// FEATURE //

Ross Pearson , Head of Small Enterprise Sales , Virgin

Media O2 Business

IF ALL SMES WERE TO SPEND JUST 4 % MORE ON DIGITAL , THEY COULD BOOST REVENUE BY 11.9 % AND JOB CREATION BY 6.5 %, REPRESENTING 313,000 POTENTIAL NEW JOBS .

societal impact . Increased tech adoption between 2021 and 2023 could have created 676,000 new jobs , including over 313,000 new roles in small- and medium-sized companies . This demonstrates the potential of digital culture to drive significant societal benefits through job creation and economic growth on a larger scale .

“ UK organisations are sitting on a huge opportunity that ’ s waiting to be seized . The data shows that many businesses have already made significant investments in digital technology , but now they just need to put it to work by focusing on building a stronger digital culture ,” said Bruce Daisley , named as one of the world ’ s top 10 voices on the future of work by LinkedIn and a leading authority on workplace culture . With a career running YouTube in the UK and serving as Twitter ’ s Vice President for Europe , the Middle East and Africa , Daisley adds that : “ This isn ’ t just about buying tools – it ’ s about integrating them effectively into everyday practices . Businesses have dazzling new opportunities to maximise their tech , but we ’ re seeing that many firms have been slow to implement permanent changes . Now is the moment .”

Jo Bertram , Managing Director at Virgin Media O2 Business , said : “ At Virgin Media O2 Business we understand the potential digital innovation has to influence progress both socially and economically . There ’ s a £ 111 billion boost to the UK economy to be unlocked for those organisations who build strong digital cultures , where technology underpins the way people connect and collaborate with colleagues and customers to drive business outcomes .”

Nina Skero , CEO at Cebr , said : “ We recognise the importance of our latest research in guiding UK organisations through the rapidly evolving digital landscape . Our findings clearly illustrate how digital leadership is directly linked to higher turnover , increased productivity and better performance across every economic metric . We encourage UK leaders to use this report as a guide to navigate the challenges and opportunities of a digital workplace . By prioritising cultivating a strong digital culture , organisations can unlock their full potential and drive sustained growth for the UK economy and wider society .”

Ross Pearson , Head of Small Enterprise Sales at Virgin Media O2 Business , highlights how the research shows the undervalued part that SMEs play in the UK economy .

30 Intelligent SME . tech