The National Digital Research Centre’s (NDRC) Inventorium programme and the Irish Internet Association have launched a five-week accelerator that aims to take 20 Irish SMEs and transforming them into online retailers with new export and jobs potential.
Supported by An Post and by the Crafts Council of Ireland, the Clicktailing retail accelerator scheme which will run in five week bursts. It brings together online retailing experts to provide hands-on support for participating businesses with web design services, payments systems, product photography, logistics advice, and marketing skills.
The programme will also equip each business with the key skills for selling online including the online customer lifecycle; cost of customer acquisition; social retailing and technology configuration and support
It is estimated that 140,000 Irish businesses don’t yet engage in any form of e-commerce at all and 50,000 don’t even have a website. While 23% of Irish enterprises do currently engage in online sales, only a fifth (21%) of their total sales are generated this way.
Inventorium director Mark Kearns said: "Export led growth from indigenous enterprises is one of the most effective ways to secure and grow employment. As online spending continues to grow, Irish businesses must react and carve out their share of this market if they are secure their businesses into the future. It is completely unacceptable that over half of all online sales are going abroad because consumers cannot buy their products online from Irish businesses. Through our partnership with the IIA we are now piloting the ClickTailing e-Tail Accelerator to focus our expertise and networks in tech sector commercialisation into the non-tech retail sector."
Joan Mulvihill, CEO, Irish Internet Association, said: "The intensive nature of this programme has been designed specifically to achieve an immediate impact online. The potential for Irish export growth through the Internet is crystal clear but we must move quickly to exploit this opportunity."
TechCentral Reporters
Subscribers 0
Fans 0
Followers 0
Followers