A new report launched today by accounting software company Sage, has revealed that 92 per cent of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) now depend on technology for business survival but concerns around costs, skills and knowledge are holding them back from going further and faster.
Sage's Digital Britain: How Small Businesses are turning the tide on tech report published today reveals how SMEs are at a critical tech tipping point, representing a significant opportunity to boost the UK’s economy.
Sage commissioned the study, launched at a House of Commons event today, of 5,000 SMEs across the country to understand the level of digitalisation and how it is boosting UK economic growth. SMEs represents 61 per cent of UK jobs and 52 per cent of UK turnover.
The research shows that almost two thirds of SMEs are using technology to cut costs and better compete for customers. Ninety-two percent of SMEs now depend on technology for business survival but concerns around costs, skills and knowledge are delaying tech adoption.
With the right policy framework, Sage’s new report reveals the huge potential for SMEs to create a high-growth digital economy, which could unlock an extra £232 billion for the economy annually.
Sage is calling on big tech companies and government to adopt a pro-tech, pro-enterprise approach and deliver improved financial incentives to encourage greater investment in productivity-enhancing technologies, more data sharing so SMEs can innovate to develop their digital infrastructure.
Steve Hare, CEO, Sage, said: “Over the past two years, businesses have demonstrated incredible resilience against a backdrop of huge uncertainty. We know there’s been a significant shift in the adoption of technology, with 91 per cent of SMEs telling us it was vital in the creation of their business.
“Digitalisation amongst SMEs represents a significant opportunity for the UK in terms of economic contribution, job creation and the upskilling of the workforce, which cannot be overlooked. But we need to help businesses take full advantage of the strength of technology; to do this, the government must prioritise the incentives needed to encourage further investment.”
Research findings:
The top barriers for investment are cost and understanding:
SMBs must prioritise investment in digital tools to successfully mitigate against macroeconomic challenges
Data is an important area of untapped potential
The pandemic prompted a fundamental perception shift across SMBs regarding digital technology
Effective action by government and policy makers could unlock an additional £232 billion in gross value add via digitalisation to the economy
Based on the Digital Britain findings, Sage has three asks of the government and other big technology companies to help deliver a robust and dynamic digital landscape:
Creating an AI framework that will enable all businesses to use data more freely for research purposes
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