The internet has changed the way we work, and operate as a business. Below is a summary of research into information technology use in small business in Australia.

*statistics taken from the Australian Bureau of Statistics - Business Use of Information Technology 2003

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Statistics taken from the 2003 Australian Bureau of Statistics identified that there were an estimated 1,179,300 small businesses operating in Australia in June 2003. Of which;

83% of Australian businesses use a computer,
71% of Australian businesses use the internet,
But only 23% of Australian businesses have a web presence.

At the end of September 2003, total Internet subscribers in Australia numbered over 5.2 million, this is an increase of 135,000 (3%) from the end of March 2003.

Benefits of Internet use to a business.

During 2002-03, the most common benefit of placing orders via the Internet or web was saving time. This was reported by 86% of businesses placing orders. Having access to a wider range of suppliers was the second most common benefit (40%). The most common benefit for businesses receiving orders via the Internet or web in 2002-03 was the achievement of faster business processes (53%), followed closely by improved quality of customer service (51%).

In the 2002-03 survey, businesses which received orders via the Internet or web were asked to identify ways in which these orders were received. Email not linked to a web site was the most common method (68% or businesses received orders in this way). Orders received by an email facility linked to a web site was reported by 40% of businesses and 14% of businesses received orders through a web site with online ordering.

Future internet use.

In 2004, it is calculated that 8,300,000 Australian access the Internet each month, and each user spends 13 hours per month browsing the web. This represents an increase of nearly 800% in just 5 years.