UK small businesses say digital tech has helped them keep traditions alive: BT

Will Kirk, star of hit BBC show The Repair Shop, has joined forces with BT to encourage the UK’s much-loved heritage businesses to go digital – as new research shows two in three small firms (67%) say technology is keeping their traditions alive.

The woodwork expert and Heritage Crafts ambassador, famous for bringing heirlooms back to life, wants to show how moving from analogue to digital can preserve traditional businesses’ historic ways of working, enable them to reach new audiences, and make it easier to manage their operations. The call comes as four fifths (81%) of businesses started before 1900 say tech has helped to preserve their traditions.

BT’s research reveals that three-quarters of small business leaders (77%) believe new technology has ensured their company’s survival. The majority – nine in ten (89%) – say digital tech has opened new revenue streams, 80% feel it has given them a competitive edge, while 79% say it has helped them connect with new customers.

BT’s study shows that the UK’s small business community has been investing in technology this year, with most seizing the opportunity to boost their networks and digital tools in 2024. Four in five small firms (78%) say they have introduced new technology in the last 12 months. The top investment was a new website (50%), followed by increased cybersecurity (48%) and social media (45%). Two in five (40%) describe their small business as being a tech company, or one driven by advanced technology such as AI, robotics, or data analytics.

However, a fifth of the UK’s small and medium firms (22%) – equivalent to more than a million1 – still think of themselves as an “analogue” company, using technologies like traditional landlines, paper-based contracts and physical filing systems to do business. For example, one in six (16%) still use fax machines.

BT’s research comes as the UK is undergoing a once-in-a-generation tech upgrade, moving to digital networks as the ageing copper-based Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), approaches retirement after more than four decades in operation. The switchover from the PSTN to digital connectivity is a move to futureproof the UK’s infrastructure, with the old network more prone to faults and outages, putting businesses at risk of losing connection to critical services.

BT is working with businesses of all sizes to support them in the move from analogue to digital, and is urging business customers to migrate over to more modern networks by the end of 2025. The PSTN is scheduled for retirement by the end of January 2027. As well as legacy copper landlines and broadband, other business equipment still connected to the PSTN will stop working as the network retires – including certain door entry systems, alarms and CCTV.

Kerry Small, Chief Operating Officer – Business at BT, comments: "These figures show that the majority of the UK’s small businesses have been in upgrade mode this year – embracing the tech to help them thrive in a digital world. Today, businesses of all shapes and sizes can’t run without stable, secure connectivity. The UK’s analogue copper telephone network has a proud history, with its origins in the 1800s, but it’s no longer up to the task for businesses. It’s simply too risky to build the economy on a shaky foundation.

“Analogue companies making the move now can rely on rock-solid digital connectivity to help keep them in business for years to come. We’re supporting customers small and large through the move, so no business is left behind. Whether you’re a tech start-up or a family firm passed down through generations, when it comes to going digital – BT’s got your back.”

Will Kirk, star of BBC’s The Repair Shop, comments: “Restoring the crafts and artistry of the past is my job, so I know how important it is to preserve tradition for the next generations. Embracing digital tech can help small businesses with decades of history reach new customers, streamline services, and stay competitive. It doesn’t mean replacing the heart of what makes heritage businesses unique – it’s about giving them the tools they need to hold onto this heritage in an increasingly-digital world.”

BT is urging all businesses to switch on to the benefits of digital networks, including better stability, security and efficiency. For example, digital landlines enable businesses to make and receive calls from one number via multiple devices, even on the go. They also offer improved scam protection. Full-fibre broadband connectivity can deliver speeds that are up to ten times faster than copper-based connections to handle a wider range of multimedia services, such as video conferencing and streaming.