More than five million users in small and medium-sized (SMEs) businesses and small-office, home-offices (SOHOs) across 14 European and African countries benefitted from V-Hub, the free digital advisory service from Vodafone Business. This is up from 3.6 million customers this time last year.

V-Hub was launched in July 2020 in response to the pandemic and is designed to help SMEs and SOHOs increase their understanding of the complexities of the evolving digital landscape by providing them with personal advice on how they can navigate their own digital transformation.  Vodafone Business is expanding the service later this year to give every user access to a bespoke action plan in addition to ongoing one-to-one advice with an expert advisor and exclusive content at no extra cost.

The move is designed to help many more individuals and smaller companies with limited digital and IT resources gain the necessary digital skills to be able to manage networks, productivity tools and the cyber security defences required to compete globally. It also supports the European Commission’s goal for more than 90% of SMEs to reach a basic level of digital intensity, and underpins Vodacom’s drive to develop affordable financial and digital services at scale in Africa.

Amanda Jobbins, Chief Marketing Officer & Director of Strategic Partners at Vodafone Business, said: “Many SMEs are starved of personalised digital advice and services, and V-Hub aims to change that. By 2025, we aim to support seven million users to digitalise with V-Hub’s practical and applicable advice, and access to local-to-global digital communities.

“This will make a real difference to the SMEs that make up 90% of all businesses, and employ between two-thirds and 90% of workers, in Europe, Egypt, and South Africa where the service is available.”

V-Hub’s popularity is growing. In the first three months of 2023, more than 35% of SMEs and SOHOs have come back to the site, attracted by the advice Vodafone Business offers, including one-to-one conversations with an advisor and usable tips like search engine optimisation (SEO) and hybrid working. Also, in Germany and the Netherlands, broadband speeds and 5G are very topical, whereas UK firms want to know more about how digital tools can help them manage the rising cost of living.