Information technology sector optimistic about 2009

A whopping 83% of business owners in the information and communications technology sector report business is going “very well”, according to a small business survey.

A whopping 83% of business owners in the information and communications technology sector report business is going “very well”, according to a small business survey.

The latest MYOB Small Business survey also reveals 68% of owners in the IT industry are optimistic about the future – well up on the survey’s average of 61% across all sectors.

While 46% of businesses said they expect to be performing better over the year, that number jumps to 48% in the IT industry. And while 37% expect to invest more into the business over the next six months, an average of 46% in the IT sector expect to spend more to grow their business.

And while the slowing economy has hurt businesses across every sector, 17% of IT companies reported a decrease in operating costs, the highest proportion of any sector.

The news for employment is also good. While a modest 14% of businesses intend to hire more workers in the coming months, 16% of IT businesses expect to increase staff numbers.

But not everyone is optimistic. A whopping 58% of small business owners expect the economy to perform worse over the next 12 months, compared to 49% in September 2008. Only 44% of owners expect revenue to increase over the next 12 months, compared to 53% in September, and 58% in June.