STIMULATING AND SUPPORTING NEW BUSINESS IN IRELAND

NETCOACH - AN INTERNET BASED BUSINESS COACH FOR SME MANAGERS

By Joan Fahey, March 9, 2011

The Internet Based Business Coach (or NETCOACH) is a new project, promoted by WESTBIC, the Business & Innovation Centre, with the support of the Leonardo Da Vinci Lifelong Learning Programme. NETCOACH aims to help SME managers, entrepreneurs and the self-employed in the day to day running of their business by addressing an identified skills gap in the SME sector.

WHAT IS NETCOACH?
The aim of NETCOACH is to develop an online ‘Business Coach’ providing information, expertise and training material on a broad range of relevant topics across all functional areas in a way that becomes a valuable tool for the user in the day to day business management. The NETCOACH Platform seeks to address two main needs:

1. Provide the user with access to the information and expertise he or she needs to meet the challenges faced on a daily and weekly basis in a format that can be easily accessed when required

2. Provide the user with a pathway to gain formal recognition for their expertise and experience, through recognition of prior learning and accredited training modules which are aimed at filling in the individuals ‘skill gaps’

WHY NETCOACH?
In SME’s it is important to be as versatile as possible. For the busy manager, time is a valuable commodity and one of the main restricting factors in training and development. Research shows that 80% of European SME's are more likely to avail of non-formal training methods such as: 'learning from others', 'on-the-job' practices, short courses, seminars, conferences, expos, trade fairs, professional literature, as well as co-operation with consultants and advisers. Complex e-learning courses or formalised training courses are not always the right answer.

HOW WILL IT WORK?
With NETCOACH, content will be presented online in a user-friendly way that allows easy and quick access, thereby offering a resource that the user can dip into as required. In this way, the platform will become an online ‘Business Coach’ which can be referred to when specific answers are required. Currently NETCOACH is developing modules on the following topics:

• Creativity and innovation
• Knowledge Management
• e-Business
• Integrated Management Systems

Further modules will be added to the resource as proposed by NETCOACH users. NETCOACH will also adapt specific tools for assessing individual training needs, and provide a system of recognition of prior learning, which will provide an opportunity for the NETCOACH user to receive formal recognition in the form of accreditation for the learning they experience in managing their business.

If you would like further information on NETCOACH, please contact:
Michael Ward mward@westbic.ie