UK – 14th January, 2008 – A free service to help start-ups and small businesses increase their productivity and competitiveness through technology is now available to companies based in Yorkshire & Humber, the South East and the South West regions of England.

The Business IT Guide was developed by e-skills UK in collaboration with market leaders such as Oracle, EDS, IBM, Accenture, Cisco, Microsoft, HP, Smart421 and BT, and has been tested extensively with small businesses.

The Guide is a user friendly online tool that helps businesses access a wide range of high quality, independent advice to help them fully exploit technology.  Advice includes:

• everything a new business needs to know – from complying with legislation to security;
• where to go for trusted information;
• how to properly introduce and manage technology;
• how to deal with the resource implications: cost, training, time; and
• how to plan for growth and changing needs.

There are five separate routes to advice and information via the Guide:

1. a self help tool – designed to help those unsure of their ICT needs;
2. facts – designed to encourage people to take action;
3. hot tips – designed to have an immediate impact;
4. The Guide library – with all 72 Business IT Guides listed; and
5. search facilities.

Keri-Ann Davies, Business Adviser for the Welsh Assembly Government, said:

“In the past I have made use of the Business Link website and found the best practice IT advice very useful.  The Business IT Guide seems to provide more advanced information than was previously available through Business Link, and also includes the built in search facilities and links.  I found it extremely informative.”

“e-Learning can also greatly enhance a small businesses acquisition of skills and delivery of training”, said Sean Griffin, Co-Founder of Learn Skills, the web-based skills and compliance training company, “and it is for that reason that we are developing training programs tailored to the needs of both SMEs and new start-ups.”

Source: e-skills Passport Winter newsletter

E-learning companies are changing the face of how businesses train their staff.  In this world of people using the Internet on a daily basis, e-learning companies offer a smart solution to an age-old problem of keeping employees educated and updated on the latest trends.

Companies have long battled with the high costs of training their employees, but e-learning companies are offering an affordable solution to this problem.  In the past there were limited choices for companies to keep their employees trained.  A business would either employ a large training department, which costs a great deal of money, or they would be forced to send their employees to outside training events which was also very expensive.

The only other option for business was really no option at all, that is to not give proper and up to date training to their employees.  Businesses understand that not providing their employees with continuing education results in giving their competitors and edge over them.  E-learning companies have developed an affordable way to keep employees trained and educated on the best methods that are used in various industries.

Smart companies are looking for ways to automate their training of employees and the most sensible method is to employ e-learning companies. E-learning companies provide a suite of diverse catalog courses, content management, reliable reporting, online authoring, ease of use, and scalability that can be adjusted as the company grows and changes.

E-learning allows both large and small companies the ability to give their employees the latest and greatest training available.  With the flexibility that e-learning companies provides to their customers the training programs can be adjusted to fit the needs of any company.  Whether you have a work force of fifty or five hundred, e-learning companies have the solution that you are looking for.

Another great benefit of utilizing e-learning companies is that you can control the scheduling of the training sessions much easier.  Instead of taking many employees away from work at one time to do training in a classroom setting, you can utilize the Internet and allow each individual employee to take training courses at the most efficient time possible.  Businesses can even offer training to their employees from their home if the need arises.

There are multiple e-learning companies offering services to businesses and choosing the right one is critically important. Not only must a business consider the cost of purchase, but a business must also consider the return on investment and the amount of time it takes to achieve that return on investment. With e-learning companies such as Learn Skills, you can actually have your system up and running in a matter of days, not weeks like competitors.

Cost is always a factor when choosing which of the elearning companies to go with. When you go with Learn Skills you will be getting one of the most affordable training options for your employees. You will also be receiving a great deal of empowerment since you are able to custom tailor the programs to fit the specific needs of your company.

E-learning companies give you and your business the ability to stay ahead of your competitors and to develop your employees.  E-learning companies are direction that forward thinking businesses are going for their entire employee training needs.  With the convenience and ease of use, e-learning companies are able to meet the needs of their customer in a way never before imagined.

Check out elearning companies such as Learn Skills today and get started training your employees on the latest skills that they need to help your business succeed.

Most companies need to provide some sort of training or instruction to their employees, customers and suppliers.  This is especially true for technology-based organisations.  Typically these companies provide needed training by sending people to colleges, holding in-house training classes, or providing manuals and self-study guides.  In some situations it is advantageous for them to use e-Learning instead of the traditional training.

“Companies need to be aware of both the advantages and disadvantages of e-Learning”, according to Sean Griffin, Co-Founder of Learn Skills, the web-based skills and compliance training company.  “e-Learning needs to be understood for employers to maximise the benefits associated with this training.”

e-Learning, has many advantages over traditional classroom training for the employees in a company, customers using a product, or students in school. These advantages include:

• Better than reading the manual – more interactive and engaging
• Cost-effective – up to 60% more cost effective than traditional training
• Practical – where employees are based countrywide or globally
• Standardized learning – more consistent delivery of training

There are some drawbacks on using eLearning:

• Need access to computer – at home or at work
• Some need access to Internet and broadband
• Must know who to use computer – user must be somewhat computer literate
• Personnel resistance – phobias concerning using computers and tecnology
• Must be well-done – else it’s like being thought by a poor teacher

Businesses make most sound decisions based on potential return-on-investment (ROI). It is assumed that the company has already determined that training their personnel and/or customers is a value-added activity.   Now, the question is whether or not e-Learning is the best route to take.

Criteria for deciding on using eLearning include:

• Cost and practicality of sending learners to class
• Availability of computers and literacy of learners
• Development cost versus number being trained

Weighing these issues, an effective and informed decision can be made.  Companies should consider using eLearning when it is cost effective and practical and when they want standardized training.  PCs must be available, students must not resist using the PCs, and the e-Learning material must be informative and engaging to provide the best results.

Reference: School of Champions website, article by Ron Curtis (revised 4 April 2004)