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Are You Missing Out on Online Opportunities?
 Small
business, the backbone of the UK economy, is
lagging behind bigger enterprise when it
comes to gaining commercial benefit from the
internet according to new research from UK
Online. The study reveals that a staggering
two thirds of small businesses with 1-10
employees are still doing business without
an internet connection, email or website.
Those small businesses that are online are
also not making best use of their online
presence and in some cases not protecting
their business. The UK Online survey of 200
small business owners with an internet
service revealed that:
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Over half (51%) do not have a company
website
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Almost one in five (17%) are using dial
up connections
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One in five (18%) do not have anti-virus
software
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More than one in three (38%) do not have a
Spam Filter
A third (37%) of small business owners that
are online admit to using a consumer
internet package instead of a business grade
service and are giving out consumer email
addresses on their business cards, company
vehicles and promotional materials.
Shane Redding, Chair of the Institute of
Direct Marketing, B2B Council: “Small
businesses have been relatively slow to reap
the rewards that an effective online
presence can bring. There is a clear need
for small business owners to better
understand the opportunities available so
that they can continue to thrive and compete
against larger businesses.”
The survey has also revealed that the
internet can be a headache for small
business. Without a full time IT manager on
board, the technical support offered by
internet providers becomes crucial. Getting
hold of technical support when something
goes wrong was cited as the major pain point
(43%), especially for those small businesses
using consumer internet packages.
Chris Stening, Managing Director, UK Online
said: “The study shows that small business
owners are just not working online
effectively. We found that a third (35%) of
small business owners struggled to find a
provider that understands their unique small
business needs. There is clearly a need for
a dedicated small business broadband
provider which can provide the right tools
for them to do the job but also back this up
with a technical support which works the
same hours as they do!”
In response to these findings, UK Online has
launched a new package designed specifically
for businesses with between one and ten
employees.
Visit our Internet and Technology portal for
more information on how technology can
benefit your business.
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