VODAFONE Ireland will host a regional workshop for small firms in Limerick to help them take greater advantage of technological solutions and modern working practices.
Run in conjunction with the Small Firms Association (SFA), the ‘Smart Business’ series will visit the Bank of Ireland Workbench on O’Connell Street in Limerick on April 3 from 7.30 to 9am.
Results of a recent business survey commissioned by Vodafone showed that 63 per cent 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 per cent and talent attraction and retention at 33 per cent.
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 per cent compared to the country which invested the most – India at 56 per cent.
Ireland has the second highest percentage of firms with between ten and 499 employees at 44 per cent.
With the Irish business landscape changing, the Limerick workshop 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.
“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,” head of Small Business at Vodafone Ireland, Treasa Doran explained.
Additional content on smart working – the combined use of technology with flexibility and agility for employees to work from home or co-working hub or hybrid model – is available at Vodafone.ie/business.
