Online Business Workplace Groningen (WOO-Groningen)

The Online Business Workplace Groningen (WOO-Groningen) supports small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) in taking the next step in online entrepreneurship with the help of students and experts.
WOO-Groningen connects questions from entrepreneurs to assignments in education with students. A win-win situation for both: help and growth for the company and a great learning experience for the student. And a third 'win' for education through the input of assignments from the work field.

Taking advantage of online opportunities

As an SME entrepreneur, it can be difficult to recognise online opportunities and make optimal use of them. Lack of time, knowledge and financial resources can play a role in this. WOO-Groningen helps companies with questions such as:

• How do I make sure I'm easy to find?
• How does online entrepreneurship lead to more growth?
• What is a good online strategy for me?
• How do I get more visitors to my website?

Through WOO-Groningen, students support companies in all steps of the online marketing process: from making an online (marketing) strategy and (online) campaigns and expressions, to monitoring and analysing results.

Samenwerking

WOO-Groningen is a collaboration between Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Noorderpoort and the University of Groningen. For every entrepreneurial question, WOO-Groningen looks for the most suitable (educational) trajectory to use as a starting point for students. This can be in a project, internship, graduation, minor or course. For example, it will be integrated into a marketing communication block at Noorderpoort, in the minor Digital Marketing at Hanze University of Applied Sciences and as a consultancy assignment at the University of Groningen. Students not only use their own insights, but work in coordination with teachers and with experts from the field. Companies that like to share their knowledge, experience and tools with SME entrepreneurs and students. For example, as a guest speaker, supervisor of student assignments or (co)organiser of knowledge sessions.

Impact of WOO-Groningen

Since the start in September 2019, WOO-Groningen has already helped more than 1000 SME entrepreneurs in the province of Groningen get started with online marketing, sales and communication. They see the effects reflected in improved findability and visibility, growth in turnover and/or new customer groups and work areas (also internationally). But also in a better understanding of the online possibilities and opportunities for their company. For students, along with interesting, real questions from entrepreneurs, this method provides great contacts with companies in the region. From the start, a total of around 375 students have been involved in practice-oriented assignments for entrepreneurs and these students see concrete results from what they have learnt during their education.