Vodafone Ireland and SFA Launch Campaign to Help Businesses Stay Ahead in a Changing Environment

Vodafone Ireland today announces the launch of ‘Smart Business’ regional workshops, in conjunction with the Small Firms Association (SFA), to help Irish businesses grow, scale and succeed in a changing business environment.

The Irish business landscape is changing and these workshops will enable business leaders to have a conversation with HR, business growth experts and peers to help them stay competitive, increase revenue and attract and retain top talent through the adoption of smart working.

Results from a global new rules of business survey, commissioned by Vodafone, showed that 63% of Irish business leaders see customer expectations as the area of most profound change over the last five years. This is followed by changes in the competitive landscape at 50% and talent attraction and retention at 33%.

The survey, of 4,000 business owners across Europe, Asia and the US, also found that Irish businesses have one of the lowest rates of investment in digitisation and technology at 32% compared to the country which invested the most – India at 56%. Ireland has the second highest percentage of firms with between 10 and 499 employees at 44%.

The ‘Smart Business’ series will take place in co-working spaces in the SIRO-powered hub, The Mill, Drogheda, The Hatch Lab, Gorey, Portershed, Galway, The Republic of Work, Cork and BOI Workbench, Limerick between January and April 2019 and coincides with the recent launch of Vodafone’s industry report – The Future of Business: A Conversation with SMEs.

Vodafone Ireland and Abodoo will host conversations with attendees on the benefits of smart working for businesses and how it can be introduced across various sectors. Vodafone solutions allow businesses to stay connected to one another, to customers and to data, regardless of location – allowing for this anywhere, anytime smart working.

The SFA will introduce their new engage and grow framework to help companies increase profits and retain top talent. There will also be experts on hand to discuss the HR and technology requirements for making businesses smarter and help transform traditional workplaces into more digital ones.

Treasa Doran, Head of Small Business at Vodafone Ireland, said: “We are delighted to have teamed up with the SFA and Abodoo to host this series of regional workshops to lend our support and expertise and enable consistent growth across the vital SME sector through smarter business practices.

“We believe that smart or flexible working is the next frontier for SMEs. By adapting to new ways of working and using the technology available to them to create more efficient operating models, SMEs can attract and retain top talent, reduce costs and increase productivity. It also has the added benefit of supporting the local economy and decreasing carbon emissions through a reduction in long commuting times for employees.”

Sven Spollen-Behrens of the Small Firms Association said: “The number one issue impacting small businesses is the ability to recruit and retain the right people in a highly competitive labour market. Our regional workshops with Vodafone and Abodoo will help small businesses to future proof their business in a rapidly changing environment. Our recent survey finds that 70% of our members recognise that Smart Working will benefit their business, it improves productivity and enhances employee engagement”.

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