EEDA launches takeITon TV for small businesses in East of England

The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) has launched takeITon TV, an online video channel designed to provide businesses with practical advice on a range of business-critical IT topics. The first video to appear on the takeITon TV channel is a ‘How To’ guide to setting up a website and the launch is part of EEDA’s region-wide takeITon campaign to encourage businesses to use IT to boost their productivity. Research performed by EEDA in early 2008 revealed that around 40% of small businesses in the region don’t have a website and they could be losing millions of pounds in lost trade because of not having an online presence.

takeITon TV, available at www.takeITon.org.uk, is a practical self help tool designed to help businesses to take those all important first tentative steps to bridging the digital divide. Presented by Paul Boag, the Creative Director of Headscape, which is one of the top web design agencies in the UK, the takeITon TV guide is divided into five modules and takes businesses through every stage of setting up a website:

• Producing a design brief: setting objectives, success criteria, avoiding common mistakes and selecting an agency • Designing a website: how to get users’ attention, design testing • Audiences: personas and user testing • Website content: writing for the web • Accessibility and promotion: how to market your site

Jan Pinkerton, Head of Business ICT and Intelligence at EEDA, said: “There are a large number of businesses in the East of England which are failing to see the benefits that having a website can bring. In July 2008 our research revealed that 77% of the region’s businesses have no plans to sell their products or services online and 36% said that doing business online isn’t important.”

Jan continued: “We want to help these businesses to realise their full potential and to maximise opportunities which can come from having a website. £46bn was spent online in 2007 and we want East of England businesses to have a slice of this lucrative pie.”

In November 2007 EEDA launched the takeITon campaign - a programme of IT support for businesses in the region, worth more than £2 million. This will see a package of practical and financial support measures delivered to businesses during a three-year period, and includes the provision of specialist Business Link IT Advisers and a takeITon Business IT guide.

Paul Boag, Creative Director of Headscape said: “I am delighted to have been asked to present the first video guide on the takeITon TV channel. In my line of work I have met many small business owners who have been burdened with the task of setting up a website and who encounter pitfalls along the way because they have no formal IT training. I want to help small businesses to avoid these common pitfalls, while reaping the rewards and takeITon TV is the ideal vehicle to help them to do this.”

To access takeITon TV businesses can go to www.takeITon.org.uk