“I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them.” Isaac Asimov, Science Fiction author

“The Internet is like a city, filled with palaces of wisdom, libraries, museums, art galleries, theatres, entertainment and shops.” Stephen Fry, writer and comedian

“There are no areas where the Internet cannot improve your life”. Martha Lane Fox, Founder of lastminute.com and the current Government Digital Champion

Our Story – how and why we started

• My background: Nottingham, London, South America then Oxon!

• Finding a Niche: it all started with a Church…

• Fixing Companies vs Training Companies

• A Sporadic Network: one-man-bands vs national networks

• Taking the Service to the Customer: launching 1-on-1 training

• Professionalise the Industry: Brand Name, Booking service, Experienced Tutors and Pimlico Plumbers!

Where are we Now…

• Our hubs: current locations and new launches

• Our customers: the over 65s, their network and computer literacy

• Our oldest customer = 93 years old! It’s never too late…“Old people find computers intimidating, but my tutor is patient and happy to

work at my pace. For a great-grandmother aged 93 it gives me great opportunities for keeping in touch with the family overseas”

• Our lessons: 1-on-1 in the home and mini-group lessons

Where are we Now… (continued)

• Our Platforms: PCs and Apple Macs taught

• Our Training: tweaking and using customer feedback

• Practice, repetition and an on-going commitment to learn

• A Two-Way Relationship: Basic skills vs “cheats” and “shortcuts”

• Less interference: letting the customer do the work

• Our Expansion Model: Centralised, not Franchised – central office, more control, more revenue, more admin assistance

The Market / What we Have Learned

• “Older people are being left on wrong side of the digital divide” – the facts:

10 million people remain “offline” – 6 million of which are over 65 Up to £600 of savings from Internet usage each year £22bn into the economy if everyone was online Jobseekers increase their chances by 10% with web skills Health advantages – brain power, memory and attention span

The Market / What we Have Learned (continued)

• Quantifying the figures – what do we know so far?

Learning is an INVESTMENT: long-term work, repeated often

All ‘learning’ shares this principle: repeated personal tuition works!

Money well spent - our Oxford customer: beginner to trainer!

The right Work Ethic - focus on the feedback of customers:

a) Instructions and materialb) Flexibility with lessons

c) Small groupsd) Own machinese) Local venues

f) Prioritise key topics, e.g. the Internet

The Market / What we Have Learned (continued)

• Analyse your customers: why are people Technophobic?

Fear of the unknown – clear explanations and proof of success

Try it – it doesn’t bite! Take an easy introduction to get started…

Quality and Trust – inexperience does more harm than good

Use it for what YOU want – common complaints and their solutions

The Market / What we Have Learned (continued)

• Know who you are: A premium service and a preference for 1-on-1

• Private sector vs Public sector: the difficulty with on-going funding

• Working Together: partnerships and a two-way street

• Low income customers: a middle ground? Nominet and Recycling..

= High quality providers in each market will bring about change

The Future: Some thoughts…

• Spreading the word….OFFLINE! Print, radio and word of mouth

• New Markets and new Services: Staff training, E Learning, Remote?

• Continuity and combining forces: the requirement of “income”

• Longevity of the sector? Changing technology – “the cloud”!

• Fewer providers, wider reach…

• Long term help, constant access and on-going learning

= True engrained knowledge for a generation!

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING