Results from PeoplePerHour.com’s recent Small Business Survey revealed 2011 the year for hiring freelancers as a necessity for a large proportion of UK’s small businesses.

Results from their report indicated the primary driver of the trend is technology allowing small businesses greater access to reliable freelancers.

Interesting results from the survey include:

• 80% felt freelancing now more common in the UK small business community
• 32% had started using freelancers for the first time in the last six months
• 33% now using freelancers on a weekly basis
• Registered users on PeoplePerHour.com doubled from 120,000 to more than 240,000 over the past twelve months

“For many years now, small business owners have been able to source freelancers online. As the survey findings suggest, hiring freelancers has become the recruitment strategy of choice for thousands of small businesses across the UK. And the trend is showing no signs of slowing down,” says PeoplePerHour.com Founder and CEO Xenios Thrasyvoulou.