More SMEs 'embracing flexible working'

A greater number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are embracing flexible working conditions in order to save money and ease operations, according to ntl: Telewest Business.

Alistair McKinnon, senior product manager for the major fixed line communications company, said the technology enabling businesses to facilitate flexible working is now cheaper, allowing more companies to take advantage of it.

Owing to intense market competition broadband is now cheap, while technology such as VoIP solutions can help businesses communicate both with colleagues and customers more cheaply.

Mr McKinnon said: "[SMEs] may not have a great deal of IT specialism, because that's not their core job, but it means that they can very easily do things like home working because it is much cheaper to deploy broadband."

He added that less technical knowledge is now needed to take advantage of the range of technology currently available to SMEs.

Around 40 per cent of employees would choose more flexible working conditions over a pay rise, according to a survey from cereal manufacturer Kellogg's.