One of the first investors to star in Dragons’ Den and notorious entrepreneur Doug Richard, has urged small businesses to use the Internet in order to boost growth and wealth of their companies. School for Start-ups was launched by the angel investor to help people to start and manage better businesses.

A number of boot camps as part of the School for Start-ups which will be held around the UK, partnering with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to help SMEs to maximise the benefits of the Internet.

It is hoped that the one day camps will attract around 350 to 500 people to each event, as part of the Web Fuelled Business programme. According to Doug Richard, SME owners will only achieve growth by seeking new routes to discovering new customers in the UK and abroad. Richard acknowledged that a number of reasons may be responsible for SME owners not reaching maximum potential online, including a lack of resources and a lack of knowledge. The entrepreneur further states that search engine optimisation is crucial for success, which the boot camps will address.
The programme will also examine the use of social media as part of a marketing strategy. Doug said:

“This year is set to be one of the toughest economic environments in recent history- and my goal is to persuade SMEs that your country needs you, as our economy depends on the survival of our small businesses.”

He also pointed out that SMEs will be a lifeline for the UK economy, but they must embrace the Internet to do so.

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