A few years ago, the Spanish government launched the so-called Digital Kit, a grant aimed at promoting the digitalization of self-employed workers, micro-enterprises, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To this end, it provided a non-repayable grant to adopt digital solutions to improve your business. But how can you take advantage of the Digital Kit for your self-employed business?
If you own a business and would like to be eligible to receive at least 2.000 euros, then keep reading and we'll tell you a little more about what the digital kit is and how to get the most out of it.
What is the Digital Kit
First of all, it's important to understand what the Digital Kit is. This aid is part of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, which has been financed with the European Union's Next Generation EU funds. It seeks to provide self-employed workers, micro-enterprises, and SMEs with a series of benefits. resources with which to implement digital tools.
For example, the money from the digital kit can be allocate to create a website, to position a website, to manage social networks, to create a store, etc.
Depending on your business and the number of employees, the amount offered by the digital kit varies. For self-employed individuals, which is what we're concerned with, the amount received is approximately 2.000 euros. You don't have to repay this amount, but you will have to pay VAT on the 2.000 euros to the digitalization agent you work with. Unless you choose an agent in the Canary Islands, where VAT is not payable.
Now, those 2.000 euros aren't going to be given to you. In fact, It is the digitalizing agent who will manage them. And they have to be spent within a year. What does this mean? Well, you have to spread the money out. For example, if you want them to manage your social media accounts, you may find that they'll only be responsible for making one post per month on a single social network (true case).
Therefore, the digital kit is not always useful, and you should check carefully with the digitizing agents before signing with one of them.
What benefits does the Digital Kit have for the self-employed?
Digitalization itself has multiple advantages for the self-employed. One of the first is the possibility of delegate tasks to other people so you can focus on more specific business tasks. For example, instead of creating the website or positioning it yourself, someone else would take care of it.
This is not the only advantage it gives you. You can also adapt to new technologies, with the goal of becoming more competitive in your sector. But you'll also be improving communication with your customers, which will lead to greater loyalty and satisfaction.
What are the requirements for the Digital Kit?
To access the Digital Kit, you must be self-employed or have an SME. In addition, You cannot have any outstanding debt with either the Treasury or Social Security, nor exceed the aid limit (that is, you have not received aid in the last 3 years that exceeds 200.000 euros).
Finally, you have to do the digital diagnostic test.
Once you have all this, you need to register on the Acelera pyme platform and request the digital voucher. A digitalization agent can also handle this.
After being notified that your application has been approved, you'll need to select a digitalization agent who will be responsible for managing the funds and using them according to the digital solution you choose. You'll sign a solutions provision agreement with them, and they'll work with you to get everything up and running.
What digital solutions does the Digital Kit offer?
If you are going to consider ordering the Digital Kit, then you should know that, once granted, you will have to choose one or more of the following options:
- Website and Internet Presence: This refers to creating or improving a website for its positioning.
- E-commerce: creating or improving an online store.
- Social media management: establishing strategies and optimizing social media presence.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Creating a system to manage and administer customers.
- Business intelligence and analytics: to analyze data and make decisions.
- Virtual office tool services: to facilitate collaborative work and communication within the company.
- Process management: with the aim of improving efficiency in the company and among employees.
- Electronic invoicing: widely used now that it is going to be mandatory.
- Secure communications: to generate a secure communication chain within the company.
- Cybersecurity: to protect the company from digital threats.
How to get the most out of your Digital Kit
Now that you have a better foundation and are more familiar with the Digital Kit, do you want to make the most of it? So, before choosing the digital solution, try evaluate and analyze what your needs are. This way, you can choose the one that truly serves you strategically. For example, if you already have social media coverage and are comfortable with it, it might be better to position your page instead of managing the networks.
On the other hand, you must talk to several digitizing agents. Don't choose the first one you see or who speaks to you, because not all offer the same level of service. Some work very little and want to earn a lot; while others can provide you with a service more in line with the money the government gives them.
Another aspect to consider is that The digital voucher sometimes allows you to contract more than one solution. Of course, the limit is usually the amount of aid granted. If you want more, you'll have to pay out of your own pocket.
Finally, the advice we give you is that learn how to use the digital solution yourself. Keep in mind that the digitizer's support will only last for one year, but after that, you'll be on your own. So, if you learn how to use it, you'll be able to continue managing this tool and monitoring its impact on your business to see if it's effective for you.
Have you requested the Digital Kit? How was your experience? We'll read your comments.