1.

Adopt a Digital Mindset and philosophy

Challenge both Government and industry to treat Digital Business as a critical growth sector within UK plc. We must work together to secure the right infrastructure and levels of investment, education, job creation and supportive legal frameworks.

2.

Improve Britain’s trading future

Understand that the UK’s digital future is synonymous with its trading future. Businesses and individuals need to invest the time and resources to understand their position in competitive global, national and local digital markets and what that might mean to their business viability mid-to-long term.

3.

Ensure national inclusion

Ensure that no geographical area is excluded from the digital economy. Innovative business ideas and creative individuals can be found across the UK. The joy of digital business is that it can be operated anywhere in the UK, allowing businesses to spring up everywhere. However, we should remember that competitors across the globe can do the same thing, so we need to act now to ensure that our digital assets are fully exploited to the benefit of UK plc.

4.

Provide Digital Skills to all, offering individuals choice and a future that they can control

Give employees, and those seeking to commence or join or return to work, the opportunity to learn digital skills, offering them coaching and encouragement to build trusted networks. In turn, this will assist them in building value both in the organisations for which they work, and in themselves.

5.

Embrace ethical on-line behaviour

Adopt a Digital ‘People’ Charter designed to promote ethical and positive interactions online by providing a conduct framework for social networks and forum owners, along with guidance on social media policies for business owners.

6.

Value the social capital created by individuals

The online reputation of a business has become critically important. Similarly, individuals develop digital equity/reputation, known as social capital. This capital represents a key asset which, when carefully nurtured will benefit the equity/reputation of their business. So it is vital that they have access to digital networks both to transact efficiently and to work effectively in the workplace, at home, or while on the move.

7.

Ensure our Business leaders, Advisors, Mentors and Coaches understand Digital Business

Ensure business leaders, advisors, mentors and coaches embrace and understand the potential of ‘a Digital Business’ to reduce fixed costs and apply an ‘outsourced/networked business model’ throughout their organisation, encouraging the inclusion of small businesses and the self employed.

8.

Recognise the value of home based, digitally connected business in the economy

Raise the status of home-based, networked businesses within large influential institutions, such as the banks, to ensure they understand that in the digital world, measurement of a successful business lies not in employee headcount, nor office size, nor overhead but can be measured in terms of income, network size, influence and sentiment.