2. Output
INSIGHT
Topics Methods
• Qualitative
• Live / online focus groups
• In-depth interviews
• Quantitative
• Custom online
• SMB Pulse omnibus
• Snap Poll
Insight for CE / product /
marketing strategy
Data for PR / content / social /
collateral programs
2
• Attitudes and usage
• Buyer identification
• Competitive perceptions
• Market segmentation
• Media behaviors / preferences
• Message / positioning testing
• Net promoter score
• Persona / buyer journey
• Purchase intent, behaviors,
channels and preferences
3. OUTREACH
Video
Email
Newsletters
Checklists /
Worksheets
Case StudiesArticles Blog Posts
White Papers
Podcasts
eBooks
PR Surveys
Social Media
Handbooks /
Guides
Webcasts
Slideshows
Infographics
Interactive
Tools
• Survey data
• Creative brief
• Editorial calendar
• Content development
• Content audit
• Analytics
Contribution
• Expert
• Actionable
• Relevant
• Easy to understand
• Professional
• Brand-building
• Custom
Principles
Direct Mail
Event
Collateral
Brochures /
Sell Sheets
Custom Pubs
3
4. 4
METHODOLOGY
Online survey via the Bredin.com/SMBPulse
500 principals of U.S. companies with up to 500 employees (+/- 4% CI)
Company size quotas:
250 VSBs <20 employees (97.7% weighting)
150 SBs 20-99 employees (2% weighting)
100 MBs 100-500 employees (.3% weighting)
November 11-27, 2019WHEN
HOW
WHO
% Indicates highest % in a given column
(A) / (B) / (C) Indicates statistically significant difference between columns
Note: The SMB Pulse is open to marketer participation.
Some charts in this deck do not total to 100% due to rounding.
5. 5
RESPONDENT CHARACTERISTICS
Principal (e.g.,
Owner, Founder,
Partner, CEO,
President, etc.)
Male
Female
64%
36%
Respondent Age Company Age Business Outlook
Title / Role Company Size Gender
50%
30%
20%
VSBs
(<20)
SBs
(20-99)
MBs
(100-500)
n=500 UNWEIGHTED
5%
30%
28%
37%
Less than 2 years
2-9 years
10-19 years
20 years or more
11%
40%
21%
22%
6%
Up more than 100%
Up 10% to 100%
Up less than 10%
Same as 2018
Down compared to 2018
3%
22%
23%
45%
6%
Gen Z (18 to 22)
Millennials (23 to 38)
Gen X (39 to 54)
Boomers (55 to 73)
Silent Generation (74+)
100%
6. 6
RESPONDENT CHARACTERISTICS
West
22%
South
36%
Midwest
17%
Northeast
25%
Geography
34%
53%
13%
Population Density
Urban
Suburban
Rural 28%
11%
9%
13%
21%
9%
9%
Less than $100K
$100K to $249K
$250K to $499K
$500K to $999K
$1M to $4.9M
$5M to $10M
More than $10M
Company Revenue
39%
23%
22%
15%
Manufacturing
Construction/Mining/Contracting/El
ectrical/Landscape/Plumbing/etc.
10%
Manufacturing/Transportation and
Warehousing
6%
Computer Hardware/Electronic
Equipment
2%
Pharmaceutical/Medical
Devices/Biotechnology
2%
Automotive 1%
Telecommunications 1%
Energy/Utilities 1%
Other
Personal Services 10%
Education/Training 5%
Industry
Professional Services
Computer Software/Internet 8%
Advertising/Consulting/Design/
Marketing Services
6%
Legal 5%
Medical 5%
Computer Services/Consulting 4%
Architect/Engineering 4%
Financial
Services/Accounting/Bookkeeping
3%
Banking/Insurance/Mortgage 3%
Publishing/Printing/Media 1%
Retail/Wholesale
Retail 8%
Real Estate 6%
Food/Beverage/Restaurants 4%
Wholesale 3%
Entertainment/Recreation 2%
Travel/Hotel/Hospitality 2%
n=500 UNWEIGHTED
8. On average, how long does it take from first learning about or beginning to conduct research on these products and
services for your business until you make a purchase or upgrade decision?
PURCHASE TIMING
In aggregate, SMBs decide the fastest on printers, and the slowest on retirement plans
8
n=500 RANDOMIZED
A week A month Three months
36%
34%
32%
29%
29%
28%
27%
27%
25%
19%
17%
16%
16%
15%
15%
14%
13%
13%
6%
28%
28%
29%
32%
31%
31%
32%
30%
26%
26%
34%
26%
31%
33%
29%
25%
30%
25%
21%
14%
12%
11%
13%
13%
13%
15%
10%
16%
20%
19%
16%
17%
16%
17%
12%
16%
21%
20%
6%
6%
5%
6%
6%
7%
8%
4%
5%
5%
7%
6%
6%
8%
7%
6%
7%
9%
8%
17%
21%
23%
20%
21%
21%
18%
29%
28%
29%
23%
37%
30%
28%
31%
43%
33%
33%
44%
Printers
Business checking account
Business credit card
Internet access
Tablets (e.g., iPad, Surface)
Cellphone carrier
PCs / laptops / desktops
Cellphone handsets
Landline phone service provider
Phone system
Business software / applications
Hiring / recruiting service
Business loan / line of credit
Business insurance
Server
Payroll service provider
Website hosting service
Employee health or life insurance
Company retirement plan
Six months
More than six
months
9. On average, how long does it take from first learning about or beginning to conduct research on these products and
services for your business until you make a purchase or upgrade decision?
Larger SMBs make faster decisions on more complex products
9
n=500 RANDOMIZED
A week
36%
34%
32%
29%
29%
28%
27%
27%
25%
19%
17%
16%
16%
15%
15%
14%
13%
13%
6%
Printers
Business checking account
Business credit card
Internet access
Tablets (e.g., iPad, Surface)
Cellphone carrier
PCs / laptops / desktops
Cellphone handsets
Landline phone service provider
Phone system
Business software / applications
Hiring / recruiting service
Business loan / line of credit
Business insurance
Server
Payroll service provider
Website hosting service
Employee health or life insurance
Company retirement plan
VSBs
(A)
SBs
(B)
MBs
(C)
36%* 39%* 32%
34% 33% 30%
32% 36% 30%
29% 30% 28%
29% 32% 32%
28% 31% 33%
27% 30% 31%
27% 39% (A) 36%*
25% 27% 28%
19% 23% 27%
17% 24% 29% (A)
16% 23% 21%
16% 21% 23%
15% 19% 29% (A)
15% 17% 28% (AB)
14% 19% 33% (AB)
13% 25% (A) 24% (A)
12% 15% 26% (AB)
6% 19% (A) 20% (A)
PURCHASE TIMING: COMPANY SIZE
39%
36%
36%
39% (A)
10. On average, how long does it take from first learning about or beginning to conduct research on these products and
services for your business until you make a purchase or upgrade decision?
Slow-growth businesses make the fastest decisions on checking accounts and credit cards…
10
n=500 RANDOMIZED
A week
36%
34%
32%
29%
29%
28%
27%
27%
25%
19%
17%
16%
16%
15%
15%
14%
13%
13%
6%
Printers
Business checking account
Business credit card
Internet access
Tablets (e.g., iPad, Surface)
Cellphone carrier
PCs / laptops / desktops
Cellphone handsets
Landline phone service provider
Phone system
Business software / applications
Hiring / recruiting service
Business loan / line of credit
Business insurance
Server
Payroll service provider
Website hosting service
Employee health or life insurance
Company retirement plan
No
Growth (A)
Slow
Growth (B)
Fast
Growth (C)
35% 30% 41%
29% 41% (A) 35%
33% 41% 28%
27% 30% 31%
23% 30% 35% (A)
25% 32% 30%
27% 25% 29%
24% 30% 29%
25% 23% 27%
19% 16% 21%
16% (B) 5% 24% (AB)
18% 14% 15%
19% 12% 14%
19% (B) 9% 14%
16% (B) 7% 17% (B)
16% 16% 10%
14% 7% 16% (B)
17% (B) 5% 11%
9% (B) 3% 5%
PURCHASE TIMING: BUSINESS OUTLOOK
41% (C)
41%35%
41% (A)
11. On average, how long does it take from first learning about or beginning to conduct research on these products and
services for your business until you make a purchase or upgrade decision?
…while Millennials make the fastest decisions on cellphone handsets
11
n=500 RANDOMIZED
A week
36%
34%
32%
29%
29%
28%
27%
27%
25%
19%
17%
16%
16%
15%
15%
14%
13%
13%
6%
Printers
Business checking account
Business credit card
Internet access
Tablets (e.g., iPad, Surface)
Cellphone carrier
PCs / laptops / desktops
Cellphone handsets
Landline phone service provider
Phone system
Business software / applications
Hiring / recruiting service
Business loan / line of credit
Business insurance
Server
Payroll service provider
Website hosting service
Employee health or life insurance
Company retirement plan
18-38
(A)
39-54
(B)
55+
(C)
25% 39% 37%
32% 21% 37% (B)
28% 23% 36% (B)
28% 29% 29%
28% 29% 29%
25% 23% 30%
28% 19% 29% (B)
40% 23% 26%
39% (BC) 17% 25%
36% (BC) 13% 19%
25% 15% 16%
28% (BC) 13% 15%
13% 11% 17%
17% 12% 16%
35% (BC) 10% 13%
18% (B) 6% 15% (B)
25% (BC) 11% 13%
28% (BC) 4% 12% (B)
7% 2% 7%
PURCHASE TIMING: RESPONDENT AGE
39% 37%
40% (BC)
37% (B)
12. On average, how long does it take from first learning about or beginning to conduct research on these products and
services for your business until you make a purchase or upgrade decision?
Manufacturing and Retail/Wholesale companies make printer purchase decisions most quickly
12
n=500 RANDOMIZED
A week
36%
34%
32%
29%
29%
28%
27%
27%
25%
19%
17%
16%
16%
15%
15%
14%
13%
13%
6%
Printers
Business checking account
Business credit card
Internet access
Tablets (e.g., iPad, Surface)
Cellphone carrier
PCs / laptops / desktops
Cellphone handsets
Landline phone service provider
Phone system
Business software / applications
Hiring / recruiting service
Business loan / line of credit
Business insurance
Server
Payroll service provider
Website hosting service
Employee health or life insurance
Company retirement plan
PS
(A)
RW
(B)
M
(C)
Other
(D)
32% 43% 40% 31%
33% 31% 35% 38%
32% 32% 40% 27%
27% 28% 39% (A) 27%
30% 28% 33% 24%
27% 31% 28% 27%
30% 22% 33% 24%
28% 25% 30% 25%
23% 25% 33% 22%
16% 21% 21% 22%
19% 14% 21% 14%
16% 17% 16% 16%
18% 17% 12% 13%
20% (B) 10% 16% 13%
16% 17% 16% 9%
15% 18% 9% 9%
13% 14% 17% 11%
15% 10% 12% 13%
10% (B) 3% 5% 5%
PURCHASE TIMING: INDUSTRY
40%
33%
43%
38%
