Small Business Labs

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

.  Similar in style to Mary Meeker's well known annual Internet Trends Report , Evans' report covers similar ground and is full of charts and data.    And like Meeker's report, it's long at 128 pages.

2020 149

2020 Policies AT&T 149

Small Business Labs

APRIL 18, 2018

  The first report, A Primer on Independent Work , provides an excellent overview of the gig economy and independent work, including a comprehensive review of recent gig economy studies. As the study chart below shows (click to enlarge), Samaschool program grads report earning an average of $21 per hour working independently.

2018 145

2018 Training 145

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 25, 2016

These trends - and others that will be explored in future reports - are resulting in growing numbers of successful small businesses. The report chart below highlights the forecast that the number of U.S. Disclosure: Emergent Research partnered with Intuit on this report.

2020 100

2020 Learning UPS 100

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 6, 2020

This data comes from COVID-19 and the Rise of the Digital Nomad , which is the report on the third year of an ongoing research series on digital nomads conducted by MBO Partners.   As the report chart below shows, the number of digital nomads with traditional jobs roughly doubled from 2019 to 2020. . 

2019 327

2019 Travel 2020 International 327

Small Business Labs

APRIL 1, 2021

  They recently released their 2021 State of the Amazon Seller Report. This report covers who Amazon's small business sellers are, what and how they’re selling, how they are responding to the pandemic induced increase in ecommerce and their future plans. .    Of the 2.4 in stores, or on their own ecommerce site.

2021 256

2021 256

Small Business Labs

MAY 27, 2020

The data includes anyone reporting $1,000 or more in self-employment income, so it includes a lot of part-time businesses.   One of the more interesting nonemployer data sub-trends is that the number high earning nonemployers - those who report earning revenue of $100,000 or more per year - is one of the fastest growing segments.  

2018 278

2018 2017 2010 2011 278

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 5, 2021

   Key report quote on the satisfaction index data: Most freelancers understand and accept the trade-off they make by trading traditional professional employment for a solopreneurial life and career. .  The report covers a lot of ground - way too much to cover here. 

Agencies 260

Agencies Collaborate UPS 260

Small Business Labs

JUNE 15, 2020

Work From Home Survey 2020 report. The key study finding, as the report chart below shows (click to enlarge), is only 12% say they want to work from home full-time.   Key quote from the report: "When asked what they miss most about working from the office, three out of four survey respondents said “the people”. . 

2020 241

2020 Collaborate Environment AT&T 241

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 16, 2021

think tank, recently released The State of Gig Work in 2021 report.      The report covers the results of an in-depth survey of Americans who earn money from the gig economy, which Pew defined somewhat narrowly.    Only 17% report a negative experience.   

2021 233

2021 Restaurants Policies UPS 233

Small Business Labs

MARCH 15, 2021

American Express recently released its annual Global Travel Trends report.     Key quote from the report: " 54% of respondents (U.S.)    And not surprisingly, one of their trends was on digital nomads.    And survey questions about becoming a digital nomad are a good example.  

2020 266

2020 Social Media 2019 Travel 266

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 15, 2020

Last week, MBO Partners released its 10th annual report in the MBO Partners State of Independence research series. Due to layoffs, company failures, changes in corporate directions, and a broader lack of corporate loyalty to their employees, they report that traditional jobs are no longer as secure as they once were.

Health 265

Health 2011 Interviewing 2020 265

Small Business Labs

APRIL 8, 2021

   As McKinsey's report chart below shows (click to enlarge), global coal demand peaked in 2014 and they are projecting oil demand to peak in 2029, and natural gas demand peaking in 2037.   A recent report by the International Energy Agency suggests oil supply and gasoline demand may have already peaked. 

2014 239

2014 2019 2021 Agencies 239

Small Business Labs

FEBRUARY 9, 2021

  Because EINs are needed for tax reporting, almost all employer businesses and most solopreneurs have them.   The data comes from the U.S. Census Business Formation statistics, which tracks applications for Employer Identification Numbers (EIN).    

2020 281

2020 2015 281

Small Business Labs

MARCH 14, 2019

  The reason is the majority of skilled independent professionals (defined as freelancers/independent workers who provide services to businesses) report they have choices in terms of who they work with.  For more details on each of these, see the MBO Partners 2019 Client of Choice study report. A Positive Work Environment.

2019 241

2019 Skills Policies Forms 241

Small Business Labs

JULY 28, 2020

   Galloway backs up his chart with a detailed analysis of the 438 US universities and colleges ranked by US News & World Report's top National University and National College rankings. .  And being listed as college likely to "perish" is not good PR.  

AT&T 304

AT&T UPS 304

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 30, 2020

For example, according to eBay's 2020 United States Small Online Business Report : " 96 percent of small businesses on eBay in the United States export internationally, sending goods to an average of 17 foreign countries. Often these first exports are done via online marketplaces like Amazon, Etsy, eBay or Upwork. 

2020 257

2020 2011 Collaborate International 257

Small Business Labs

APRIL 6, 2021

The large corporate labor and employment law firm Littler recently released its first Global Transformation Initiative report (warning - it's long and written by lawyers for lawyers).   As the MBO Partners report chart below shows, this growth was mostly driven by digital nomads with traditional jobs.  

Legal 221

Legal 2021 2020 Expenses 221

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 17, 2018

Some of the key survey findings from our coworking space member research show that: 87% of respondents report that they meet other members for social reasons, with 54% saying they socialize with other members after work and/or on weekends. 83% report that they are less lonely since joining a coworking space.

Networking 193

Networking 193

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 16, 2018

But it also explains why the self-employed - and especially those that work in coworking spaces - report higher levels of wellness and work satisfaction than traditional employees do. It's also one of the reasons independent workers report being happier and healthier because they're independent. 

Health 252

Health Stress UPS 252

Small Business Labs

APRIL 23, 2019

According to the report, they were right. We'll have more on this report in the near future. The top reasons small businesses say they turned to online lenders is their speed of decision making and the view that they had a better chance of being funded.

Finance 216

Finance 2018 2016 2019 216

Small Business Labs

MARCH 8, 2021

What's so interesting to us is microbusinesses report fewer challenges than midmarket firms do.     But none of the other challenges reported by midmarket companies even blip with microbusinesses.    Shipping is still an issue, as is regulation. 

International 232

International Finance 232

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 14, 2021

As the study chart below (click to enlarge) from the MBO Partners 2021 State of Independence report shows, the two youngest generations - Gen Z (born 1997-2012) and Millennials (born 1980-1996) - make up the majority of independent workers (freelancers, self-employed, gig workers, etc.). 2021 is the first year when this is the case.  

2012 57

2012 2021 UPS 57

Small Business Labs

JUNE 27, 2016

This is substantially lower than the 43% of small business employees who report being happy at work. The 2016 MBO Partners State of Independence study reports that 81% of independent workers report being happier since they became independent and 60% report being healthier. 

2016 186

2016 Policies 186

Small Business Labs

NOVEMBER 7, 2016

So many we're having a hard time keeping up and reporting on them all.  Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports. As we pointed out a few weeks ago, there's been a flurry of studies lately on the gig econom y.   So we're just getting to a survey on side gigs that CareerBuilder released in September.

2017 240

2017 Policies UPS 240

Small Business Labs

FEBRUARY 5, 2019

Flexible Workspace Outlook Report. According to the report's introduction, its purpose is "to help office occupiers and investors alike to better understand: • The rationale behind using flexible workspace • Examples of leasing models • Types of experience models • The volume and characteristics of flexible workspace in leading U.S.

2018 187

2018 2016 2019 Travel 187

Small Business Labs

NOVEMBER 18, 2019

Brookings' Meet the Low Wage Workforce reports that 53 million Americans, or about 44% of all workers aged 18-64, have low-wage jobs.   The report map below (click to enlarge) shows the distribution of low-wage jobs across the 373 metro areas. per hour or less.    For example, a job paying $20.02 per hour or less. 

213

213

Small Business Labs

MAY 19, 2020

.   As the Census chart below (click to enlarge) shows , 51% of the small businesses surveyed reported that the pandemic was having a large negative effect on their business.    Another 39% reported it has had a moderate negative effect. reported the pandemic has had a positive effect on their business.  

Payroll 187

Payroll Policies 187

Small Business Labs

MAY 15, 2018

The report chart above (click to enlarge) illustrates this and shows that the companies surveyed are spending about the same amount on external service providers and external independent workers. The report also points out that while cost is still important, "it's no longer the principal driver for using an external workforce. . 

2018 184

2018 Agencies Management 184

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 20, 2017

Infusionsoft recently released their 3rd annual Small Business Marketing Trends report.    The report paints a not so pretty picture of the digital marketing efforts of small businesses. The 2nd half of the Infusionsoft report has a series of recommendations and advice on improving the effectiveness of digital marketing.

2018 183

2018 Budget Goals AT&T 183

Small Business Labs

APRIL 10, 2018

Flexible Office Report covers the continued growth of coworking and other forms of flexible offices. The report chart below shows that one source - us - is forecasting that over the next five years the number of coworking members will double and the number of spaces will increase by roughly 60%.  Liquidspace's Q4, 2017 U.S.

2017 198

2017 2009 2010 Forms 198

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 2, 2021

  Key quote from the study summary: The headline findings of this report are broadly positive.    Below is the report's summary chart showing the study's key findings, which are inline with the vast majority of other gig worker studies. Deliveroo riders are as happy as other members of the workforce.

Legal 207

Legal 207

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 17, 2018

Faire reports having "15,000 stores actively buying on the platform?—?more   The trends we reported on in 2008 as driving the growth of the new artisan economy still hold true today: 1. The wholesale marketplace Faire raised $100 million while the wholesale and licensing business Minted said they raised $208 million.

2008 216

2008 UPS 216

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 11, 2020

Uber's 18-page report, A First Step Toward A New Model For Independent Platform Work , outlines their proposal for improving the financial security of independent contractors, especially Uber drivers.    The report has a series of nine proposals from Uber.    Instead, we suggest you click here to read it.

Policies 172

Policies 172

Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

See the report for more details. MBO Partners is an Emergent Research client and we worked with them on this study.

2021 259

2021 2019 2020 259

Small Business Labs

FEBRUARY 11, 2020

  Coincidently, last week the McKinsey Global Institute released The New Social Contract in the 21st Century , This report covers much of the same ground as The Atlantic article, but they report their findings more clinically.   The report chart below (click to enlarge) shows the changes in U.S.

Stress 185

Stress AT&T 185

Small Business Labs

APRIL 16, 2018

According to a report from the global financial giant UBS , 72% of Millennials say starting a business appeals to them. The chart below, which is from the same UBS report, shows most Millennials see starting a business as riskier than older cohorts do. But at the same time, most say it's too risky to do.

195

195

Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

.  The data covers business receipts, deductions, and net income reported by taxpayers on Schedule C of tax Form 1040. This includes the vast majority of small businesses, including small businesses that report on a pass-through basis (LLC's, etc.).     In 2016 about 25.5 in 2016, up from $34.4

2003 183

2003 2016 Temping 2010 183