How can SME's benefit from the London 2012 Olympic Games?
Neil Crockett, MD Cisco London 2012, looks at how small and medium enterprises can maximise on both the short and long term benefits of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
With less than one year to go until the London 2012 Olympic Games, excitement is increasing in the build up to this momentous event. Opportunities to grasp contracts and tenders may now be drawing to a close but there are still ways for SMEs to benefit from London 2012. Whether businesses are seeking employee satisfaction or long term growth from the Olympic Games, it is not too late for UK SMEs to capitalise on this once in a lifetime event.
You don't have to be a large London-based enterprise to achieve real business benefits from the Games. SMEs outside London and the South East have been awarded prestigious Olympic Games contracts and there's still the opportunity for SMEs to be involved. CompeteFor is a free web-based service that enables businesses to compete for contract opportunities linked to the London 2012 Games. If your business isn't registered – it really should be as there may still be a chance to be considered for some of the remaining contracts on offer.
Now is also the time to start looking at what you are doing internally to share the magic of the Games with your team. Arranging to watch the Games together at work is a great and affordable way to enhance teambuilding and employee satisfaction. After all, this is a once in a lifetime event for the UK and if embraced, the Games could really help unite your workforce. I'm not saying that during the Games time the office should come to a standstill – but if managed correctly, London 2012 has the potential to be uniting rather than disruptive.
But what about when the Games come to an end - does the benefit for your business end there? We don't think so. Whilst there are many opportunities before and during the Games, SMEs can also look forward to the legacy that London 2012 is leaving behind. The Games can act as platform for SME growth and we plan to help such businesses in the coming years. The British Innovation Gateway (BIG), announced by David Cameron and Cisco CEO, John Chambers in January set out plans to help build a brilliant future for technological innovation in the UK. Cisco will be working closely with the Olympic Park Legacy Company to allow SMEs to flourish post Games. The BIG initiative supports the Government's plan to create an East London Tech City from the legacy of London 2012, where high tech start-ups and SMEs can work.
I am confident that Olympic Games can act as a platform for SME growth which spans far beyond summer 2012. As long as businesses plan, prepare and capitalise on these opportunities, London 2012 is sure to play an integral role in the UK's sustainable prosperity and long-term SME growth.