The weight of small and medium-sized companies in the Spanish economy is unquestionable. The figures are compelling. SMEs make up 99.9% of the national business fabric, account for 65% of GDP and generate three out of four jobs. Many of them, moreover, are micro-enterprises with fewer than ten workers and a turnover of less than two million euros. In just a few years, digital transformation has had a full impact on their business models.
New technologies are decisive tools that help increase your productivity, explore other avenues of income, reduce inequality and establish new ways of relating to customers and employees. In record time, many of these SMEs have incorporated big data, automation processes, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things into their daily lives… But putting all these mechanisms into operation is not always easy.
The difficulties are even greater in smaller companies. Reaching the goal requires, on the one hand, a change in mentality and work culture and, on the other, having sufficient financing. Precisely to help SMEs on their path to digitization, the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), which articulates the funds of the European NextGeneration EU program, has launched numerous measures for small and medium-sized companies to improve their digital skills and quickly integrate new technologies into their different activities.
One of them is the program Digital kit. Its budget reaches 3,067 million euros in non-refundable grants and is aimed at one million SMEs with up to 50 employees and self-employed workers. Digitizing Agents are in charge of providing companies that request the different solutions available in the market, related to aspects such as electronic commerce, marketing, customer and supplier management, process automation or cybersecurity, among others. . Tools that help companies to be more competitive and to modernize so as not to be left behind.
The aids of Digital kit, in effect until December 2024, are allocated in order until the money is exhausted. But there is a problem. These funds are taking longer than expected to arrive, due to slow and expensive administrative procedures. Furthermore, these solutions do not provide SMEs with a global remedy for digital transformation needs. For this reason, the company Sage, a leader in cloud accounting and business management solutions, has decided to launch its own Aid Plan for SMEwhich complements the grants that companies can already obtain through the Digital kit.
The Sage program includes a financial contribution, access to a training platform and personalized advice to companies that request it.
The three axes of the program
With a contribution of seven million euros, this initiative It will be available until the end of the year or until the fund is exhausted. So far, the company has already received more than 500 applications. The plan is divided into three axes, as explained by its general director for Spain and Portugal, José Luis Martín Zabala. On the one hand, it has an economic bonus that Sage grants almost immediately -in just 48 working hours-, without administrative obstacles or delays, which allows the SME that requests it to expand the scope of its digital transformation process. It also includes a training plan: it is an exclusive platform developed by Sage to strengthen companies on their path towards digital transformation, with an emphasis on business efficiency and the development of new business models, and includes access to webinars and content to make the most of all its possibilities. All this allows SMEs to improve their management and their business evolution.
Finally, the plan offers personalized advice: after analyzing the company in detail, Sage experts draw up a specific and tailored business and digital transformation plan adapted to the specific needs of each company. Any company that needs to improve the efficiency of their processes by implementing a Sage solution (from freelancers to startups, SMEs, professional offices or even large corporations) can request this aid plan. “The only requirement is that they want to improve and implement an integrated management or ERP billing solution, or human capital management,” says Martín Zabala.
To ensure that companies successfully complete their digitization process, the plan contemplates different areas of support, training and development. In addition, it is compatible with public subsidies from the Digital kit. The process to request it is simple. Just access the request form on the Sage website and an agent will contact you in a day or two. It is not necessary to present any documents. These aids can also be accessed through the partners that collaborate with Sage, specialized in digital solutions for accounting and billing, human resources and payroll.
“Our proposal for the Spanish business fabric is unique and differentiated. For more than 40 years we have been accompanying SMEs and professional firms in their transformation and technological evolution”, concludes the general director of Sage in Spain.
Our proposal for the Spanish business fabric is unique and differentiated. For more than 40 years we have been accompanying SMEs and professional firms in their transformation and technological evolution
José Luis Martín Zabala, general director of Sage for Spain and Portugal
adapted solutions
The Sage-powered plan includes several tools. Sage Accounting and Billing offers cloud solutions for startups and freelancers. Sage 50 allows integrated business management with banks, through a CRM. Sage 200 is a complete modular integrated management proposal that adapts to the needs of medium-sized companies. Sage HR automates and manages the human resources of SMEs in the cloud. The complete accounting, financial, labor and tax management solution for consultancies and law firms is called Sage Despachos Connected. In addition, Sage XRT helps companies solve their liquidity management needs, automate their treasury processes, and connect with banks. Finally, Sage X3 makes it easy to manage complex business processes, with languages, currencies, and laws from 25 countries.
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