Small Business Survey Report of Computer and Broadband Use in West Virginia

From October-December 2010, the Future Generations Graduate School conducted a baseline Small Business Survey of broadband and computer usage in 30 communities across West Virginia. This survey of 248 businesses serves three functions:

• Collect data for evaluating program impact and change in small business
  broadband subscription rates
• Assess the training needs and interests of small businesses in computer
  skills and online marketing strategies
• Share insightful data with current and potential partners to scale up
  program impact and efficacy

Key data highlights include:

• 67% of businesses use the internet, and of these 41% use the internet for online marketing
• Businesses that market online estimate an average of 16.4% as a result
• Of the businesses connected online, 64% use DSL, 31% use cable, 6% use satellite, 1.2% use fiber optic, and less than 1% use dial-up internet
• Of the 32% of small businesses interestedin additional training, 82% requested training in website design and development