$1000 grants available for small businesses keen to improve their online presence

Start-ups and small businesses looking to invest in their online presence and mobile technology have the chance to win a $1000 grant through accounting software provider Intuit.

The Love Your Local Business grants scheme will award 15 small business owners a $1000 grant to develop their online opportunities.

According to research conducted by Intuit, a quarter of small business owners surveyed say they would spend the money on mobile devices, while 31% say they would invest the money on developing their company’s website.

Melanie Vala, head of marketing for Intuit Australia, told StartupSmart small business owners could become more efficient and improve their sales through smart use of mobile and online opportunities.

“There are some real opportunities for small business, especially around getting mobile and online,” Vala says. “They can become more efficient in the day-to-day running of their business and get back to what they love, not doing admin. And the biggest issue for small business is getting clients, and online presence will really help that.”

Vala says the survey revealed business owners who could do administration work remotely via mobile devices can save almost an hour a day.

“Being able to do your admin work on-the-go could save 35 days a year, and give small business owners the flexibility to do their work wherever,” Vala says, adding one-in-four small business owners say they could not run their business without their mobile device.

The research also finds that while 93% of small business owners say it is important to be online, almost a third didn’t have their details findable online. Cost and time are the two key challenges cited.

“Online presence is getting more and more important to help small business compete on a global and mobile scale,” Vala says.

This is the first time the grant scheme will be run in Australia. The 15 recipients will be selected in two ways, through public voting and selected by judges. More information on the grants scheme can be found at www.loveourlocalbusiness.com.

“Everyone has a shot. It’s about their idea of how they want to use the money, and what they’re doing with their business,” Vala says. “It’s going to be about how they plan to put that $1000 to work.”