Online presence doubles business confidence

According to a poll of small business owners by thebestof, a national network of local marketing websites, businesses with an online presence are twice as confident about their future growth prospects than those who don’t use the Internet.

Businesses with an established online presence expect to grow by an average of 41% over the next year, while businesses not using the web only expect 20% growth.

The research indicates that businesses are missing opportunities because they dismiss the Internet as irrelevant.

While 16% of office suppliers said that the internet held no potential for their business, thebestof found that some office suppliers generate 20% of their business from the internet.

The poll found that almost 20% of those surveyed felt they were not equipped to take advantage of the internet, while a further 56% felt an online presence was more suited to bigger business.