Internet can help beat the downturn

Firms that advertise their businesses online have a much better chance of increasing sales, a new survey has found.

According to a study carried out by the Federation of Small Businesses of over 8,000 of its members, 43 per cent of respondents said that sales rose by as much as a fifth after they used the internet to promote their businesses.

Dr Gary Packham, head of enterprise at the University of Glamorgan, where the report was compiled, said: “These figures show the very clear link between new technologies and business growth.

“If the country’s 4.7 million small businesses are to take advantage of the internet to grow their businesses and the economy, they will need good quality services to be in place, as well as good information and education about how to use them.”

John Walker, the FSB’s national policy chairman, added: “The number of small businesses who have their own website has grown over the past two years, which indicates that small firms are becoming increasingly internet-savvy. Despite the onset of an economic downturn, all small firms should look to the internet to maximise their sales and increase efficiency.”