Enterprise Nation and Amazon team up for free Amazon Academy event in Edinburgh to provide practical advice for SMEs who want to set up and grow their business online

Registration now open for Scottish SMEs hoping to learn how to boost their revenue and productivity, grow their exports, and maximise on cutting-edge technology like cloud computing and voice services for the benefit of their business

Thursday 13th April 2017 – Today registration opened for the first ever Amazon Academy in Scotland, taking place on Tuesday 23rd May at the EICC, The Exchange, Edinburgh, EH3 8EE.

The free one-day event features keynote presentations and workshops from experts and entrepreneurs alike to give practical support and guidance for Scottish small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) wanting to grow their businesses online, and is being run in conjunction with renowned small business network Enterprise Nation, who provide support for more than 70,000 SMEs across the UK.

Scottish SMEs, start-ups and web developers are invited to attend, where they'll learn how to use the power of the internet and technology to boost their revenue and productivity, and grow their exports. Workshops will include:

• How to boost export sales and go global through Amazon Marketplace
• How to use cloud computing to be lean, fast and agile through Amazon Web Services
• How to bring innovative new products to market through Amazon Launchpad
• How to reach new customers through Alexa, Amazon's exciting new cloud-based voice service

Thousands of local businesses in Scotland are already taking advantage of Amazon's suite of services to help them reach new global customers, including supporting them with managing currency exchange, local translations and providing global delivery and distribution. As a result, businesses of all sizes can sell globally across Amazon's eleven websites in seven languages to reach hundreds of millions of customers. Total UK exports by UK businesses through Amazon Marketplace amounted to £1.8bn last year.

"Scotland has a long history of invention, and today that heritage is on full display as a new generation of small businesses are using internet technologies to fuel Scotland's fast growing digital economy," said Doug Gurr, UK Country Manager, Amazon. "There are big opportunities for Scottish SMEs to grow through e-commerce and exports, and we look forward to bringing together established and aspiring small businesses to discuss how to maximise their success."  

The event follows the release of the Q1 SME Growth Tracker, a quarterly report by Capital Economics commissioned by Amazon and Enterprise Nation that tracks the confidence of businesses across the UK. The SME Growth Tracker found that Scottish SMEs are expecting business conditions to improve in the next 12 months, with revenue growth projections of +1.5%, profit growth of +1.0%, and jobs growth of +0.8% in the coming 12 months.

"By developing their digital credentials, Scottish SMEs can stand shoulder to shoulder with businesses around the world. Getting support in digital technology can be a challenge for small businesses but through events like the Amazon Academy, that help is available and accessible for companies who want to expand their horizons and push the boundaries of their trade to a global level," said Emma Jones MBE, founder of Enterprise Nation.

A dedicated Amazon Academy for authors will also be held on the same day for aspiring and established Scottish writers. Being run in association with the Alliance of Independent Authors, successful independent authors will share tips and guidance on how to use Kindle Direct Publishing - Amazon's independent publishing programme - to reach a potential global audience of millions.

To register for the Amazon Academy, please visit: www.enterprisenation.com/amazon-academy

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:
Amazon UK Press Office
E: pressoffice@amazon.co.uk 
T: 020 3680 0888

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfilment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.co.uk/about.

About Enterprise Nation
Enterprise Nation is a growing small business network and business support provider with more than 70,000 members. Its aim is to help people turn their good ideas into great businesses – through expert advice, events, acceleration and networking. Enterprise Nation was founded in 2005 by Emma Jones MBE, also co-founder of national enterprise campaign StartUp Britain. She is author of best-selling business books including Spare Room Startup, Working 5 to 9, Go Global, Start a Business for £99 and the StartUp Kit, Going for Growth. In 2016 she was announced as the Government's Trade Ambassador and SME Crown Representative.