More than nine out of 10 small businesses are happy with the investments they have made in technology, according to Accelerator's business confidence survey.
The research, produced in association with Cisco, found that 45% of small firms had seen ‘clear, tangible returns' on investment while another 48% said they had already seen some benefits and expected more to follow.
The survey also revealed that IT investments have a mixed effect on the rest of the business. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (62%) said IT brought staff together into an effective unit but only 39% felt it was an enabler to help them get their jobs done.
There were also concerns over security, the research revealed. Over half of respondents felt this was an area where improvements could be made while just 42% said they regularly reviewed and updated security procedures.
"The results of this survey clearly show that advanced technologies are no longer restricted to global enterprises," says Bernadette Wightman, director for small and medium businesses at Cisco, UK & Ireland.
"For too long, small businesses have not been able to realise the full benefits that technology can provide, as all too often they have had enterprise-scale solutions imposed on them," she added. "With small firms now able to deploy tailor-made technology for their businesses, they are reaping the benefits of efficiency and improved customer service, while being able to compete with larger organisations."
The poll of 500 firms also claimed that 41% of respondents thought customer service technology improved their company's responsiveness and put the business on a more level playing field as larger rivals, while a further 22% intended to invest in this area over the next 12 months.