Small business in the south-east of England are to be given a helping hand when it comes to IT after a new initiative was launched by e-skills UK and the South East England Development Agency (Seeda).

The new service aims to boost businesses by making employers more savvy when it comes to the latest technology and their online presence.

It will also involve making firms more aware of the importance of IT security, how to design an attractive website and which hard and software to invest in.

Karen Price, chief executive of e-skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for IT and Telecoms, said: "Technology can transform a small business.

"It has the power to improve efficiency, open up new markets and enhance customer service but for many smaller firms it can be difficult to know where to start."

She added that small businesses "can get lost in all the jargon" and "worry about resource and skills implications".

Research from Seeda found that a quarter of companies in the region do not know how technology could help them boost profits, while 13 per cent are ignorant about who to turn to for impartial advice.