Last updated 16:07, Friday, 25 July 2008

THE UNIVERSITY of Cumbria opened its doors to Workington businesses last month. Budding entrepreneurs had the chance to find out how to maximise their marketing powers by using the internet as a means of selling their products.

Lynne Hardman: Owner of Colour Me Clodhoppers found the workshop valuable in widening her online knowledge

The introduction to e-commerce and online selling tutorial, which was held at St Joseph’s Business and Enterprise College on Harrington Road, was the first time the course had been run in the town and turned out to be quite popular.

Seaton-based business Colour Me Clodhoppers were one of the companies who attended.

Company owner Lynne Hardman and her sister, IT consultant Catherine Fish, were delighted at the opportunity to access such valuable business skills at a local venue.

Lynne said: “The workshop has made me much more aware of the potential for online selling and of ways to use my website for marketing purposes.

“My business is quite unique as I offer bespoke shoe dyeing for shoes as well as other accessories. Like many businesses, an increasing proportion of sales coming through the website and so this workshop proved very timely.”

The tutorial was led by Denise Clayton, a lecturer in ICT at the university and her workshop covered how e-commerce can be a useful marketing tool. She explained ways to start selling online from using e-bay, off the shelf e-commerce software or via bespoke e-commerce platforms.

Sybil Worsley, business and enterprise manager at St Joseph’s, said: “We are very excited by the potential of working with the University to improve the higher level skills of businesses in the Workington area.

“We already work closely with the Adult Education Centre and the university input is a welcome addition in providing higher level business skills for local companies of all sizes.”

Other courses will be run later this year.

If you would like details, contact Martin Pyrah on 015394 30270 or martin.pyrah@cumbria.ac.uk