The results reveal the extent of the disparity between small and large businesses.
In January 2026, the UK Government published the second wave of its multi-year study into relationship between data use and UK business productivity.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s ‘Business data use and productivity study’ of UK businesses revealed that large businesses are disproportionately more likely to benefit from data use and access public data.
82% of large businesses accessed public sector data compared with just 33% of sole traders, and the businesses who show more data maturity, through analysis and investment in raw data, are more likely to use public data.
Public data is out there, but few micro and small businesses know where it is or how to utilise it.
42% of responses who handle digital data agreed that their business has access to findings from data analysis or processing. 46% agreed that this activity supports their business decisions. But larger businesses were much more likely to agree than smaller businesses.
The benefits of acquiring, collecting or analysed data are recognised by many; 43% agreed that it contributes to the creation or improvement of services and products and 38% that it leads to more efficient internal processes or cost savings.
But larger businesses were more likely to have access to the necessary analytical expertise and agree that data analysis or processing supports their business decisions. They were also more likely to have adopted AI and utilised it for product or process development.
40 follow-up interviews to survey respondents, carried out by Ipsos, showed that businesses understand the benefits of being data-lead, namely:
- Reputational benefits
- Better client or customer relationships
- Increased efficiency and productivity
And recognise the risks of basing decisions on assumptions rather than evidence. One medium sized business in the Arts, entertainment and recreation sector is quoted as saying:
“If we don’t use data, there’s a lot of assumptions that are made and then you’re not necessarily making good decisions that are going to actually do what you think they’re going to do.”
But small businesses in particular face challenges to actually addressing it, which tally with the challenges Glew Marketing has found.
One of the biggest barriers is data accuracy and consistency – often resulting from manual data processes and outdated or disconnected systems. One small business participant is quoted as follows:
“The biggest problems we’ve had or the slowdowns we’ve had is when software don’t integrate. We’ve got our marketing database which doesn’t integrate to our CRM, which means that suddenly then we’re going to have to duplicate everything and that leaves room for error if it’s human.”
Many businesses have concerns around cyber security and data regulations and cite the added challenge of employee resistance to change. They also lack data analysis skills; they see the value of efficient data use but aren’t able to act on it.
These challenges can make good data feel out of reach for many UK businesses.
With only one in four businesses employing business and administration analysts, there’s a gap to fill and a need to democratise access to the wealth of open data out there.
This is what Glenda, Glew Marketing’s data tool, aims to address Glenda pulls public data and owned data into interactive maps and dashboards to enable more small and medium businesses to benefit from data-driven marketing. And now it’s expanding its datasets with the integration of open data provided by Companies House.
The UK Government’s report acknowledged the value of public sector data, industry reports and other third-party data in supporting sales opportunities and competitiveness, with customer data adding important insights for marketing, sales or operations.
Glenda already contains ONS UK business count data at both local authority and middle super-output area level (MSOA) as well as Population Census data. It allows businesses to analyse the business market geographically, by industry or employee volume, and the population by age, household composition and socio-economic status. And it allows them to overlay their own data to understand the opportunities inside and outside their organisation.
We’re on a mission to democratise data use at Glew, and we’d love you to help us. Find out more about Glenda or get in touch to trial it.