A survey of 6,263 UK members of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), including 571 in Scotland, has revealed a majority of owners north of the border want Britain to stay in the European Union.
The FSB said three-fifths (59.9%) of Scottish members were currently likely to vote to remain in the EU in the planned in-out referendum on membership – the highest proportion among UK nations.
But the study also showed that more than a third of UK members (37%) do not feel well-informed about the business impact of the vote.
FSB policy director Mike Cherry said: “The study attempts to understand current attitudes towards EU membership among our members.
“This research is a vital starting point in outlining the key issues and areas of concern for small businesses in the EU referendum debate.
“Regardless of what a firm’s current position is, there is a shared message that small businesses feel they lack clear, impartial information on which to form their views.”
Andy Willox, the FSB’s Aberdeen-based Scottish policy convenor, added: “During this debate, the FSB’s role will be to ensure the small business voice is heard.
“Our approach will reflect the one we took during the independence referendum – ensuring that our members have the information they need to make the decision which is right for them and their business.
“This research underlines the variety of views in the enterprise community and shows that both sides of the debate have a lot of work to do to convince large numbers of Scottish businesses.”