Small firms are failing to get on board the online boom and get their businesses noticed.

Just 18% of small businesses have a website, because they either haven't the time or the expertise to set one up, according to the Federation of Small Businesses.

And of those that do, almost half don't bother sending their details to the online search engines - which is vital if people are to find a business and buy its products.

It needn't cost the earth to have a global presence online. Software to design a website costs from £10 a month, while a .co.uk address costs from £2.95 a year.