Napoleon called the British “a nation of Shopkeepers” (he actually called us “une nation de boutiquiers“). Adam Smith first coined the phrase in 1776, but I digress…

In 2015, I’m wondering why it is so hard to find skilled people who can drive all of the commerce components online?

I’d like us to call them eShopkeepers.

Going back to Napoleon’s comment, was there really anything wrong with the UK’s economic success being attributed to the power of commercial shopkeeping over 200 years ago?

Could the 2015 form of this success as e-shopkeepers be a key driver for growth in the current economic climate?

I’d say so.

We need to train people to have an understanding of eCommerce platforms, Google tools, eMarketplaces and measurement and evaluation dashboards to leverage the power of digital tools for international growth. This will allow us to sell beyond our borders and ensure our tills ring while we sleep.

Through UK Trade & Investment we have a chance to reclaim our Napoleonic title and become a ‘nation of ‘eShopkeepers.’

Lets harness the skills required on eCommerce platforms (eg. Shopify and Magneto), eMarketplaces (Amazon and Ebay) and Google’s impressive suite of tools (Analytics, Adwords and Search Console) to ultimately drive sales and grow our economy.