International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume VI, Issue XII, December 2022|ISSN 2454-6186
Mr. Shekou Ansumana Nuni, Mr. Ansumana Feika
Institute of Public Administration and Management, University of Sierra Leone, Canada
Abstract: Internet and social media has not only revolutionalised business activities but also created a new way of doing business. It has become the new trend among businesses including SMEs. It was on this ground that this study was done to investigate social media and internet as a tool for improving SMEs performance in Sierra Leone. The study specifically examined the factors that influence the adoption of social media and internet among SMEs in Sierra Leone and determined the influence that the use of social media and internet has on SMEs market accessibility The study adopted a descriptive research design that collected primary data from a sample of fifty (50) SMEs in Freetown using questionnaires. Data were analysed using SPSS v26. Findings from the study revealed the factors that influence SMEs to adopt internet and social media and the influence of social media and internet on SMEs accessibility. The study further revealed that social media and internet influences SMEs accessibility in many ways. Conclusively, social media and internet is an important tool for improving SMEs performance in Sierra Leone. The study therefore recommended that SMEs conduct a cost-benefit analysis, the SME owners have some basic education needed for the operation of the technologies and training programmes are required for getting the best out of the use of IT.
Keyword: Internet, social media, turnover, profits, SMEs performance
I. INTRODUCTION
The advent and utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) provide opportunities for the promotion of products and services of SMEs (Amoah & Jibril, 2021), of which social media play an important role for SMEs in this facet (Omar & Anas, 2014; Jibril, Kwarteng, Chovancova, & Pilik, 2019; Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). This has modified the way businesses have been conducting their daily activities. Businesses including SMEs are pushed to adopt internet and social media as a way of conducting business activities. Currently many businesses in the world are using social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and TikTok to market their products and services. The new concept “electronic commerce”, known as e-commerce has changed many things in the business; things like distribution, advertising and marketing. Rahayu & Day (2015) assert that to be able to survive in the new economy businesses, including SMEs, are pushed to adopt this technology.