Small businesses in Oxfordshire risk missing out on free information unless they connect to the Internet, says Business Link.

A recent survey by telecoms watchdog Oftel shows that only 59 per cent of small businesses are connected, and of the remainder, 23 per cent say they are unlikely to connect in the next 12 months. They said the Internet was not useful or relevant to their business, and they did not have enough information about online opportunities.

However, connecting to the Net is their quickest way to acquire valuable information, said Graeme Finch, Business Link chief executive of the Oxfordshire region. Mr Finch, who has himself run small businesses, said: "Free access to information is the its biggest advantage. Small firms can find a lot of important data there.

"This can mean anything from finding the best suppliers, marketing products to the right end-user, planning a journey, or finding good business advice."