06 The G Blog Project
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The G-Blog project aims to create a regular informal contact route between small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and a local university. The project will stimulate business-to-business and academic-to-business interactions through a collaborative blog. Project partners include a regional business club and a university business incubator program. The blog will offer resources, information, and tools to engage SMEs and create a feedback channel. The project team is working closely with the university's IT department to design and implement the WordPress blog platform. An upcoming launch event with the regional business club will promote the blog to initial participating businesses.
06 The G Blog Project
- 1. JISC Business & Community Engagement: Collaborative Tools The ‘G-Blog’ Project Pam Voisey GTi Project Manager July 2009
- 2. The ‘G-Blog’ Project The Listening Zone for the Glamorgan Enterprise Region Project Partners: • Regional Business Club : Rhondda-Cynon-Taf • Enterprise initiative for graduate startup • G-Blog Project team (IT, Enterprise, Research) • JISC project team & partner sites 2
- 3. The ‘G-Blog’ Project ‘G-Blog’ is a pilot project • Regular, informal contact route for SMEs to their local University, which will – Stimulate B2B and A4B interactions – Facilitate reciprocity, mutual help, community – Offer resources, information, tools – Use events and web environment – Engage with client groups through feedback – Create a listening channel and more – Build capacity, offer training 3
- 4. The ‘G-Blog’ Project Aimed at: GTi Business Incubator micro -businesses •University project •European + funded •10 years •Hot-desking •>250 micro businesses •All sectors •Not all are graduates 4
- 5. The ‘G-Blog’ Project Aimed at: RCT Business Club SMEs • Enthusiastic management team • Café style informal events • High profile speakers • Large regional coverage • Range from large, medium and micro companies • Spread across sectors • Digital natives to skeptics 5
- 6. The ‘G-Blog’ Project Working with IT ! • Close relationship with the department for incubator IT • Lynne had done some work on PR for IT people • Discussed idea with Senior Managers, got support • Identified key person to design and create the Blog – included in the Project set up meeting in Aston • Working process totally collaborative, for example: – Pam : consumer focus/let’s ask them what they want – Barry: We’ll use QMP – Pam: what’s that? – Result is successful feedback, WordPress as platform, design agreed, businesses recruited for first wave – and Pam upskilled! 6
- 7. The ‘G-Blog’ Project On-going goodwill • Keep everyone informed as progress is made – LCSS-IS (IT) – the original senior managers – Commercial Services links – Rhondda Cynon Taf Business Club - launch event – Micro businesses for first stage – the GTi constituents – Academics – Business School initially – Marketing – corporate look/having the right logos – Web Team – making sure the name is OK – Finance - using the credit card online/making the links 7
- 8. The ‘G-Blog’ Project Ongoing support: • Work with, don’t demand • Benefit from the process and be reflexive • Make it interesting • Involve in the nice bits, not just the slaving over a hot keyboard! • Acknowledge – PR for IT people 8
- 9. The ‘G-Blog’ Project Issues • RCT partner – complete change of personnel • Time constraints for all Practice • Good communication by email when meetings are squeezed • Support of line management in both IT and Project team • Working with RCT Business Club on launch event • Customer focus makes it meaningful = getting IT right 9
- 10. The ‘G-Blog’ Project Thanks to: UoG: Professor Brian Hobbs, Alun Hughes, Lynne Gornall, Tony Evans, Martyn Lynch, Alun Cox, Barry Richard, Rhian Evans Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC: Lorna Reed, Ross Chamberlain, Phil Barnes GTi businesses: Timto Ltd; School of Life; Live Assistant Business Solutions; GMA Consultants; Cymraeg Web Hosting; TiGra Networks; Bandog Media; Team Metalogic; Blue Stag Studio; EarthMonkey Media; Guardian Angel Technology JISC Team: Jacqui Kelly; Will Allen; Andy Stewart; Chris Young; the other BCE Projects 10
- 11. The ‘G-Blog’ Project Contact details: Pam Voisey G-Blog Project Leader University of Glamorgan 01443 482670 glamblog@glam.ac.uk 11