Breaking the 'can't adopt, won't adopt' cycle in UK small business tech adoption

A report prepared by PolicyDepartment for Enterprise Nation and Dropbox found that business leaders could save an average of 150 hours each year by adopting new tech tools and digitalising processes. The analysis draws on a 900-strong survey of business owners and leaders conducted between September and November 2021.

The majority (73%) credited the survival of their business through the COVID pandemic to tech tools like cloud computing and video conferencing. But not all were making full use of the tools available to claim back wasted time or amplify sales. Respondents cited lack of information, guidance and the perceived cost of licences as barriers to greater uptake.

The report makes recommendations to:

Businesses - test the market. 'Tech tools usually offer a free tier of service. Business owners should test the market for entry-level deals.'

Government - open up financial support for tech adoption to more businesses and use cases. 'Widen the scale, scope and eligibility criteria of government initiatives [like Help To Grow Digital].'

Tech industry - improve communication of benefits to small businesses. 'As the subject-matter experts on tech, industry players must finds stronger mechanisms for educating the smallest businesses.'

You can read the full report here.