Google’s looking to mark International Small Business Week in Europe with a range of new initiatives designed to help SMBs succeed via digital tools.

And after the disruption of COVID for the past two years, SMBs definitely need all the help they can get at present.

As per Google:

“According to the European Commission, 99% of all businesses in the EU are small businesses, and they employ around 100 million people, forming the backbone of our economies.”

As such, these new support initiatives could provide significant value in helping SMBs get back on track, and move into the digital age in a more informed, focused way.

First off, Google will provide various new, free training initiatives for SMBs across the EU:

“In Spain, we’re working with Fundae to offer Google Career Certificate scholarships to 1,000 small and medium businesses to fuel opportunities for their business, and create new opportunities for their workforce. In Germany, we’re launching eight new free-of-charge online trainings in Google Zukunftswerkstatt to help small businesses improve their digital skills and grow online.”

The new training programs will provide valuable pathways for EU businesses to improve their online presence, with insights direct from Google’s own marketing and promotion experts.

Google’s also offering new support programs for businesses Germany, Spain or Ireland which will include:

• Three months of Google Workspace free of charge
• €150 or more off a Chromebook
• 60 days of Shopify free of charge
• 40% off a domain from Google Domains (Germany only)

As you can see, each of these elements can be claimed from the local Google Small Business Week site (available via the links in this post).

The assistance packages will be available to any SMB that meets the eligibility requirements till September 16th.

Finally, Google’s also running a ‘Heroes of Small Business’ sweepstakes, through which people will be able to nominate their favorite Spanish-based small business for a chance to win them dedicated assistance from Google.

Google also notes that all businesses in Europe can claim and verify their Business Profile directly on Google Search or the Google Maps app – which you definitely should do.

But if you’re looking for extra assistance, it may be worth looking into these new SMB packages from the Big G, and getting more insight into how to optimize your Google presence.