Flexibility can give small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) the edge in a competitive market, according to one expert.
The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) said this week that smaller companies should take advantage of freelance employees to handle sudden influxes of business and unexpected staff periods of absence.
Jo Causon, director of marketing and corporate affairs for the CMI said: "In order to seize opportunities quickly and effectively in a competitive market, small and growing organisations must have a certain degree of flexibility."
However, she said having short-term contracts and flexible employees was not a long-term solution and that businesses looking to grow should consider the benefits of having trained permanent staff.
"Employers who want to grow their business should look to professional development programmes which build the skills of existing staff for the future," she concluded.
According to figures from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, 99.3 per cent of the 4.5 million businesses in the UK employ between 0-49 people.
