There’s been a lot of doom and gloom of late when it comes to the economy – we all know the headlines. But despite the rocky economic environment, it turns out that small British businesses remain determined to weather the storm and are keeping a positive outlook for the future.
In new research released today, as part of our All In launch, over half (57%) of small UK companies said there’s no point in getting bogged down in negativity. That’s because almost half (40%) of small UK companies believe that with hard work, commitment and brilliant ideas, their businesses will continue to succeed. When we asked them to select the traits they felt best summed up their business, half (50%) of those surveyed saw themselves as independently minded, and over a third (37%) described themselves as confident. Over a quarter (26%) of SMBs consider themselves to be innovative organisations
In the next phase of our commitment to Britain’s unique small business community, we're launching All In, the first ever triple play communications package created especially for small businesses. All In brings together the very best of O2’s mobile, landline and broadband services – with just one monthly bill and a dedicated account manager, helping customers to run and manage their communications in a way that suits their business.
All In takes the stress out of maintaining different communications packages and avoids the tedium of double billing and multiple provider accounts. By simplifying their communications needs with All In, bold British businesses know they are getting the best deal, so they can get on with all that hard work.
Our research found that the resilient nature of British small businesses is driven by fierce independence and the determination to shape their own fate. When asked what inspired them to start their own enterprise, 38% of small business owners said they began their business because they felt they could do a better job in a smaller company or working for themselves than for a big organisation, while a quarter (24%) said they wanted to do something different and experience more variety.
This independent nature of Britain’s small businesses is fuelled by a culture of knowledge sharing amongst the community. Small British businesses say they learn best from each other, with 39% turning to other companies or contacts that they know have been through similar experiences, while almost a fifth (19%) of small companies said they also speak to family and friends for advice.
With 4.5 million small enterprises in the UK, it’s vital that we support these bold businesses to make sure they can concentrate on what they do best. But with multiple tasks to juggle, these small companies are often missing out on the best value deals when it comes to business services. We want to address this, by providing small businesses with a practical service, with all of the communications tools that they need, under one manageable monthly bill.
Most importantly, All In also delivers business customers with the flexibility they need, by making it super straightforward for customers looking to make the switch from existing contracts to the new package. For companies that want to take advantage of the offer immediately, O2 helps to side-step the usual stress of dealing with multiple providers by giving All In customers nine months to switch their broadband and landline services over, as and when old contracts come to an end. This means no double billing, lower costs and minimal fuss. New customers that choose to sign up for all three services of the All In package will receive a £10 credit per service for each month that their fixed line and broadband aren’t connected.
Bold, creative, innovative, passionate and fearless. These are not adjectives that we associate with today’s economic environment, but it is good to know that British small businesses up and down the country have that confidence, self-belief and clarity around their future success. We hope All In will help them provide the foundations they need to keep that passionate, confidence and creativity going, for the benefit of everyone.
For more information, visit www.o2.co.uk/allin
By Claire Darley, head of small and medium business sales
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