High petrol prices mean more mobility for business

The study surveyed 1,000 Australian businesses and found that 93 percent of those businesses said they had been greatly impacted by the rising cost of fuel.

To cope with the extra cost, 40 percent of the businesses surveyed have decided to invest in mobile solutions for employees, including smart phones, PDA’s, and mobile broadband devices.

"It's clear from this survey that the cost of petrol is not just an issue for consumers, it's having a significant impact on the backbone of Australia's economy - small businesses," said Michael Cheshire, 3's General Manager, Business Sales.

"Small businesses are looking for new ways to conduct business more efficiently and we're finding that they are taking advantage of the mobile technologies previously reserved for big businesses.

Other factors of the flailing economy are also playing a hand in conducting business, including interest rates, staff retention costs, and business taxes.

New developments in mobile solutions are also making them a viable alternative for businesses with mounting costs.

"More affordable rates along with simplified technologies mean that small businesses can now adopt and deploy these technologies more affordably and with less of a management burden," said Chesire.

64 percent of the businesses questioned also said they anticipate a higher investment in mobility solutions within the next 12 months, as petrol prices are expected to jump even higher.