The use of IT tools in small businesses in Poland

Small businesses, aware of the development trends prevailing in the market and the competition, have begun to use increasingly often the Web and its tools as a place of their business activity and to extend the scope of their activity through virtual reality. The small business sector can benefit a great deal by creating a modern work environment and communicating with the external environment. A higher level of effectiveness achieved with the use of technological tools and innovations is a key factor which, according to managers of companies from the SME sector, will determine who will succeed. The chapter is an attempt to analyze the type of IT tools used by small businesses and the level of their use. The analysis has been carried out based on the results of the survey (CATI) of 400 small businesses operating in Poland. The results indicate that the level of the use of IT tools in the surveyed companies depends to a large extent on the entrepreneurial attitude and skills of their managers. The range of tools used is wide and appreciated by managers of small businesses, but it still is not sufficient. The respondents see the need for using these tools as well as for the continuous development in this area. The problem is the cost of implementing these solutions and access to qualified advisory staff specializing in new technologies.