Take your business to the next level with high speed broadband

With NBN rollouts occurring across the Sunshine Coast, chances are you’ve thought about faster internet, whether you should connect to the NBN and how it might impact your life or business.

To help local businesses better understand what high speed broadband could mean for them, council is launching the ‘Level Up’ digital up-skilling program. Business owners and their staff are invited to find out how this program can benefit them at a free information session on Tuesday, February 28 from 5:15pm (for a 5:30pm start) at Lake Kawana Community Centre.

Many businesses are just not aware or prepared for the potential benefit from high speed broadband such as the NBN. This is not just about getting faster Netflix at home. An international study showed a positive effect on the transition from dial-up to ADSL broadband of between 0.4% to 1.4% of GDP. Another study found that increasing broadband speed from 9Mbps to 42Mbps in Denmark was estimated to yield a 4.9% increase in Denmark’s GDP by 2020.

Economic Development Portfolio Councillor Stephen Robinson said the program was an invaluable opportunity for local businesses.

“We want to take advantage of high speed broadband access and use new solutions, improve our processes and increase our productivity” Cr Robinson said.

“This is about ensuring that our businesses are competing on a level playing field not just in South East Queensland but with South Korea, Sweden and other smart cities.”

“We may not be the first region to gain the NBN and high-speed broadband in Australia but we want to be the region that takes advantage of it the most for our businesses.”

“High speed broadband has the potential to generate small but measurable productivity gains no matter whether you run a coffee shop, digital design studio or a manufacturing business. It will allow our businesses to trial new IT solutions and better connect with their customers whether they are near or far.

“The Level Up program will offer busy business owners and their staff real-life examples of how businesses can use high speed broadband to introduce new technologies and solutions to improve their business and their customer experience.

“The first step in the journey is awareness. That is why we are doing a series of discovery sessions that will inform the business community of what is on offer, what business champions are already doing and the solutions and workshops to follow.

“It is hoped that as a result of the program more businesses in the region will connect to high speed broadband and be confident in utilising online business tools like cloud-based accounting, CRMs and project management systems which can improve productivity, profitability and their ability to compete locally, nationally and internationally.

“The free information session on February 28 will include presentations from industry specialists as well as locals who have already successfully implemented changes in their business.”

Places are limited at the free information session and bookings are essential. To book your place click here or visit https://levelupprogram.eventbrite.com

Those who’re unable to attend can access a lunchtime webinar at 12:30pm on Wednesday 1 March for free, by registering at https://www.crowdcast.io/e/levelupprogram

For more information on Level Up, go to https://levelup.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/   or email [email protected] or call 0400 722 960.