Simple but effective use of Virtual Earth to deliver some research that Microsoft UK recently carried out in conjunction with You.Gov

• Scottish small businesses are prioritizing recruitment in the next 12 months.
• The North East invests in customer relationship management tools at a higher rate than any other.
• The North West is the only region to prioritize relocation/expansion as their next non technical investment.
• The majority of small businesses in the East Midlands have less than 9 employees.
• Small businesses based in the West Midlands have seen higher than average growth in revenues in the past 12 months.
• London based small businesses have invested in the most technology infrastructure in the UK.
• Almost half of small businesses in Wales have more than 10 employees
• The South West is the region in which the highest percentage of small businesses, receive college or university training.

We wanted to find out where in Britain most small businesses were being formed and to see if there was any correlation between geographies and the types of vertical sectors that dominated the small business landscape. The site shows key findings for each of the UK regions excluding Northern Ireland and if you want more info we invite you to contact the Microsoft small business team. Needless to say, the website runs on Microsoft Office Live !