Businesses in Local London benefit from digital health boost

Local London’s E-business support programme is providing small and medium-sized (SME) businesses with the digital know-how to become more sustainable, and to help them to grow in the online age.

The free programme, which is delivered by three providers across our region over a three-year period, provides free face-to-face support and advice for SMEs to develop or introduce digital technology and e-commerce in their businesses to help them thrive.

Going from strength to strength, the programme has already helped more than 50 SMEs put a digital plan in place and is recruiting more advisers in order to help more businesses. Local London’s e-business support programme is open to all kinds of SME businesses keen to not get left behind in the digital age. It is entirely bespoke which means e-business advisers work with business owners to develop a programme that suits each business’s unique needs. Find out how the programme helped an East London business in the case study below.

Digital health boost for healthcare recruitment business : Case study

Tallisdom Healthcare Ltd has been trading since 2009. The business provides recruitment services, primarily finding staff for care homes and hospitals, and trains candidates to be fully compliant within the care industry’s standards.

Up until recently Tallisdom employed traditional methods to train health care professionals but is now seeking to streamline the workflow and establish e-learning that meet today’s needs and will be more cost effective.

An initial audit highlighted areas where the Local London e-business support programme could add value and help to make improvements around business operations and digital marketing for services and products.

This also includes a digital marketing strategy to improve brand awareness and broaden reach, attracting candidates and clients from new a marketspace. Working with business owner Thembi Senga, we identified the best social media channels for the business to use to create consistent messaging to businesses within the sector and improve business-to-business brand awareness to generate new business.

As a recruitment business one of the most important aspects for the business was to integrate a facility for candidates to upload their CV, or complete short questionnaires or applications online. This part of the registration process is now streamlined and online, making handling applications easier for the business and candidates.

The audit took a comprehensive look at all digital aspects that could help Tallisdom Healthcare. We carried out a brief SEO analysis on the Tallisdom Healthcare website and identified areas to improve search engine ranking. Tallisdom is seeking to offer its range of PPE products via an online payment platform soon too.

Nishal Deeljur, e-business advisor said: “I am delighted to have been able to share some of my knowledge and help Tallisdom Healthcare. The relationship is ongoing as we help to implement the new plan and we fully expect to broaden our support to include CRM and other operational aspects of the business. Thembi, the business’s owner, attended our 2-day ‘Be Digital’ workshop in March to learn how to create a 3-month digital marketing strategy plan. I am excited for how this will help the business.”

Thembi Senga, owner of Tallisdom Healthcare Ltd said: “I am passionate about my business and the past couple of years have highlighted how hard it can be to survive. I have always embraced digital and having had help from Nish and the e-business support programme I feel more confident that the business can grow in the digital age. Going digital and using the right software makes my business easier operationally, which any SME business owner will tell you is hugely beneficial.”

Operating across all eight of our member boroughs, our delivery partners are working closely with local authorities and stakeholders to reach businesses and are recruiting staff to expand the programme.

Find out more about the programme and vacancies:

• Enterprise Enfield who deliver the programme to businesses in Enfield, Redbridge and Waltham Forest.
• Newham College who deliver the programme to businesses in Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Newham.
• South East Enterprise who deliver the programme to businesses in Bexley and Greenwich.