Vodafone UK will sponsor and support Enterprise Nation’s ‘Head’s Up’ initiative, a series of localised monthly business workshops run by Local Leaders.
Vodafone has joined forces with leading small business community network Enterprise Nation to bring vital advice and experience on the connectivity and digital challenges that small businesses face.
The partnership sees Vodafone partnering with a grass-roots-led community platform for the first time, enabling Enterprise Nation’s community of over 60,000 business leaders to tap into Vodafone’s expertise and guidance.
Vodafone has been connecting small businesses across the UK since the 1980s, and has developed dedicated tools and resources to address small business needs, including the unique Vodafone Business Marketplace.
Launched in 2005, Enterprise Nation is the UK’s most active small business support network enabling members to connect with each other and trusted business advisers for support and guidance, alongside hosting hundreds of local community networking events and activities each year.
Vodafone will sponsor and support Enterprise Nation’s ‘Head’s Up’ initiative, a series of localised monthly business workshops run by Local Leaders (those individuals who have founded and run their own successful small business), who host monthly workshops for business founders.
Heads Up gives small firms access to the support they need to build resilience and find practical help within their local small business community. Vodafone will be supporting these events by assisting in content curation and providing keynote speakers, including Vodafone’s small business ambassadors. Local Leaders will also provide exclusive content for Vodafone’s own V-Hub Digital Support platform.
Emma Jones MBE, Founder and CEO of Enterprise Nation, was awarded an MBE in 2012 for Services to Enterprise. She was appointed last year to sit on the government’s Small Business, Scale-up and Entrepreneurs Business Council.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Vodafone who have been a trusted partner and key supporter of the small business community for years,” she said.
“This partnership will enable Enterprise Nation members to tap into Vodafone’s wealth of expertise in guiding and assisting small businesses, and ensure our community of business leaders are aware of the many tools, services and solutions that are at their disposal to assist them in their business goals.”
Anne Sheehan, Business Director, Vodafone UK, said: “Enterprise Nation share our commitment to ensuring small business leaders have access to the best guidance, tools and support. Small business owners often feel that they have to be experts in everything, and that can be daunting – we’re here to give guidance on vital connectivity and digital challenges, to help with the burden and make sure every business has the best chance of success.”
Teignmouth-based Jennifer Corcoran, a LinkedIn trainer, communications consultant and founder of My Super Connector, runs monthly events for Devon-based businesses as part of the Head’s Up initiative.
She said: “It’s fantastic to see major organisations like Vodafone supporting dedicated grass roots initiatives such as Enterprise Nation Head’s Up campaign to ensure small business leaders have access to the best guidance to achieve their business objectives.
“I also look forward to contributing my own expertise in managing an online business to Vodafone’s V-Hub community, as now more than ever it is critical that small businesses are maximising their online operations.”
As a key supporter to the small business community, Vodafone provides a number of tools and solutions to support small businesses. These include the V-Hub digital support platform to provide advice on managing a business online; the Business Unusual podcast, which sees host Claudia Winkleman speak to a different small business leader each week; and the Vodafone Business Marketplace, where business customers can purchase and manage their business apps all in one place.
Locate a Vodafone-sponsored Enterprise Nation virtual workshop in your area.
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Notes to Editors
About Enterprise Nation
Enterprise Nation is a small business network and business support provider. Its aim is to help people turn their good ideas into great businesses – through expert advice, events, acceleration, diagnostics and networking. Enterprise Nation was founded in 2006 by Emma Jones MBE, also co-founder of national enterprise campaign Start Up Britain. She is author of best-selling business books including Spare Room Start Up, Working 5 to 9, Go Global, Start a Business for £99 and the Start Up Kit, Going for Growth. In 2018, Richard Harpin, the entrepreneur behind global home emergency repair firm HomeServe, invested in the company as part of a drive to create a “more entrepreneurial Britain”.
About Vodafone V-Hub Digital Business Support Platform
The Vodafone Digital Business Support platform helps small businesses develop their digital capabilities as they get back on their feet following the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside resources on managing a digital business, the platform enables small business customers to access to a team of advisers – over the phone or via web chat – who provide one-to-one support on how to build an online presence, from creating a website and enabling online sales to managing online security risks and digital marketing.
