The Australian Consumer Communications Action Network (ACCAN) has put together an online training course to help small businesses in the recreation, education and arts sectors get online.
ACCAN chief executive Teresa Corbin said that broadband adoption across these sectors was very low, with a recent survey revealing only four in 10 small businesses in these areas were using broadband.
Ms Corbin cited lack of time and knowledge as the main reason for the unusually low take-up rate.
“The issue that comes up time and time again is that there’s a lack of skills or even awareness of how to use online services to augment or build their businesses. And the reality is that they don’t have the time or expertise to even know who to go to ask,” said Ms Corbin.

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With funding from the federal government ACCAN have established a series of online training modules known as the “Digital Ready Digital Business Kit”. The six units are on a range of topics, including how to get connected, online strategies, social media, cloud computing, ecommerce, and teleworking.
The modules can be accessed online at DigitalReady.org.au.
The Council of Small Businesses of Australia (COSBOA) executive director, Peter Strong welcomed the initiative. “Small business stands to greatly benefit from digital technology. The ACCAN Digital Ready Digital Business kit is a tremendously useful education initiative for Australian small businesses,” he said.
Ms Corbin felt it was too early to gauge interest in the new education kit among small businesses, but said ACCAN plan to monitor the online education kit’s performance, in order to revise and tweak the content to better help small businesses.
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