New Connect Minnesota Study: Minnesota Businesses Earn $38 Billion Annually in Online Sales
St. Paul, MN (PRWEB) October 29, 2013 -- Access the information.
Connect Minnesota today released the results from its new 2013 Business Technology Assessment that measures how businesses in Minnesota are using technology, and its potential for maximizing revenue opportunities and sustaining economic vitality in the state.
Among the key findings:
• 24% of Minnesota businesses, or more than 34,000 businesses statewide, do not use broadband service, down from 27% in 2011
• 30% of all Minnesota businesses allow their employees to telework
• More than one in three Minnesota businesses (38%) earn revenue from online sales, and
• Statewide, online sales account for $38 billion in business revenue annually
“Broadband adoption and use is a vital component to keep Minnesota businesses – and our state’s economy as a whole – growing and competitive,” said Connect Minnesota Program Manager Bill Hoffman. “As more businesses adopt high-speed Internet service, the benefits of the technology will be leveraged to increase revenues, streamline operational costs, and allow greater flexibility for employers and employees. We must, however, be sure that our workforce is adequately skilled to compete in an global economy where technology is ubiquitous; and our data show that close to 40% of Minnesota businesses are struggling to find employees adequately trained in the use of various technological applications.”
The report is based on a telephone survey of 801 business establishments across the state. Connect Minnesota invites you to explore and examine the survey results by clicking the link here and, most importantly, share the results.
As part of a continuing effort to foster broadband access, adoption, and use in the state, on December 4 Connect Minnesota is hosting the 2013 Connect Minnesota Summit: The State of Broadband in Roseville, MN. This forum will showcase examples of how broadband is impacting Minnesota’s economic and social landscape; as well as how public policy and technological advancement will shape broadband development in the state. In addition, the 2013 “Broadband Hero” award will be presented during the Summit. Community, state, and industry leaders are encouraged to register.
Hoffman added on the Summit, “We are excited about holding this 2013 Broadband Summit. The program will provide stakeholders an opportunity to hear from experts about a wide range of broadband issues impacting Minnesota.”
Highlights from the agenda include:
• The Blandin Foundation: Community-led approaches to increasing Broadband Adoption: Success Stories from Minnesota Main Streets
• Overview and update from the Governor's Task Force on Broadband
• How federal and state policy will impact Minnesota's broadband landscape.
• Keynote Speaker, Thomas Cohen, Partner, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, and Counsel to the Fiber to the Home Council Americas
For more information on the conference click here.
About Connect Minnesota: As a public-private partnership, Connect Minnesota partners with technology-minded businesses, government entities and universities to accelerate technology in the Minnesota. The work of Connect Minnesota is made possible by support from the Minnesota Department of Commerce. For more information about what Connect Minnesota is doing to accelerate technology in Minnesota’s communities, visit http://www.connectmn.org.
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Jessica Ditto, Connected Nation, http://www.connectednation.org, (202) 251-4749, [email protected]
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