Design Experts Pty Ltd Level 2, 41 Mundy Street Bendigo VICTORIA 3550 Phone:

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1 Design Experts Pty Ltd Level 2, 41 Mundy Street Bendigo VICTORIA 3550 Phone: Mr Paul Weller MP Chairman Rural and Regional Committee Parliament House EAST MELBOURNE VIC th August 2013 Dear Mr Weller Re: Inquiry into the Opportunities and E- Business in Rural and Regional Victoria When I first moved to Regional Victoria in 2006, it soon became apparent that there was a lack of quality web design services on offer in the area, this lead to opening the doors of Design Experts in 2008 to service this demand. We have since gone on to design and develop over 500 online solutions for Regional Victorian businesses and organisations. Before long, we also released there was an apparent of the lack of education that existed to increase the knowledge of regional Victorians to harness the power of the Internet. As a result, Design Experts set out to fill this knowledge gap and have since gone onto deliver over 400 regional workshops all based around educating participants on the the digital world. It was the RTO and Local Councils that had received Government funding to roll out educational initiatives around the web who employed us. Design Experts were the knowledge holders, who wrote and delivered the content. In 2012 formally recognised for our contribution to Regional Victoria, by winning the 2012 Awards Australia Regional Development Victoria Business Achievement Award and have also won numerous other Awards along the way. It is with this hands- on experience and recognition that we put forward the following points to support your inquiry; Whilst the face- to- face workshop approach has worked well over the past five years, we are starting to notice a slight drop off in terms of attendances at the workshops, so we need seek ways to reengage the region. Over the past 12 months, we have delved into webinars, blended delivery and on- demand online resources for participants to access with some success. We plan to continue to evolve this. Design Experts is very interested in working with Rural and Regional Committee to develop a strategy that has the objective to improve the education of Regional Victorians on the digital world to grow their capacity in harnessing it s potential.

2 Design Experts Pty Ltd Level 2, 41 Mundy Street Bendigo VICTORIA 3550 Phone: One vision is to design a Mobile App (platform) (eg. Can be loaded onto an ipad, Tablet, SmartPhone, Smart TV, Laptop etc) where we can upload learning content and allow rural and regional Victorians to subscribe to it and view at their own time, own space and own pace. The content could consist of (but not limited to) Instructional Videos with Quiz s, links to useful resources etc The content could be download and viewed offline. Ie. A vision is a Regional Victorian might be able to head into town to a hotspot and download the content before returning back to their property (where the Internet isn t so great) to view the content in their own time. This technique to deliver the content is very controlled and is referred to as controlled media distribution and replaces the traditional methods of DVD or an Online Website approach. More Info - The topics stem around developing a digital strategy, online marketing, search engine optimisation, ecommerce, digitizing my business, how to use mobile devices in my business, social media etc. We have already produced 15 topics and would work with other experts to develop more. The access to the content could be free, or could be pay- per- view, subscription or sponsored. We have supplied two supporting documents with this submission to demonstrate our vision and capacity to be considered by your Committee to help drive a project of this nature. We would be happy to demonstrate where we have got to with our own internal resources. Humbly we have already made some good inroads. In summary, we feel that education is one of the keys to ensure that rural and regional Victoria is prepared for what the future brings in terms of digital technology, how it will impact on our lives and how we can take advantage of it. Regards Tim Gentle Managing Director

3 ebusiness Education program Workshops Webinars Design Experts 2013 designexperts.com.au

4 Contents 1 2 Knowledgebase Workshops 4 Webinars More Info 11 12

5 Summary Benefits To your region, industry, chamber, association etc. To participants Design Experts Workshop Series Design Experts Pty Ltd

6 Presenter Tim Gentle Entrepreneur & Digital Strategist Business Awards & Accolades Presenter Winner Finalist Winner Winner Workshop Leader - Design Experts Workshop Series Design Experts Pty Ltd

7 Presenter Tim Gentle Entrepreneur & Digital Strategist Testimonials What sets Tim apart from the other people in his industry is that he really knows his topic (Tim is not a dabbler) he gives of himself, he is dependable and he is fastidious in ensuring that everything and business characteristics, and have no hesitation in recommending Tim and Design Experts in all matters regarding Business Buloke Shire Council Tim Gentle of Design Experts Bendigo has recently delivered a series of e-marketing workshops His communication skills, knowledge and insight Tim as a presenter to any business or person interested in embracing technology to the City of Greater Bendigo Tim Gentle provided training and consultation services across a diverse range of ebusiness topics for small business throughout central Victoria Tim is an engaging, organised and innovative presenter who seems to thrive on the notion from the broad range of internet and mobile functions and uses that can enable small to medium sized His workshop content was constantly at the cutting edge, his delivery was always respectful, motivating anyone to attend a workshop or presentation Continuing Education Bendigo (CEB) Design Experts Workshop Series Design Experts Pty Ltd

8 Design Experts Workshop Series Developing a Digital Strategy ness Duration: Developing an Online Marketing Strategy Duration: Developing a website for your business and budget - Duration: Design Experts Workshop Series Design Experts Pty Ltd

9 Design Experts Workshop Series Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Search Engine Optimisation Duration: Selling through your website Selling through your website Duration: Developing a Social Media Strategy Developing a Social Media Strategy Duration: Smartphone apps for your business Smartphone apps for your business Duration: Design Experts Workshop Series Design Experts Pty Ltd

10 Design Experts Workshop Series Social Media for business (hands on lab) Duration: Developing a mobile friendly website Customer relationship management (CRM) - Duration: Duration: Design Experts Workshop Series Design Experts Pty Ltd

11 Design Experts Workshop Series Develop an Marketing plan Duration: Online Learning Duration: Develop your own Website (hands on lab) Want to Go Live? (optional) Domain Name Costs Hosting Costs Setup $150 (one-off) Developing a Website for your Business and Budget Duration: Design Experts Workshop Series Design Experts Pty Ltd

12 Design Experts Webinar Series Digital Strategy 101 e-marketing 101 Google, why can t you find me? (SEO) Selling Online Show me how Social Media Strategy Developing a Social Media Strategy Design Experts Workshop Series Design Experts Pty Ltd

13 Design Experts Online Learning Developing a Digital Strategy Develop an marketing plan - Duration: Duration: Design Experts Workshop Series Design Experts Pty Ltd

14 Design Experts 1-on-1 Mentoring Tim s knowledge areas include: Durations: Design Experts Workshop Series Design Experts Pty Ltd

15 How to Book Enquiries Social Media Design Experts Workshop Series Design Experts Pty Ltd

16 Surveys Workshops Webinars Online learning Keynote speeches Mentoring designexperts.com.au/pluggedin

17 The Benefits To your Region, Industry, Chamber, Association etc Increase sustainability Increase your competitiveness in the digital world Attract and retain businesses Attract skilled staff Leverage off the NBN Proactive education for your audience For Participants Remain competitive in today s online world Improved customer service Help businesses to expand and grow Quality control Systemise your business Frees you up from process-driven activities Improved redundancy (disaster recovery) Increased customer base 24/7 sales Staff training/induction 1

18 The Program The world is not slowing down. It s important to adapt or be left behind. Tim Gentle, Managing Director, Design Experts Program Vision Sustainable Australian regions reaping the rewards of digital thinking. Program Mission To increase the capacity and productivity of Australian regions by developing Digital Strategies to drive digital thinking into business practice. Stage 1 Plug in Victoria 2

19 Digital Strategy What is Digital Strategy? Digital Strategy is the process of integrating digital thinking into the overall business strategy in order to maximise the business benefits of digital initiatives. Rather than creating a separate Digital Strategy, we strongly believe that the key is to incorporate digital thinking into the existing business plan and processes. Stakeholders Websites Social Media Apps SEO Staff Xero Marketing Virtual Sales Loyalty Programs Debtor Management Dashboard Finance Sales ecommerce Reward Cloud Payroll Human Resources Digital World Information Technology Cloud VoIP Disaster Recovery Online Training Operations Connectivity - NBN Suppliers Tracking Vehicles IVR Document Efficiency Customers 3

20 Tim Gentle Digital Strategist, Educator, Treechanger, & Managing Director of Design Experts Tim has over 20 years experience in Marketing, and has led more than 350 workshops. Tim s expertise is his ability to help small business harness their online potential. As a tree changer, he understands what attracts, retains and grows businesses in the Regions, compared to the city. An expert in this field, Tim has a reputation for running excellent workshops. He provides current information that is relevant and targeted. He involves the audience, evokes discussion and makes technical terms easy to understand. Business Awards & Accolades Winner Business Achievement Award Regional Development Victoria Awards Finalist Champions of the Bush Winner Small Business of the Year Powercor Bendigo Business Excellence Awards. Winner New Business of the Year Powercor Campaspe Murray Business Awards. Workshop Leader - Small Business Victoria Tim s family featured in the Victorian Government GoodMove Campaign. What sets Tim apart from the other people in his industry is that he really knows his topic (Tim is not a dabbler) he gives of himself, he is dependable and he is fastidious in ensuring that everything he does reflects positively on himself and his firm. I find it an unbeatable combination of personal and business characteristics and have no hesitation in recommending Tim and Design Experts in all matters regarding Business Training, Marketing and Web Design. - Frank Cinquegrana Economic Development Projects Officer, Buloke Shire Council 4 For more information on Tim, visit

21 Program Options 1st 1 Assessment (optional, but recommended) We provide access to a survey to send out to your database, to identify the knowledge gaps of residents /business/organisations/government. 2 Strategy We provide a tailored program to fill that knowledge gap consisting of Workshops, Webinars and one-on-one mentoring. Various packages will be made available, or a customised approached will be offered. Everything from face-to-face, to online, to blended delivery. 3 2nd Assessment (optional, but recommended) After delivering the learning, we will again provide access to a survey to send out to your database ascertain the success of the program in up skilling the participants, compared to initial regional assessment. 4 Report Using the data gather pre and post program surveys, a few photos, participant feedback and media attention, we ll deliver a summary of the program for them to report back to their management. Customised Programs Just let us know what requirements you have, or what outcomes you need to meet and we ll work with you to identify a delivery model that suits. 5

22 Knowledgebase As part of commitment to education, we have developed the following: ebusiness Workshops for your business and budget your website (Search Engine Optimisation) ebusiness Webinars (Live & Recorded) Online Learning (Access any time) One-on-One Mentoring (Specialist Areas) We continually add to our Knowledgebase. Please check our website for updated content and delivery options. 6

23 How to Get Plugged In It s very easy to get started. 1 Hop online at designexperts.com.au/pluggedin 2 Select your region... 3 Get plugged in! Enquiries Phone Office (03) Mobile (Tim) tim@designexperts.com.au Web designexperts.com.au/pluggedin Social Media twitter.com/designexperts facebook.com/designexperts youtube.com/designexperts 8