UK Small-to-medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) can grow and boost their business if they become more Information Technology (IT) savvy, according to new research from HP.

The survey of 1000 IT decision-makers in SMEs with 1 - 50 employees, shows that while 96% of UK SMEs consider IT to be crucial to business growth, over a quarter admit that they do not know enough about IT and how to make it work for their business.

"Over ninety-nine percent of UK businesses have under 50 employees(i) so helping them to make the right purchasing decisions is important," explains Gavin Parrish, UK & Ireland Commercial Category manager at HP. "As the research clearly shows, many in this sector are still getting their heads around how to make IT work hard for their business. By providing information and support for this sector, companies like HP, through our Business Answers blog, can help SMEs understand how IT can help grow their business."

Over the past 12 months, the research shows that 37% of UK SMEs grew (with an average rate of 19.6%) with only 15% seeing their business shrink.

The research also shows a broadly optimistic picture when it comes to economic positivity among UK SMEs. Over 90% say they are optimistic about the future of their business over the next three to five years, while 43% said they were optimistic about the state of the UK economy over the same time period. 37% said they were pessimistic about the economy.

Another interesting finding was that only 36% of respondents are deploying ecommerce strategies. This suggests that the majority of UK SMEs are not using the Internet to trade, which again offers potential for IT education to aid further business growth.

"HP's research backs up what we are seeing in the small business sector, companies leveraging technology to enter new markets," says Emma Jones, founder of SME support organisation Enterprise Nation. "The web allows you to launch a business on a Monday and be trading with the world by Wednesday. Small business owners should grasp this opportunity and sell through their own site or via on-line sales platforms. When you make the most of technology, you make the most of a global market."

To help SMEs make smarter decisions about their business, HP has just launched its Business Answers blog to provide small business decision-makers with the latest tips and advice on everything from how to get your business noticed online to making everyday efficiencies to run a successful business.

To obtain a free copy of the report and for more information about the HP Business Answers blog, visit: http://www.hp.com/uk/bablog.