Amazon brings Scotland Academy business event for SMEs to Dunfermline

A free event aimed at helping businesses across Scotland increase their online sales, build their brand and reach new markets by boosting international exports is coming to the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline on 20th August. The event is free to attend but space is limited and registration is required.

Back for the third year running in Scotland, the Amazon Academy, run in collaboration with small business support network Enterprise Nation, will offer local entrepreneurs and SMEs free workshops with information, tips and insights on how to use e-commerce to grow their business as well as boost export sales and improve customer experience.

The event, held in Dunfermline for the first time, will feature advice and help for local SMEs from experts in business, technology, marketing and more, and tickets can be ordered here.

"We know that Scotland is home to some of the most inventive and innovative small businesses anywhere in the world and that’s why we’re bringing the Amazon Academy Scotland to our town,” said Graham Allison, General Manager at Amazon’s Dunfermline fulfilment centre. “The Amazon Academy has one aim – to help businesses in our community grow by embracing digital technology. A thriving business community has a positive impact on the people of Scotland and the Amazon Academy will help businesses across the country continue to grow by reaching markets and customers around the world via exports. I’m looking forward to welcoming businesses of all shapes and sizes to our fulfilment centre later this month.”

Since launching in 2016, the Amazon Academy has helped over 1,500 SMEs and entrepreneurs across the UK learn how to grow their businesses through greater digital adoption, and forms parts of the company’s ongoing efforts to help SMEs from across the UK grow their businesses, in particular by boosting their e-commerce and export sales.

Amazon offers a suite of support tools to help businesses export their products and services, including providing global delivery and distribution, managing customer services in the local language and translating hundreds of millions of product listings each year on behalf of smaller businesses. As a result, six in ten UK-based businesses selling on Amazon now export abroad, with half of all sales on Amazon's global sites coming from smaller, independent businesses.

“Websites like Amazon are a great way for SMEs in Scotland to break into international markets, and Amazon’s Academy event in Dunfermline perfectly mirrors our mission to help local SMEs grow their business online,” added Emma Jones MBE, Founder, Enterprise Nation which provides expert advice and support for over 70,000 of Britain's SMEs.

“By embracing digital technology for export sales, business can reach their potential more quickly and efficiently and I’m looking forward to meeting hundreds of SMEs and entrepreneurs at the event as we help them expand their horizons with talks, workshops and more.”

The event will also offer guests the opportunity to attend a behind-the-scenes tour of Amazon’s Dunfermline fulfilment centre. Event attendees will see what happens when you click ‘buy’ on Amazon.co.uk. Attendees can choose from either a pre event tour from 8.30am in the morning or a lunchtime tour offered from 1pm.

Members of the public who aren’t attending the Academy can also sign up for a free tour of Amazon here. The tours are open to anyone over the age of six years old. Each tour lasts about one hour, and the maximum number of participants is 25 people.

Businesses interested in selling on Amazon can find more information here.