The SMB Tech Report

Guardian Study Finds Small Businesses Depend More on Software and Web sites than Social Media

The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute says United States small business owners value their business software and company Web site more highly than social media sites and services. However, the company also identified several segments, including women-run organizations and companies with 10 or more employees, are embracing social media as a communications and business-building resource. more

Survey Says: Business Owners Use Technology, Buy Online, and More

No surprise there, but the results of the recent survey conducted by the National Small Business Association make for interesting reading for anyone who has a business involved in technology for SMBs. Here are some of the highlights that caught our eye when we read through the report.

• Laptops, PCs, smart phones, and VOIP are some of the most popular technology tools
• 84% of respondents buy their office supplies online.
• 25% of respondents take care of their IT problems and support on their own.
• 67% of respondents do not have a Web site and feel they do not need one.
• 25% of respondents sell something online.

Interesting stuff.

To download a free copy of the complete survey results report, click here.

Is There an iPad in Your Future?

This holiday season will no doubt spur many computer manufacturers to try to get their tablet PC product out and into the marketplace. Most people, though, who look at the iPad will probably end up buying one, and I suspect that Apple might be working feverishly on iPad, V2, although I have no direct knowledge of this.

If you are a regular Apple technology user, and you do not own an iPad, getting one is just a matter of time, probably. According to a recent survey by the NPD Group, "iPad owners, especially the consumers who purchased an iPad within 2 months of launch, are significantly more likely to own Apple products and newer technologies, such as e-readers and smartphones."

We tech-nerds like our technology, don't we?

Jupiter Report Maps Future of Smartphone Market

The latest report from Juniper Research forecasts that global smartphone sales will exceed 26 million by 2015, driven in part by the increasing popularity of the Android operating system. The report finds that Android, an open system OS, is gaining popularity in part because of the tight margins in the PC industry. more

Juniper Predicts Huge Growth in Mobile Phone Payment Use

The just-released Mobile Payments for Digital and Physical Goods report from Juniper Research predicts by 2014 half of all mobile phone users worldwide will use their phones to pay for digital and physical goods. This is a growth of nearly a billion users from 2010 levels. more

Microsoft Study Predicts Small and Medium Size Business Technology Spending Rebound

The second annual Microsoft SMB/Partner Insight Report, a study on small-to-medium size business (SMB) technology priorities, predicts that while SMBs remain concerned about the business climate, most will increase technology spending in 2010. Technology that reduces operating costs, improves employee productivity, or helps with acquiring and retaining customers will be the most popular. more

Harris Study Shows Users Want More from E-Mail

A Harris Research poll of 1,000 U.S. business e-mail and social networking end-users found that what people want from their e-mail is changing. The study found while business use of social networking sites is increasing, e-mail is the most commonly used collaboration tool in businesses in part because it is easy to access and makes easy to communicate with groups of people, with fellow employees and with business partners outside the enterprise. Respondents complained about too many irrelevant e-mails, lack of ability to collaborate in real time, no organizational structure in in-boxes, and very limited storage. more

Intuit Sees More Hiring by Small Businesses

Small businesses continued a trend that started in mid-2009 of expanding their workforces in March according to Intuit's monthly Small Business Employment Index. March employment grew by 0.25% or 50,000 new jobs, which equates to an annual 3% growth rate. Intuit estimates that approximately 175,000 new jobs have been created in small businesses since June 2009. more

Mobile Market to Exceed $12 Billion by 2014

One-to-one marketing and the rapid proliferation of smartphones will help to drive double-digit growth of the mobile retail market, which will exceed $112 billion by 2014 says the latest Mobile marketing and Retail Strategies report from Juniper research. The market will initially be dominated by coupon redemption, with mobile advertising expenditures passing coupon revenues by 2013. more

Forrester Forecasts Double-Digit Growth in Online Retail

Online retail in North America and Europe is poised for double-digit growth through the next five years according to two new forecasts from Forrester Research Inc. U.S. online retail will grow at a 10% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the next five years to reach nearly $249 billion by 2014. Online retail in the largest European Union nations will grow an 11% CAGR over the five years to reach E114 billion by 2014. more

Intuit Small Business Employment Index Finds Signs of Economic Rebound

The just-released Intuit Small Business Employment Index discusses signs of economic rebound among U.S. businesses with fewer than 20 employees, which make up 87% of the total U.S. private employer base. The Index is a new monthly report from Intuit, the nation's leading small business payroll provider. more

Juniper Predicts Cloud-Based Mobile Apps Revenues To Approach $9.5 Billion by 2014

Juniper Networks is predicting revenues from cloud-based mobile applications will approach $9.5 billion annually by 2014, driven by the business need for converged, collaborative services, the widespread adoption of mobile, broadband services, and the deployment of key technological enablers. Juniper predicts enterprise applications will account for the majority of those revenues. However, the report warns many enterprise customers remain wary of entrusting their personal data to remote third parties. more

Virtual Global Lists Top 10 Cloud Computing Misconceptions

Virtual Global, provider of the TeamHost online platform for creating Software-as-a-Service applications, has issued a list of the top 10 misconceptions about cloud computing. The list is part of Virtual Global's Cloud Computing Made Easy e-book, a free download on www.cloudipedia.com. more

Flury Report Focuses on Mobile User Customer Loyalty

Mobile industry watcher Flury has issued a free online report on customer loyalty as measured by use of third-party applications on various high-end handheld devices including iPhones, iPad Touch and Android phones. The report is based on data Flury collects through third-party applications that include a link that reports usage statistics back to Flury. more

Entrepreneur Neil Callanan Lists Resolutions for 2010 for SMBs on Aptela BLog

Neil Callanan, DC-based entrepreneur and founder of startups DeGeeked.com, FitFeud, and LooseGrip Communications, has listed three resolutions for small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) on the Aptela blog. The resolutions (to renew company focus on innovation, to support continued education for himself and his team, and to work to gather feedback from customers and partners) are applicable to SMBs in a wide range of industries. more