Most small-business owners intend to be more digitally proficient

Digital Transformation

New research reveals that eight in 10 Australian small-business owners under 40 years old are keen to be more digitally proficient, and five in 10 say that digital enhancement will play a bigger greater role in their business post-COVID-19.

The data, on the back of a survey conducted by MYOB of 1050 small businesses, shows that 60 per cent of SME owners say that the main benefit of digital tools is access to more customers and 63 per cent say that it saves them valuable time. There is a bridge to gap, however, with 26 per cent rate of SME owners rating their use of digital technology as “low” – a figure that rises to 30 per cent among though female respondents.

The research was released to coincide with the launch of One Small Step, a collaboration between Government and industry to help bridge the digital knowledge divide for small business. The initiative brings big companies such as Adobe, Facebook, MYOB, and Uber together to provide small businesses with tangible steps to help them enhance their digital operations, coupled with one-to-one guidance from technology advisory service Navii.digital.

Established as a key outcome of the Australian Federal Government’s Small Business Digital Taskforce, Navii aims to help small businesses navigate the web of information and providing trusted advice and tech solutions to drive small-business digital transformation, growth and productivity.

“We’re playing our part at Navii Digital to help small businesses to take their next best step on their digital journey,” Navii’s founder, Liz Ward, said. “Just one small step develops their confidence and builds their skills and business capabilities as they go from smart to smarter.

“Hearing stories from other small businesses and seeing how digital has grown their sales and improved their productivity is inspiring,” Ward added. “It motivates business owners to take steps to harness the power of digital with a sense of ‘if they can do it, I can do it, too’.”

One Small Step starts with a series of live broadcasts aired weekly from the 18 November, featuring small-business owners and operators sharing real-life digital experiences from cyber safety to digital marketing to growing a business online.