This document summarizes the findings of a study tracking small businesses. The study found that most small businesses are satisfied managing their technology needs but are looking to upgrade hardware and software. Larger businesses and faster growing businesses have more concerns about issues like cybersecurity and choosing the right technologies. The document recommends using the findings to test messaging focused on technology upgrades, cybersecurity solutions, and social media tips for small businesses.

1. Small Business Tracking Study
Wave 1: May 2015

2. It’s our business to know your business
2
We strive to
understand
everything we can
about the Small
Business
segment
to understand
their perceptions,
challenges &
needs over time
across areas that
small businesses
need to make the
day-to-day of their
business run:
Technology, Healthcare,
Finance and Insurance
OUR GOAL:
Make our marketing
work harder for you
by digging deeper
and getting smarter
about our audience

3. 3 Source: Constant Contact survey 2014

4. Small businesses will continue to face challenges
every day….
4
How do I get
work/life balance?
How do I stay
ahead of the
competition?
How can I be on the
go all the time and
run a business?
How do I stay on
top of new
innovations?
How will the
economy affect
my business?
I need to reach
more customersHow will I grow
my business?
I need to find &
keep talent
Are their any
new government
regulations?
How do I up
my game
socially?

5. 5
We are tracking trends to better speak with small businesses.
We want to know what makes them tick, what keeps them going, what is top of
mind every day and every minute.
Most importantly, what are
their hurdles to being
successful.
Coffee Shop

6. We have begun our first conversations and created a baseline
6
505 small business decision-makers reached through an online survey
40%
21%
13%
13%
11%
Number of
Employees
2 - 4
5 - 9
10 - 19
20 - 49
50 - 99
18%
Home-based
All across the U.S. and different make-ups:
14% 19% 17% 19% 21% 9%
Revenue Split
$25-100K $100-250K $250-500K $500K-1M $1M-2M $5M+
Years in Business
23% 1 - 5 years
22% 6 - 10 years
20% 11 - 19 years
35% 20+ years

7. Overall, they believe their businesses are growing and
are optimistic for the future
7
Last year, did your business
experience…
Rapid growth (more than 10%) 14%
Slow but steady growth 45%
No Change 28%
Slow but steady contraction 10%
Rapid contraction (more than 10%) 3%
Not sure 1%
Next year, do you think your business
will have…
Rapid growth (more than 10%) 19%
Slow but steady growth 50%
No Change 22%
Slow but steady contraction 6%
Rapid contraction (more than 10%) 1%
Not sure 2%

8. Insights and confirmations that apply across all categories
8
Healthcare Finance Insurance
Small businesses with
2-19 employees are
more likely to purchase
through a broker
vs. direct
Rapidly growing companies
are MUCH more
concerned about their
companies’ future needs
Key takeaways:
Smaller businesses are
looking for an expert “guide”
to help them understand
options and make their
decision.
Key takeaways:
Companies that are growing
quickly are looking for
solutions that will keep them
on the path of success.
Key takeaways:
In addition to consultants,
online research is a top
location for business owners
to research options for their
business.
Where do you get
your information:
42% Online
Research

9. What are
small businesses
thinking about
Technology?
9

10. They are satisfied at managing technology needs
45%
36%
18%
Very Somewhat Not satisfied
Satisfaction with Company’s Ability to Manage
Technology Needs
Most small businesses are satisfied with their ability to manage the organization’s
technology needs.
10

11. They are looking to upgrade their infrastructure
Keeping up with hardware and software upgrades is the #1 technology initiative businesses
deal with, followed by mobile access, social media presence, and cybersecurity.
13%
19%
24%
19%
17%
33%
34%
34%
37%
38%
44%
27%
16%
16%
12%
18%
21%
16%
16%
17%
20%
22%
16%
39%
30%
35%
36%
37%
38%
49%
50%
51%
57%
59%
60%
66%
Marketing Automation or Lead Nurturing system
CRM software
GPS
Wireless point-of-sale systems
Changing your telecom or Internet carrier
Remote desktop access
Fraud protection
Cloud computing
Cyber security
Social media presence
Mobile access to employees
Upgrading your hardware and software
Currently Plan to in next 12 months
2-4 5-19 20-49 50-99
18% 30% 31% 39%
36% 46% 42% 66%
31% 39% 47% 45%
26% 40% 52% 48%
24% 35% 40% 59%
25% 36% 40% 46%
19% 36% 48% 52%
10% 17% 27% 27%
9% 18% 32% 43%
12% 26% 35% 46%
8% 20% 26% 46%
5% 11% 23% 36%
11
# of employees

12. The larger the company, the more they’re thinking about
their needs
Small business’ top concerns are about capital expenditure and cybersecurity.
- Very small companies have fewer technology concerns, likely due to being lower users of technology
- Businesses with 20+ employees are concerned about a range of issues associated with meeting the
company’s technology needs
2-4 5-19 20-49 50-99
Employees
Concerns about Technology
Costs and capital expenditure
for technology
Protecting the business from
cybersecurity breaches
Rapidly changing
technology landscape
Insufficient support
and resources
Training staff on new
technology or systems
Uncertainty about choosing the
right technology for your company
Top 2 Box Concerned (Extremely + Very)12

13. The faster the growth, the more they think about
technology needs with special emphasis on security
Companies that have undergone rapid growth in the last year are far more concerned about
their technology needs than other companies.
13
Insufficient support and resources
Costs and capital expenditure for
technology
Rapidly changing technology landscape
Uncertainty about choosing the right
technology for your company
Protecting the business from cyber security
breaches
Training staff on new technology or
systems
Rapid 33% 41% 34% 34% 43% 31%
Slow 14% 18% 14% 9% 22% 12%
No change 6% 9% 11% 7% 14% 7%
Contraction 15% 27% 17% 8% 24% 12%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45% Cybersecurity

14. How can we start applying this today?
14
We can begin right away, testing messaging and looking into opportunities to package bundles
or create offers that speak directly to small business owner’s concerns as they grow.
@
Test messaging in email and direct mail
with learnings from the study:
- Upgrading their technology to grow
- Cyber technology messaging to ease their
greatest concern
We can create bundles and offers for testing
that hit on small business’ key concerns:
- Bundles that features mobile solutions for small
business employees (Wi-Fi, mobile partnerships)
- Feature a managed security bundle
- Create a white paper around tips for small
business to update their social presence

15. We want to get you involved
15

16. What would you like to know about your audience?
16
- Let’s work together to craft a questionnaire specific
to your objectives and target market
- We’ll then use those findings to craft data-driven
insights to aid all aspects of your strategic
marketing efforts
We are offering our partners the opportunity to take part in the next phase
of our tracking study.

17. Thank you!
17