Digital Tools: The Key to Small Business Resilience in Today’s Economy

In our survey of 2,000 U.S. small business owners and senior decision makers (“SMB leaders”), we learned that they use digital tools to increase their agility, resiliency, and ability to adapt to challenges. 

An evolutionary leap from one-size-fits-all ancestors, small and medium-sized businesses that sell physical goods (henceforth, “SMB Sellers”), now have many sales methods (distinct ways of selling, both online and offline) and digital tools, platforms, stores, and marketplaces (that facilitate the selling) available to them.

In a survey of 1,380 European small business owners and senior decision makers (“SME leaders”), an overwhelming 93% of Digital Ads respondents said that targeted digital advertising is useful for their business right now.

These findings suggest that a fact-based, case-specific approach to the analysis of platform integration is better than a broad-based policy that may not fit all circumstances. Hence, legislation or regulation imposing a general ban on platform integration could end up doing more harm than good.

A ‘Digital Safety Net’ has helped American small businesses during COVID-19. This research report and accompanying materials describe how and to what extent affordable and accessible digital tools...

The growth of e-commerce and “tech” firms has affected the economy and consumers in many significant ways. There is renewed interest by the media, academia, and government in the role that tech companies play...

A ‘Digital Safety Net’ has helped European small businesses during COVID-19. This research report and accompanying materials describe how and to what extent affordable and accessible digital tools...

A majority of small businesses in Colorado, Iowa, and North Carolina believe the economy is still struggling, that COVID-19 has hurt their business, and that digital tools are helping their businesses survive according to a new survey...

A ‘Digital Safety Net’ has helped American small businesses during COVID-19. This research report and accompanying materials describe how and to what extent affordable and accessible digital tools...

Online marketplaces provide billions of dollars in annual value to American small businesses.