Some small business survey results show that there is a way out for small businesses to survive, even thrive in today’s difficult economy. The results are all funnel down to one critical success factor: Technology adoption.
Indeed, in order to be more effective with their already-tight budget consumption, small businesses need to find a way to achieve the most with what they have. Technology adoption can facilitate this and the best time to start using small business technology is NOW.
Here are some small business surveys you will find useful in helping you decide whether adopting technology is a must-do for the better of your small business…
Survey results from Survey: Small Businesses Rely on Website, Facebook, LinkedIn for Branding
Some survey suggests small businesses use website, Facebook and Linkedin for branding purposes. Surprisingly, Pinterest, Twitter, even blogs don’t make the cut. Some interesting results:
- 52 percent rely mostly on their company website for branding.
- 35 percent rely on Facebook for branding (followed by 33 percent relying on LinkedIn, 19 percent on Twitter and 11 percent on Google+)
Small Business Survey: Growth Without Hiring, Thanks to Technology
Small businesses are in recovery. And, in a trend we’ve been following for more than a year, they’re growing without hiring, thanks in large part to adoption of technology. Survey results worth noting:
- 72 percent respondents do more business online today than last year.
- 70 percent sell via their company website.
- 54 percent use smartphones for business purposes.
- 34 percent use online tools.
Small business survey shows continued increase in use of social media
Are small businesses getting the most out of social media? The answer is “not quite.” Newtek’s CEO says that small businesses are underutilizing the great marketing opportunities available through social media. An interesting finding from Newtek’s The Small Business Authority: 57 percent respondents have Twitter or Facebook accounts.
Too Busy for that Software Update? Survey Says: Join the Club
One of the issues which are dreadful to small business owners is software updates (source: Advance Systems Inc). Indeed, although they realize the importance of technology in their businesses’ survivability, they simply don’t have the resource to update software.
The Skype survey results reveals that business software users are mostly worried about the security of the software updates, don’t really see the real benefit of doing so and the time consuming nature of the upgrades.
There are solutions available, though. Services like jd edwards upgrade provided by Syntax can help small business owners to eliminate a major hindrance to software updates.
Survey Finds CPAs in Dark on Cyber Threats
Watch out: Cyber threats lurk behind your small business. Though they may seem like unimportant targets compared to major companies like Apple and Facebook, small businesses make up 20% of all cyber-attacks, according to the U.S. House Small Business Subcommittee on Health and Technology.
Why Are Very Small Businesses Leaders In Cloud Adoption?
Very small businesses are adopting cloud service technologies in greater numbers than their larger counterparts. An article on Canadian IT blog ITBusiness.ca highlights a new report that suggests smaller SMBs are more likely to use cloud services, as well as a greater number of services. Some interesting findings:
- 60 percent survey respondents are using cloud-based services.
- More than 70 percent use server virtualization.
- “Thanks” to the all-available cloud solutions, only 22 percent are planning to add staff.
Digital Video Advertising is Growing; Marketers Get Excited
SMBs need to seriously consider digital video advertising. A June 2013 survey conducted by AOL shows that almost three quarters of marketing professionals plan to increase their spending on branded video content or video ads in the next year. More findings:
- 47 percent of small business marketers think digital video ads are more effective than TV ads in raising brand awareness…
- while 58 percent think digital video ads are great for driving engagement vs. TV ads.
What do you think about the survey results? Is it urgent for SMBs to adopt technology in surviving the tough economy? Please share your thoughts…
Photo credit: Jorge Quinteros
