signed a contract with BT to make fibre broadband available to over 95 per cent of Derbyshire homes and businesses by 2016.

Alongside the roll–out, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber is delivering the Digital Derbyshire Business Support programme to help educate businesses about the benefits and opportunities superfast broadband and new ICT technologies can bring.

Social media workshops will be held at Matlock Town Hall on June 10 and 16.

The Dales events have been organised with the help of Derbyshire Dales Business Advice. For more, visit www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/businessadvice