Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 2, 2019

  EMSI found about 7 million Americans report being full-time remote workers. With the advancements of video conferencing and online collaboration tools, it's become much easier to interact with and manage remote workers. In addition to finding talent is spreading out across the U.S., This is about 4.7% of the workforce.  

Restaurants 143

Restaurants Collaborate Skills Management 143

Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

CNBC's Mom and Pop Shops Flying to the Cloud does an excellent job of describing how and why small businesses are rapidly moving to cloud based tools. increasing collaboration across teams, geographies and organizations is leading to the growing use of cloud based collaboration tools. Web/Tech'

Collaborate 100

Collaborate Budget Filing 100

Small Business Labs

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

  The key finding of the study is "participation in the Online Platform Economy functions as a cash-flow management tool for many families." The JP Morgan Chase Institute recently released a new study, Bridging the Gap: How Families Use the Online Platform Economy to Manage their Cash Flow. 

2017 110

2017 Medical Management Policies 110

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 27, 2016

They need better tools to help them figure out their financial outlook. As the report chart below shows (click to enlarge), the cost of health insurance remains an issue. Click here for the complete report. ACA is working in terms of ability to choose every year : 38% of workers will shop for new plans this year.

Health 100

Health 100

Small Business Labs

JULY 7, 2015

A study recently issued by eBay reports that in the last year 190,000 U.S.   According to data from the 2014 MBO Partners State of Independence report, 13% of full time independent workers - roughly 2.2 Of these, about 600,000 report at least one-third of their annual revenue comes from outside of the U.S.

Elance 100

Elance 2025 2014 2009 100

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 25, 2014

The Internet and a growing array of telework and online collaboration tools are the key enablers of the digital nomad lifestyle. 14% reported that none of their revenue came from their local area.   As long as they can find a decent Internet connection, laptop carrying nomads can work pretty much anywhere.

Telecommuting 100

Telecommuting Lifestyle Yahoo Retirement 100

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 29, 2013

  Last week Intuit released the 2103 Future of Accountancy report. We co-authored this report with Intuit and it's an update of The Future of the Accounting Profession study we did with them in 2011. Mobile, Cloud and Social technologies are rapidly becoming the main tools for accounting professionals.

2011 100

2011 Interviewing AT&T Management 100

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 17, 2012

The New Data Democracy: How Big Data Will Revolutionize the Lives of Small Businesses and Consumers is a new research and trends forecast report from Intuit and Emergent Research (that's us).    For more on the report, see these articles: ZDNet: Intuit Aims to Give Small Business Spin to Big Data.

2020 100

2020 100

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 2, 2013

  The study also reports about 30%-40% find the process of locating, hiring and paying freelancers to be difficult and/or cumbersome. Because of this 68% of the respondents said they would be interested in a tool that made it easier to hire, manage and pay freelancers.

Elance 100

Elance Skills Management 100

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 19, 2014

.    For the purposes of this forecast, "fully adapted to cloud computing" means being completely or very confident using cloud tools to manage a business.    But despite relatively high cloud adoption rates, relatively few (37%) small businesses report being confident using the cloud to manage their business.

2020 100

2020 Confidence Social Media AT&T 100

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

JANUARY 9, 2017

 Workers in these spaces consistently report making more connections, learning skills faster, and feeling more inspired and in control than their cubicle-dwelling counterparts inside large companies. The second, more powerful trend is the steadily climbing number of freelance, independent, contingent, and temporary workers . ."

Cubicle 100

Cubicle 2014 Networking Skills 100

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 27, 2015

But more and more people are taking advantage of telework tools to work remotely while they take long weekends away from home, live temporarily near relatives or live full or part-time where they want to live instead of where their job is. 14% reported that none of their revenue came from their local area.

2014 100

2014 Social Media Lifestyle Travel 100

Small Business Labs

FEBRUARY 3, 2015

The number of citations has accelerated since, with Google reporting more hits on this term this month (January 2015) than all of 2010. As you can see from the chart below, the use of the term "digital nomad" started to gain traction in the 2008-2009 time frame. This is a lightweight, mobile office. And it feels great.

2015 100

2015 2008 2009 2014 100

Small Business Labs

MAY 13, 2014

Back in 2009 we released Today's Hobbyists are Tomorrow's Hobbypreneurs , a report on the Maker Movement with our partner Intuit. " At the time we wrote this report,this was controversial. " At the time we wrote this report,this was controversial. and global economy." and global economy."

2009 100

2009 Finance Forms AT&T 100

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 5, 2015

 Zen99 is a Y-Combinator backed startup that provides tax and insurance tools for independent contractors. I did an interview  with the folks at Zen99 last week.    They also offer advice through online guides at Zen99 University , which is where the interview appeared.

Interviewing 100

Interviewing 100

Small Business Labs

APRIL 30, 2012

Forrester just released a report called Tablets Will Rule the Future Personal Computing Landscape. Tablets used with frames will substitute for laptops in significant volume, the report said.   Despite our misgivings about tablets as content creation tools , we agree they are great content consumption devices.

2016 100

2016 100

Small Business Labs

MAY 7, 2015

Most executives and many engineers don’t realize it, but this technology has moved well beyond prototyping, rapid tooling, trinkets, and toys. The report chart below, which shows the growth of 3D printing patents, nicely illustrates the rapid growth of this industry.

Confidence 100

Confidence UPS 100

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 11, 2012

Ford (yes, that Ford) released their first ever trends report. " The report is very glossy and nicely written. That Ford released this also highlights a trend we've long followed - the growing importance of corporate thought leadership as a marketing tool. The 13 trends are solid if not surprising.

2013 100

2013 Forms Learning 100

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 29, 2014

They also provide tools and reporting functions that provide contingent talent buyers visibility and analytics related to an organizations contingent workforce scope and spend.   Instead, an FMS facilitates firm wide engagement and deployment model. compliance services to guard against worker misclassification.

Elance 100

Elance Management Legal Confidence 100

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 20, 2013

It's the use of software and analytical tools to analyze, track and improve work methods and performance. They use the term "labormetrics" to describe these tools and efforts. This is, according to their site, "a combination timesheet and progress report for hourly contracts.

AT&T 100

AT&T 100

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 6, 2010

GobiSOFT, from Gobi Carbon Management Solutions is a web-based tool that enables small-to medium-sized businesses to easily and affordably measure, report and reduce their carbon footprint. They are holding a free webinar this Wednesday, December 8th at 10:00am PST. 

Carbon Footprint 100

Carbon Footprint 2020 Management 100

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 17, 2011

Last year we reported on  the growing interest in developing biotech coworking labs.    The effort we reported on has come to fruition.    bioCurious , a 2400 square foot coworking lab, is now open for business in Silicon Valley. 

Equipment 100

Equipment Networking AT&T 100

Small Business Labs

JULY 21, 2014

This shift to a " just in time "  workforce is happening because of the rapid growth of labormetrics , which is the use of software and analytical tools to analyze, track and improve work methods and performance.    Labormetrics also allows firms to shift business risk to employees. This

2020 100

2020 Management 100

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 22, 2013

Most articles and studies define Big Data as: a collection of datasets so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process using traditional database management tools or data processing applications. Obviously datasets that can be analyzed using Excel are not too big for traditional IT tools.

2020 100

2020 Interviewing Forms Management 100

Small Business Labs

FEBRUARY 15, 2011

  The report is easy to read and free, so I urge you to get a copy if the topic interests you.    The report has too much information for a summary, but a couple of items jumped out at me: 1.    BTW, we've found most small businesses that evaluate Facebook as a business tool end up using it. 

2010 100

2010 Social Media Facebook Holidays 100

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 31, 2012

500 report using some form of social media.  For many small businesses blogging is an excellent marketing tool.  But like any tool or marketing method, it's not for every job or every company. .   While blogging is down, social media usage is up.  Facebook is used by by 74% of Inc.

Social Media 100

Social Media 2011 Forms Twitter 100

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 28, 2013

 Like it or not, financial reporting will continue to globalize. Key quote for SMBs from this trend is "With the price of predictive analytics and Big Data tools falling, the finance folks at SMBs seem likely to pull open their firms’ purse strings." CFO thinks 2013 might be the year corporations increase hiring.

2013 100

2013 Finance AT&T UPS 100

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 1, 2013

 According to the report, the U.S.   For those not familiar with the quantified self trend, it's the use of tools and gadgets to self-track and analyze data on your health and life. It's from the research folks at Packaged Facts. They do studies on consumer markets, including pet spending. Pet Market Outlook.

2013 100

2013 Medical 2012 2014 100

Small Business Labs

APRIL 14, 2011

77% of respondents report that their desktop/laptop usage decreased dut to the tablet.   It shows that tablets are primarily a media consumption tool.  Interesting survey from Google on tablet PC use.  82% of respondents said they primarily use their tablet at home. " 

Google 100

Google AT&T 100

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 13, 2010

  A recent Pew Internet study reports that about 8% of online, adult Americans use Twitter.    Social Media, including Twitter, can be a powerful and valuable tool for small businesses.    Like any tool, if social media works use it.    Like any tool, if social media works use it. 

Twitter 100

Twitter Social Media Expenses AT&T 100

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 3, 2010

.  There are a growing number of tools available to small businesses to help them develop sustainable business practices.  recently announced the launch of GobiSOFT, a new web-based tool that enables small-to medium-sized businesses to easily and affordably measure, report and reduce their carbon footprint. 

Carbon Footprint 100

Carbon Footprint Purchasing Environment Management 100

Small Business Labs

FEBRUARY 25, 2011

eMarketer reports that 9% of the adult (18+) US Internet population currently uses Twitter at least once a month.    That's a lot of people and Twitter is a great marketing tool if your customer base is using it.    Their new forecast substantially lowers the Twitter use forecast they made last April. 

Twitter 100

Twitter AT&T Learning Social Media 100

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 15, 2010

Reports and Resources Intuit 2020 Research Report Todays Hobbyists are Tomorrows Hobbypreneurs Homepreneurs: A Vital Economic Force Research Brief - Small Business Credit Outlook The Economic Stimulus Package: Whats in it for Growing Businesses? .  Carolyn is leading the coworking study and Steve is a member of the project team.

2010 100

2010 Retirement 2020 2005 100

Small Business Labs

NOVEMBER 17, 2010

  If you read articles on lean startups, you will learn about agile programming methods, open source tools and rapid code development.    We cover the trends enabling ultralight startups in more detail in the Intuit 2020 Report.    They now gross over $1 million per year. 

2020 100

2020 Google Facebook Learning 100

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 15, 2013

2013 will see rapid increases in the number of small businesses using powerful yet inexpensive cloud-based data and analytical tools.    They also report 2012 will likely see an increase in these numbers. .  But the data and analytics revolution will also benefit small businesses. billion from Angels in 2011. 

2013 100

2013 2012 Elance Health 100

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 23, 2010

Reports and Resources Intuit 2020 Research Report Todays Hobbyists are Tomorrows Hobbypreneurs Homepreneurs: A Vital Economic Force Research Brief - Small Business Credit Outlook The Economic Stimulus Package: Whats in it for Growing Businesses?    So are the reporting and regulatory burdens of being a public company. 

2010 100

2010 Retirement 2020 Twitter 100