Small businesses urged to embrace IT

The ability to get to grips with computer systems is essential for success in the modern business world, a new report has stated.

According to the Cranfield School of Management, small firms that fail to properly engage with IT products risk falling behind their competitors and will ultimately struggle to survive.

The study found that 60 per cent of small and medium-sized business owners believe that the use of internet technology has improved the efficiency of their operations, although 46 per cent said that it had made running a company more complicated, Connect.co.uk reports.

However, co-author of the report Andrew Burke dismissed these concerns, stating: "It simply becomes necessary in order to compete."

David Thorp of the Chartered Institute of Marketing recently advised small companies to reach out to potential customers through internet marketing techniques, although the Federation of Small Businesses has warned that the dangers of cyber crime are particularly prevalent for business start-ups.