Digital dimension key to success

According to a recent speech by Rural Affairs Secretary Hillary Benn, rural businesses have diversified and grown in recent years –  one in four of all businesses are now located in rural areas. England's countryside is home to around 1m businesses - a quarter of England’s total, employing over 5.5m people. Rural firms have an annual turnover in excess of £300bn. There are more businesses for every 10,000 people in rural areas than there are in urban areas. Innovation, especially in the digital dimension has been and will continue to be the key to their success.