Virgin Media O2 forges ahead with SME partnerships

In February 2023, Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) announced that it was boosting upload speeds for free across its business broadband service for such firms. Now, furthering its SME offer, the company has launched a Small Business Partnerships initiative with brands Virgin StartUp, GoDaddy and egg to bring exclusive offers to small business customers.

VMO2 said the launch of the Small Business Partnerships initiative represents a significant milestone in its mission to support small businesses across the UK, building a robust support network that delivers more than just reliable connectivity.

By collaborating with the leading brands, the project aims to create a dynamic ecosystem to support entrepreneurs and what it believes are the unique challenges their businesses can face, equipping entrepreneurs across the UK with the technology, resources and networks to succeed.

In practice, through the partnerships, new and existing Virgin Media O2 small business customers will gain access to offers from Virgin StartUp, GoDaddy and egg, providing what are regarded as the essential tools and resources to help grow their businesses. In return, Virgin Media O2 said it will offer small business customers of Virgin StartUp, GoDaddy, and egg competitive deals on broadband and mobile services, ensuring they get the best connectivity solutions for their needs.

Virgin StartUp is a not-for-profit organisation that helps future founders start, fund and grow the businesses they’re passionate about. It offers free advice, access to funding, mentoring and a community of founders. As part of this partnership, Virgin StartUp will offer a 50% discount on its 12-topic on-demand video course, which covers key steps from customer research to brand development and investor readiness.

Entrepreneurs services platform GoDaddy provides domains, business applications, presence and commerce, and hosting and security services. Through this partnership, it is now offering a 40% discount on all Website Builder Plans.

A Liberty Global-owned company, egg looks to help make it easier for businesses to move to a more sustainable future with clean energy solutions including solar power, storage and electric vehicle charging. Egg’s exclusive offer for Virgin Media O2 customers includes savings on EV charging points for employees and customers.

Commenting on the Small Business Partnerships, Chris Holmes, director of SOHO at Virgin Media O2, said: “Virgin Media O2 is committed to helping businesses of all sizes stay connected, competitive and ready for the future. By partnering with Virgin StartUp, GoDaddy and egg, our all-new Small Business Partnerships initiative ensures our customers have access to great discounts on industry-leading technology, expert guidance and strategic resources.

“In turn, their customers can also access these benefits from us, helping them seize new opportunities and achieve further growth. We’re excited to build on these partnerships in the future and to continue powering small businesses across the UK, providing them with the tools they need to succeed.”

Andy Fishburn, managing director at Virgin StartUp, added: “Virgin Media O2 has always been a big supporter of small businesses and startups, so we know this partnership will bring huge value both to members in our online community and Virgin Media O2’s SOHO customers. Together, we are committed to helping the next generation of founders to connect and learn from each other as they start and scale better businesses in the UK.”