Compare Community has been available in the Slack app and online for a couple of months. The idea was born in DigitalWell Innovation Support, where Caroline Blixt saw a pattern among the entrepreneurs who got in touch.

- A lot of questions came back, so we started posting the answers in a community. What happens then is that the entrepreneurs can also help each other, says Caroline Blixt, Compare's community manager.

Quite quickly, new uses for the community were seen, for example creating a channel for companies that need help digitizing their operations. In Compare's initiative Be Digital, there is already a function for finding suppliers, and in addition, all Värmland companies are currently being offered free expert hours on digitization issues.

Caroline Blixt believes that Compare Community can act as a bridge builder:

- Here you don't need to know all the right expressions to ask a question about digitalisation, I think that's super important. It will be an easy way to make contact and start a communication.

"Opportunities at all levels"

At the same time, the community also opens up knowledge exchanges between companies active in the digital sector, or for students who are on their way there.

- It creates opportunities on all different levels - from wanting to bring in a developer to students being able to apply for jobs, or one company wanting to borrow skills from another, says Caroline Blixt.

Caroline Blixt, Compare's community manager.

So far, the business has been a bit of a beta test. The next step will be to invite all of Compare's member companies to build a larger knowledge bank with digital suppliers, but the platform is open to anyone who is interested.

- The more you give - the more you get. No one lays out a complete business plan, but small tips can generate new customers when you share knowledge, says Caroline Blixt.

Sticky Beat hopes for creative meetings

Nisse Bryngfors, creative developer at Sticky Beat, is one of those who found their way to the Compare Community. Sticky Beat already uses Slack as its primary communication channel internally. He thinks an advantage is that the communication takes place asynchronously, which places less demand on being available for a longer period of time or at specific times.

Nisse Bryngfors does not primarily see Compare Community as a place to do business, but rather to network and find new collaborations.

- At Sticky Beat, we are keen to always offer knowledge, be welcoming and inclusive and listen to other people's ideas and spin them on together. We are also curious about everything else that happens in our industry and all good initiatives and innovations that arise in Värmland. I hope Compare Community develops into such a meeting place where all this happens.

The Compare Community is open to anyone who is interested in digital in – or outside – Värmland.
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