The Employment area of the Cabildo of Lanzarote has launched the brand 'Crea Lanzarote' to attract more entrepreneurs to its advisory service for the green and digital transition.
There are still places available to complete the 93 business initiatives that the Cabildo wants to advise in their digitization processes and sustainable practices, for the moment until May of next year.
The project has about half a million euros from the Next Generation funds of the European Union. 'Crea Lanzarote' welcomes people who want to start a business, but also self-employed and micro-entrepreneurs who want to improve their sales.
Ekonomus has chatted with the marketing manager of the program, Tao Juraci Barreiro.
Is there a specific profile of people who want to start or boost their businesses and come to the Cabildo to get your advisory service?
At the moment, the users we have are mostly thirty-somethings, half from Lanzarote and the other half from the community, mainly from Italy and Germany, but our program is for anyone of working age, between 18 and 65 years old and we have people of all ages.
Can you tell us about an example of advice you are giving at the moment?
Of course, we are precisely advising a 65-year-old self-employed woman, owner of a craft store who wanted to boost her business sales. We have carried out a study of her case and have given her guidelines for action, such as having a presence on social networks. Also a series of actions to gain followers in them. We have explained the importance of having their own website with a sales platform and the subsidies to which they can apply, among other actions.
And any case of business yet to set up?
Yes, we are advising, for example, a young entrepreneur who wants to set up a clothing brand and sell it through an online store. So we have done a market study to see if her proposal is viable, in this case it seems so. Then we explain the steps she must take to register as self-employed and we have advised her on all the digital part as presence in social networks, development of own website, online store...
What other digital skills do you help entrepreneurs develop?
We also help people who want to start a business in the use of the digital cloud, the digitization of files, how to get a flat rate for the business, or a POS (intelligent point of sale terminal to accept payments with credit and debit card). Online sales make you greatly increase the market share if you have a platform to sell online.
And for the green transition?
We advise on the implementation of sustainable practices, endorsed by the European Union for the fight against climate change, although for the moment they are not mandatory, but optional. For example, with regard to the insulation of facilities or the use of more sustainable materials. We also offer advice on the lighting conditions of a business to see what savings can be achieved. We also analyze the means of transport and see if it can be changed to a hybrid or electric vehicle.
Can you tell us about a specific case of advice in this area?
Of course, for example, the owner of a micro-renovation company was looking for advice on sustainable practices to apply them in his business. So we studied his specific case and provided him with information on the guidelines he can carry out to make his work more sustainable and the aid he can apply for. We also show him examples of companies in the sector that apply the green economy in their business.
Those interested in receiving this advice from the Cabildo for the green and digital transition can find all the information on the website of Crea Lanzarote.
