Internet 'vital' to small business survival

Date: 20th March 2009

Learning to effectively utilise the internet is vital to small business survival during the recession, it has been found.

Research by Easynet Connect, a communications provider, found that almost half of smaller firms - including limited companies and partnerships - see the web as an important tool for their operations.

The group also noted the different ways in which enterprises are using the internet, as three quarters see it as a useful way of growing their business, while 52 per cent believe it will help them better compete with their bigger rivals.

Timothy Francis, head of IT and online marketing at the firm, said: "The internet is one of the most powerful tools for companies of all shapes and sizes."

He added that the web was not only "essential" for engineering marketing and email campaigns, but also allowed firms to monitor their business transactions.

A recent investigation by the telecommunications giant 02 found that 700,000 small businesses were already a member of Twitter, a new online social networking tool.