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‘Web-savvy’ small businesses are twice as confident about their future prospects than those that have yet to establish an internet presence, according to a survey by web directory thebestof.

The poll (via startups.co.uk) found companies that were using the net expected to expand by an average of 41% over the next year, while firms not doing so only expected 20% growth.

Worries about credit card fraud remain a significant factor behind poor uptake of e-commerce by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Following this month’s report on e-crime by the House of Lords Science & Technology Committee, the FSB said only 18% of UK SMEs were trading online in 2005, while less than 1% were generating all their sales through the web.

The majority of small businesses in the UK have yet to realise the commercial benefits of the internet, according to a new report.

The UK Online study found two thirds of British firms with fewer than ten employees have no internet connection.