Home topics news Digital eCommerce Emerging Tech Digital Poor digital literacy plaguing small business competitiveness Stephanie Zillman October 17, 2013 The Internet is the greatest tool available to any business, but the majority of Aussie business owners still don’t know how to make the most of it. Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the SMB community (fewer than 200 staff) comprises some 99% of all businesses in Australia. It also employs 65% of the workforce – or 2.8 million people. In purely economic terms, small business contributes approximately 20% of Australia’s gross domestic product (GDP). What’s shocking then, is that 35% of all SMBs have reported a decrease in profitability in recent years. Research from PayPal Australia indicates that the low levels of digital literacy plaguing the sector could be a significant factor behind the problem. The brand new findings released by PayPal this week in its Digital Literacy Among Small Business in Australia reveal: 3 in 5 SME owners stated that low levels of digital literacy are preventing them from running their businesses more efficiently; 79 per cent said they need more help and guidance to embrace the digital economy; Only half (51%) have actively tried to improve their digital literacy The key finding to emerge was the majority of SMBs do not utilise digital and mobile technologies to grow their business – and the reason is that they don’t know how. Disturbingly, only a third (34%) list their contact details online. Despite the prevalence of digital advertising ,