SMEs embrace IT outsourcing

Small businesses turn to IT freelancers rather than recruit their own staff

Signing up: UK SMEs are keen to take on IT freelancers, research claims

The UK’s four million SMEs are more likely to opt for IT freelancers, rather than recruiting a full-time member of staff, research has found.

Online firm PeoplePerHour.com surveyed 360 of its members for the findings, and revealed that 61 per cent of respondents intend to increase their investment in IT and web technology.

In addition, 38 per cent of small business owners plan to channel this investment into increasing their use of IT freelancers, with just 18 per cent intending to hire in-house staff. A total of 43 per cent of small business owners see IT as a role for freelancers exclusively, not as supplements to in-house IT professionals, the research said.

Xenios Thrasyvoulou, chief executive of PeoplePerHour.com, said: “The last decade has seen a boom in remote freelance working, facilitated by the internet. This has been led by the IT industry, which lends itself to freelancing.

“Our survey findings suggest that the importance of the IT industry to the freelance economy is set to grow.”

The top skills needed by respondents include PHP, SEO, Wordpress, Joomla, iPhone Apps, MySQL, HTML and .NET Developer.