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Industry transition pathway

Small Business Owner to Digitally Enabled Business Owner

Keep what already works in your business and add the digital tools, online presence, records and careful AI use that save time and win customers.

Pathway status: Planned7 stages

Who it’s for: Owners of small businesses who run things mostly on paper, phone and memory and want to use digital tools and AI to work more efficiently.

You are hereSmall Business Owner

7 stages

TargetDigitally Enabled Business Owner

Starting point

What you bring, and what to build

Small business owners already know their customers, their costs and how to keep going through hard times. This pathway does not ask you to change what works. It adds digital money records, an online presence, digital customer service, AI-assisted operations and basic security, and ends with a practical digital improvement plan for your own or a realistic business.

Transferable strengths you already have

  • Knowing your customers
  • Running daily operations
  • Managing money and suppliers
  • Selling and negotiating
  • Resilience and adaptability

Capability areas to build

Skills to build

  • Digital business tools
  • Online presence
  • Social media for business
  • Digital invoicing and records
  • Online customer service
  • AI-assisted operations
  • Simple workflow automation
  • Protecting business accounts
  • Choosing tools carefully

The route

Stage by stage

Each stage shows its own status. 3 of 7 stages draw on training that is being built now or launching next; the pathway as a whole is planned. Some later stages will follow after that.

You are here

Small Business Owner

  1. Stage 1

    Status: Building now

    Digital foundations for business

    Set up email, cloud storage, passwords and two-step verification properly for the business.

    • Digital business tools
    • Cloud storage
    • Passwords and two-step verification

    Builds: Life & Digital Foundations

    Training: Digital Foundations

  2. Stage 2

    Status: Planned

    Digital money records

    Move invoices, receipts and cash-flow tracking into simple digital records.

    • Digital invoicing and records
    • Cash-flow tracking

    Builds: Business & Economic Skills

    Training: Finance & Bookkeeping

  3. Stage 3

    Status: Planned

    Online presence and marketing

    Help customers find you online and describe your business clearly and honestly.

    • Online presence
    • Social media for business
    • Simple campaign measurement

    Builds: Business & Economic Skills

    Training: Sales & Marketing

  4. Stage 4

    Status: Launching next

    Digital customer service

    Handle messages, bookings, reviews and complaints online, promptly and well.

    • Online customer service
    • Responding to reviews

    Builds: Workplace Skills

    Training: Customer Service & Retail

Target

Digitally Enabled Business Owner

Practical evidence

What you’ll be able to show

Progress is proven with real work, recorded in your private Skills Passport.

  • A digital improvement plan for a real or realistic business
  • A simple online business profile
  • A working AI-assisted or automated admin task
  • A basic security checklist completed for a business

Linked training

Training areas used

Where next

Possible next pathways

All pathways

Launch updates

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Pathways open in stages as their training is built. Join the launch list to hear first.

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