>> Do Banks Give SMBs Enough Attention?
In its presentation at the recent Small Business Banking Summit, First
Manhattan Consulting Group revealed that in the average bank's retail unit (i.e.,
consumer and small business), small business receives about 10% of management
attention, but generates 40% of profits. Other key observations: small business
makes up about 15% of the average bank's market capitalization; small business
ROE is high (25-35%) compared to the average bank's 15%; and deposits – not
loans – drive a bank's small business profitability.
>> Microsoft Holds Small Business Summit
Microsoft expected more than 30,000 small business owners and partners to
participate in its second annual Small Business Summit on March 19-23. The weeklong
online event included 58 separate webcasts covering topics such as branding,
sales and marketing, security, business efficiency and mobility. Participants
were invited to log on to view the webcasts or see them at in-person events held
at CompUSA stores.
>> AT&T Launches Small Business Resource Center
AT&T's new "Onward Small Business" portal provides a variety
of resources for small business owners, including access to daily news
feed, advice and articles, online courses and webinars and special offers. The
center is being promoted as part of AT&T's "Onward Business"-themed
integrated ad campaign running in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and
various magazines, coupled with online, print and radio ads in local markets.
>> Best Buy Goes After SMBs
Big box retailer Best Buy is marketing aggressively to small
business customers through partnerships and acquisitions. Through a partnership
with Microsoft, Best Buy customers can purchase subscription cards to Microsoft
Office Live services and receive a discount on the monthly subscription fee.
Best Buy also agreed to acquire Seattle-based Speakeasy, an independent broadband
voice, data and IT service provider for small businesses.
>> Visa Partners with NFIB
Visa is providing a $300,000 grant to the National Federation of Independent
Business Young Entrepreneur Foundation. The grant will be used to sponsor
NFIB's Entrepreneur in the Classroom program, Take Time to Teach Mentoring and
an online game to help students explore the risks and rewards of small business
ownership. In addition, Visa will co-brand five scholarship awards distributed
through the NFIB program.
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Printer Manufacturer Sharpens Customer Focus
Are your prospects confused about which offering is right for them? We recently developed an interactive product selector for a leading printer/copier manufacturer. Site visitors can now easily find the right device for their needs based on the seven key small business printer/copier purchasing criteria. Contact us
to learn how we can combine creativity and SMB marketing principles to meet your SMB marketing goals.
What SMBs Want in Email Newsletters
B2B
Magazine recently covered BBI's email newsletter study
and CMP's Small
Biz Resource interviewed BBI Editorial Director Stuart
Feil on what SMB executives want in an email newsletter. Our
recent survey revealed that, by far, practical "how
to" information (40%) was the preferred type of content,
followed by company product information (26%), management overviews
on topics such as strategy or leadership (21%), company news
(19%) and case studies (17%). Want to know more? Contact
us for a copy of the complete survey results and to discuss
how to use email newsletters to enhance your SMB customer relationships.
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