Small businesses strive to endure and benefit from the constant change we all face in today’s marketplace. Verizon is working to help make the drastic changes the economy and our society have undergone since March 2020, more manageable and productive for small businesses through its new Small Business Digital Ready Program that launched September 13.

“Small businesses have always been the lifeblood of the American economy,” said Tupac A. Hunter, director of state and local government affairs for Verizon’s Central Region. “As our society continues to grow leaps and bounds technologically, it is vitally important for small businesses to keep pace in order to not only survive, but thrive in an increasingly digitized marketplace. That’s why Verizon is committed to providing small businesses the tools and resources they need to succeed.”

Tupac A. Hunter
Director of State & Local Government Affairs, Verizon Central Region
“As our society continues to grow leaps and bounds technologically, it is vitally important for small businesses to keep pace in order to not only survive, but thrive in an increasingly digitized marketplace.”

Transforming small businesses

Even before COVID-19 entered our daily vocabulary, the world was turning digital. During the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of small businesses closed temporarily or permanently across the nation. Minority- and women-owned businesses have been hit particularly hard. Those who remain now face a challenging labor market and an increasingly digital world that demands attention and investment. Adapting to this new digital-heavy landscape is essential to the future success of small businesses. Verizon’s Small Business Digital Ready Program offers small business owners the opportunity not only to learn but to thrive in this environment through a variety of ways.

The program offers an online curriculum designed to give businesses the tools they need to thrive in today’s digital economy. Developed by small business owners with a record of success in the digital economy, Small Business Digital Ready was developed with a curriculum that is simple to use, with all the information available online in one place.

The program gives diverse small businesses free access to personalized learning plans, coaching from business experts, opportunities to network with other small businesses to learn and share advice, and exclusive grants of $10,000 and product discounts. Tupac said Verizon hopes  to sign up 20,000 small business owners who will use the online curriculum to expand their digital skills. Small business owners interested in registering for the program may do so at http://verizon.com/smallbusinessdigitalready