Top level findings from HP's third research study in to the economic health and future outlook of the UK's Small and Medium Sized Enterprise sector.

1. HP PSG UK
Small Business Index
2012
(data from Q4 2011)
1 ©2009 HP Confidential

2. HP - supporting Britain’s SMEs
• 99.2 per cent of private enterprises in the UK are
classed as small (0 to 49 employees)
• SMEs contribute 58.8 percent of private sector
employment (13.8 million people), and 48.8 percent of
private sector turnover (ca. £1,500 billion)
• The number of SMEs in the UK has steadily increased
over the last 10 years, from 3.5 million in 2000 to 4.5
million at the start of 2011
• Government advocating big businesses to support UK
start-up (especially in public sector)
• In short – core market segment for stability and growth
of UK economy
Business Population Estimates for the UK and Regions 2011. Department for Business Innovation and
Skills, October 2011.

3. HP SME Index - methodology
• Independent research study conducted across
Q3/Q4 2011
• Conducted on behalf of HP by independent
research agency Vanson Bourne
• 1000 UK SMEs questioned via web-based
questionnaire
• Sample focused on small business owners and
directors with IT purchasing decision within an
SME sized company (1-50)

4. Research findings
4 ©2009 HP Confidential

5. SME sector is growing, pace has increased
11 5 %
%
Up on Oct 2010
Growth enjoyed by SMBs
over the past six months

6. All businesses grew...
20
+17% 26-50 employees
+12% 11-25 employees
+8% 02-10 employees
+6% Sole traders
0
0 100

7. And all industry sectors saw growth
20
Retail, distrib
ution and Financial
transport Manufac services
turing IT and
Business & Technology
Professional Construction
services and Property Other
+13% +12% +13%
+6% +9% +11% +9% +9%
0

8. Confident of growth in 2012
By what percentage do you expect your business to grow/shrink
over the next year? *of the 63% that expected growth
30%
25%
20% Grow by up to 10%
Grow between 10-
15% 25%
Grow between 25-
50%
10%
Grow more than 50%
5%
0%
Total Sole trader 2-10 11-25 26-50
employees employees employees

9. SMEs are less pessimistic about wider economy
• 21% are somewhat or very
pessimistic about the state of
the economy
• Down 13% on last study
• 32% are somewhat or very
optimistic about the state of
the economy
• Down 3% on last study

10. Mainly larger SMEs who seek business advice
Do you regularly seek advice for your business?
26-50 employees
11-25 employees
No
2-10 employees
Yes
Sole trader
Total
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

11. Colleagues and peers are important
resources for business advice
Who do you seek advice from for your business?
70%
60%
50%
Total
40% Sole trader
2-10 employees
30%
11-25 employees
26-50 employees
20%
10%
0%

12. Finance and regulation are hot topic areas
On what subjects do you feel there needs to be more advice made
available?
Total Sole trader 2-10 employees 11-25 employees 26-50 employees
Taxation and financial management 71% 72% 73% 67% 71%
Business regulation and laws 55% 52% 57% 48% 62%
Networking & development 49% 51% 45% 47% 54%
Employment and human resources 36% 20% 41% 40% 48%
IT purchasing and usage 23% 14% 26% 21% 35%
*Other (please specify) 4% 6% 5% 2% 1%
Business
Financial IT and Construction Retail & Media & Utilities Marketing Other
Total & prof. Man.
services tech. & property transport leisure & teleco & design commercial
services
Taxation and
financial 71% 53% 75% 67% 77% 71% 63% 64% 79% 59% 79%
management
Business
regulation and 55% 47% 74% 51% 53% 47% 60% 45% 65% 44% 43%
laws
Business
networking and 49% 53% 45% 49% 44% 51% 44% 73% 54% 56% 49%
development
Employment and
36% 27% 40% 36% 41% 35% 38% 27% 46% 26% 23%
human resources
IT purchasing and
23% 20% 11% 24% 27% 27% 33% 27% 31% 7% 17%
usage
Other (please
4% 0% 4% 4% 8% 4% 0% 0% 2% 7% 6%
specify)

13. Almost half of SMEs are using social media
for business advice
Yes
No
Do you use a social media
platform like LinkedIn or Facebook
41% to ask for advice or
59% recommendations for your
business (or employer)?
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Sole trader 2-10 employees 11-25 employees 26-50 employees

14. Investing time in social media marketing
can improve the bottom line
• 50% of SMEs use social media
to promote their business
• Of that 50% nearly 3/4s have
seen direct revenue or
generated qualified business
leads from that investment.

15. Tech vendors can do even more to help
“Would like more
information from
61 %
technology
companies to
help them with
their purchasing
decisions.”

16. Technology is work AND play
• 44% of SMEs would be
put off buying a work
laptop if it couldn’t
handle leisure activities:
• Watching DVDs (55%)
• Listening to streamed
music (55%)
• Listening to CDs (50%)
• Watching Blu-Ray films
(22%)
• Playing games (22%)

17. Still buying on Ghz’s and Gb’s
“What has the most impact on your purchasing decision”
No.1 Processing power
No.2 Price
No.3 Hard drive size
No.4 Special offer

18. Recap of findings
1. Confidence is (slowly) returning
2. SMEs are keen to seek business advice, chiefly from
peers and business organisations
3. Clear value in social media marketing
4. Still buying on speeds and feeds – is more
education needed on right kit for right task?
5. Lines between work and play are blurring, products
must straddle both

19. 19 ©2009 HP Confidential