On the path to digitalization – Entrepreneur’s experiences with the digital pilot

At EntreFox’s Digital Pilots, we have supported +55-year-old entrepreneurs in digital literacy and lifelong learning by developing the company’s digitalization. Digital pilots have included the development of social media communications, training in the use of various software and platforms, mapping of new systems and website consulting. Each digital pilot is designed based on the needs of the entrepreneur and the company.

Tiina Purhonen is one of the entrepreneurs who has been involved in the digital pilot for the second time.

Tiina is a long-time entrepreneur, and her Kielikumppani-business (language partner in Finnish) turned a respectable 20 years last summer.

We interviewed Tiina and asked her to share her experiences with the digital pilots.

Tiina said she heard about the digital pilots from EntreFox’s project manager, Marika Säisä, with whom she has collaborated before. The COVID pandemic also affected the business of Kielikumppani, creating the need for change and new ideas for business development. The digital pilot sounded like a good solution to get expert help, and so she decided to get involved.

The goal of the digital pilot was to revamp the Kielikumppani-website into an online store and at the same time develop the process of purchasing language training to be more digital and to meet the needs of different customer groups. After the completion of the online store, Tiina has noticed that there is a clear demand for it, and the business has started briskly. Displaying the content of the courses and the prices clearly has encouraged customers to be in contact.

I have received a lot of help and support, I was able to turn the old pages of Kielikumppani into the only online store for language skills in Finland, Tiina says.

She says that she is very satisfied with the student work. The students have done expert work, been friendly and listened to her wishes. The collaboration has worked great, and the result is Finland’s only online store for language skills, where it is easy for customers to get the exact training that suits their needs.

The digital pilot has been a clear business aid to the operations of Kielikumppani, and I believe it will continue to do so in the future. All in all, great collaboration, which has led to the creation of a unique online store, Tiina sums up.

 

A total of more than 120 companies from Southwest Finland and Uusimaa have participated in EntreFox’s four different services, of which just under a quarter participated for digital pilots. The EntreFox project will end in June 2022, and the final digital pilots are currently being worked on while the Entrepreneur Development Path is being finalized.

We would like to warmly thank all the entrepreneurs who participated in the digital pilots!

 

Interviewee:

Tiina Purhonen, language trainer, kielikumppani.fi

 

Authors:

Marika Säisä, EntreFox Project Manager and lecturer

Samuli Gratscheff, EntreFox Student Project Manager

 

Originally posted on the 16th of May, 2022