The New Year is a time for businesses to take stock of last year's activities, achievements and challenges, make resolutions and put those plans into action that you penned in 2013.

No doubt many businesses will be looking at how they can broaden their horizons by improving their online presence or by getting better connected to help them expand.

David Prosser hit the nail on the head in a recent article in The Independent, when he stated that high street retailers should embrace the internet to secure their futures.

Small independent retailers, he said, should take advantage of the greater ease of creating an online presence. Rather than reject e-commerce, small retailers can collaborate to create a stronger presence and open up a global customer base. The sky really is the limit!

This concept stretches far beyond small retail businesses and e-commerce.

A website or social media feed gives a shop window for any business and that window ought to be polished. Regularly.

With our greatly improved broadband connectivity, wealth of talented online creative and IT expertise, York businesses – whether urban or rural – should make sure they don't miss out.

Innovations in digital services mean that it has never been more important for businesses to get connected and snap up the opportunities that a presence, or greater presence, can offer.

There are many opportunities throughout the city to learn about getting connected and improving your cyber relations – so no excuses.

We are also reassured by high profile international trade relations visits that opportunities for working internationally are readily available, giving a real opportunity for companies wishing to collaborate and export goods and services abroad.

At York St John University, we are working to further strengthen our international relations and collaborations to consistently improve the student experience. In fact, one of our international projects has just been highly commended in the Times Higher Education Awards, which demonstrates the calibre of our international working.

With global mobility on the up – on and offline – and international collaborations on the increase, it has never been more important for businesses to get connected. And the same goes for universities, too, to help prepare our students for a global market place.