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Survey Says: Businesses Spending More on Marketing, Tech
New surveys reveal where entrepreneurs plan to spend this year, why men are clipping coupons, and more.
Posted 6/ 11 10 at 1:30 PM | Business Trends, Technology, Money, Advertising & Marketing, Sales, Business Products & Services, Computer Hardware, Consumer Products & Services, IT Services, Software, Telecommunications
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Although the outlook for small-business spending is somewhat mixed overall, it's improving -- with more entrepreneurs getting ready to invest in both marketing and IT. Consumers remain a bit more cautious, however, with men in particular looking for new ways to save. Here's a closer look at some of the latest small-business surveys.Where Are Marketing Dollars Going?
Forty-two percent of small-business owners are likely to spend more on marketing and advertising this year, according to the latest FedEx Office Signs of the Times national small-business survey. So where will most of their money go?
- Improving online presence (46 percent)
- Print materials/newsletters/direct mail (44 percent)
- Brochures (43 percent)
- Yellow Pages listings (39 percent)
- Fliers and signs/banners/posters (37 percent each)
- Social networking sites (36 percent)
- Newspaper advertisements (32 percent)
IT Spending Picks Up
Smaller businesses are following in the footsteps of large corporations and midsize businesses and finally investing more in IT, according to CDW's most recent IT Monitor.
But this increased spending isn't going toward hiring IT personnel -- just 6 percent of small-company IT decision-makers plan to hire additional IT staff in the next six months, down 4 percent from February.
On the flip side, 27 percent plan to increase their IT budgets in that time period. Thirty-seven percent plan to buy new hardware in the next six months (up from 34 percent in February), and 50 percent plan to purchase software (up from 49 percent in February). And 19 percent will implement discretionary IT projects in that time frame.
Investing in technology is a smart move for many small businesses. There are a lot of new innovative tech products on the market that can help your company be more productive and operate more efficiently.
Real Men Clip Coupons
Most marketers think the average coupon-clipper is a woman. And, indeed, that's the way it used to be. But a new survey by Harris Interactive for Coupons.com reports that 51 percent of men have used a coupon in the past six months. And they're excited about it -- 18 percent of those money-saving males have told their friends about a great coupon they found online.
If you market to men, you need to get in the coupon game. But where can you reach them? Just like women, more than 60 percent of them turn to newspapers first. But online coupon sites and online retailers are close behind. While just 2 percent of coupon users currently look for coupons on their mobile phones, I'm willing to bet this will be a huge growth area for businesses targeting male shoppers.
Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a content and consulting company that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Follow Rieva at Twitter.com/Rieva and read more of her insights on her blog, SmallBizDaily.com.
AP
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