# Helping small businesses thrive in the digital economy

By Verizon

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The world is going digital. Small businesses need the right tools to succeed and avoid being left behind. Personalized digital learning can help take business owners from where they are to where they need to be, so they can thrive in the digital economy.As a Champion of the  EDISON Alliance – a global movement mobilizing public and private sector action towards bridging the digital divide – Verizon has committed to helping improve 1 billion lives globally through affordable and accessible digital solutions across education, health and financial services by 2025.Verizon Small Business Digital Ready equips small business owners, entrepreneurs and prospective business owners with the skills and technology access they need to participate in the digital economy. The programme offers a free online curriculum that provides learning modules, expert coaching, peer networking and more. It also issues grants directly to select small businesses.

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## Verizon has committed to helping 1 million small businesses become digital-ready by 2030. Through routine surveys with small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), Verizon Business found great demand for this service, including:

77% of SMBs have either added or upgraded technologies that support connectivity since the start of the pandemic63% have transitioned to digital operations

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## The story of this high school student turned CEO is an excellent example of the opportunities that the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready programme can create.

Anwar Dougsiyeh and team, based in Atlanta, GA, are building a music festival and promotion company that they hope will rival Coachella. The team founded their company in 2017, while still in high school.To fill in experience gaps, the CEO sought out business training at a prestigious university but said it was too expensive. On the verge of hiring a business manager, Anwar was introduced to the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready portal by a friend, who found it while searching for grant opportunities.Two weeks after completing the ‘Track Your Finances’ course, Anwar landed a marketing contract with a major beverage company. After taking a digital marketing course through the portal, he started an email campaign that brought in 1,000 ticket sales to his ‘You Are Here’ music festival overnight.The team at Lotus Rosery, co-founded by Anwar, is now hard at work on its next project.

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