NEBRASKA — Nebraska small business owners are ready to embrace digital tools to grow their operations.

That’s according to a research project conducted by the Connected Commerce Council, a non-profit membership organization representing small businesses across the country. The study says Nebraska is far behind the national average in percentage of businesses considered digital drivers and adopters. 3C President Jake Ward says those digital-minded businesses performed the best during the pandemic.

“Access to the types of tools and services and online marketplaces that we’re talking about, makes it so that small businesses can quickly change their business model, can adjust their focus to where their dollars are going to be spent and place a bet on themselves,” Ward said.

The digital safety net Ward refers to includes tools like the G Suite, social media advertising and back end tools like quickbooks. He says it isn’t surprising for businesses used to delivering services at a community level to be slower to adopt digital tools. The encouraging finding is that 91 percent of Nebraska businesses surveyed said they increased their digital presence during the pandemic, about 20 percent more than the national average.

Ward says that reflects the resilient spirit of Nebraska businesses.

"In an economy powered by digital tools, the confines of our geographic area no longer apply," Ward said. "This is true capitalism. If you can deliver a good, service or product faster, you're going to win.”

3C has a COVID-19 hub on its website that provides small businesses with resources and tools to help them build their digital presence.