How SMEs Struggle With Digital Services | BCC Research

British Chamber of Commerce research highlights SME struggles with digital services.

Partnering with the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC), Vodafone Business recently commissioned a survey covering over 900 small to medium businesses, asking about their current challenges. The findings found that many of these SME businesses are facing issues when it comes to managing their digital tools, such as broadband and collaboration tools, in the current economic climate, citing costs, a lack of time and inflexibility as the key challenges.

These finding showcase yet another struggle faced by SMEs, at a time when many are also combatting inflation and rising energy costs among other causes for concern.

Key statistics from the survey results were:

• 38% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) believe they lack capacity to manage multiple ICT suppliers, contracts, and licences as they try to stay afloat in the challenging economic environment
• Quarter of SMEs (25%) feel their current digital tools are not resilient enough to help protect their business from emerging challenges
• More than one in five SMEs (22%) are not confident that their digital tools are secure
• 17% of SMEs disagree their current suppliers of connectivity tools help them to adapt to changing circumstances

With almost four in ten businesses surveyed stating that they struggled to manage multiple digital tools suppliers, contracts and licenses, this stood out as a significant concern for SMEs.

When it came to emerging trends, a quarter of SMEs did not feel that the digital tools they had were enough to help tackle these ever-evolving trends and changes. A fifth of the SMEs surveyed did not feel their digital tools were secure, and 17% of them did not believe their current suppliers enabled them to adapt to changing circumstances.
 
Commenting on the results of the BCC Connectivity Survey 2022, Andrew Stevens, Head of UK Small and Medium Business, Vodafone said:

“Given the current economic climate, we believe even more needs to be done to make life easier for SMEs and give them the flexibility they need.

“That’s why we’ve launched Vodafone Pulse Connect - a flexible and secure offering for SMEs that bundles mobile, enterprise grade broadband and collaboration tools into one ultimate package, all covered by just one monthly bill. With the ability to ‘flex’ services as required, SMEs can quickly adapt to new challenges when they need to.”

To find out more about Vodafone Pulse Connect visit:
https://www.vodafone.co.uk/business/vodafone-pulse-connect