Topline Insights Report

Local Pulse Report™- 2025 Topline Report

Pub Date: February 4, 2025
Length: 108 pages
Charts/Figures: 93

Strategic Insights for Providers Serving Small Businesses

The 2025 Local Pulse Report provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state and future outlook of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Drawing on insights from over 8,500 interviews with business owners, the report covers a wide range of topics, including economic expectations, sales projections, employment trends, operational challenges, marketing strategies, and technology adoption. This report is essential for understanding the evolving landscape of SMBs and offers valuable guidance for service providers looking to support these businesses.

What’s Inside?

This report is over 100+ pages with 90+ charts. Each section is designed to provide a thorough understanding of the various aspects of operating a small business. This comprehensive approach ensures that you, as a vendor or service provider, are well-equipped to meet the needs of your small business customers effectively.

In this section, we highlight the economic and operational outlooks of businesses for 2025. This section offers a holistic view of the industry\’s health, covering economic, sales, staffing outlooks, business challenges, and financial strategies. This section serves as a barometer for the industry’s future landscape, helping businesses to strategically position themselves in a potentially volatile market. Here, we provide crucial insights into financial strategies and adaptability to changing market demands, which are vital for maintaining competitiveness and achieving long-term stability.

Charts Included (2024 vs. 2025):

  • Small Business Economic Expectations
  • Small Business Sales Expectations
  • Small Business Employment Changes Over The Next 3 Months
  • Small Business Challenges
  • Small Business Operating Cash On Hand
  • Small Business Product And Service Pricing
  • Small Business Expected Price Increases
  • Small Business Capital Expenditures Over The Next 12 Months
  • Small Business Views On The Ability To Obtain Financing

In these sections, we uncover the allocation of marketing budgets, the usage of different marketing channels, and the strategic shifts in media spend. It offers a comprehensive view of current marketing effectiveness and future plans, guiding businesses on where to allocate their resources for maximum impact. These sections are essential for understanding how to align marketing strategies with industry trends and consumer preferences to drive growth and customer engagement.

Charts Included:

  • SMB Marketing Budget Allocations
  • Average Number of Media Types Used By SMBs
  • Average Annual Marketing Budget by Business Size
  • Small Business Marketing Goals
  • Small Business Media Mix
  • Traditional Vs Digital Media Spend Over the Next 12 Months
  • SMB Planned Change In Media Investments (20 Media Types)
  • Reasons Why SMBs Are Decreasing Media Investments
  • Reasons Why SMBs Are Increasing Media Investments
  • Most Important Factors When Measuring Ad Performance
  • How SMBs Measure Marketing Performance
  • Most Effective Marketing/Promotional Methods Used
  • Media SMBs Plan to Start Using Over The Next 12 Months
  • Website Penetration by Size of Business
  • Reasons Why SMBs Do Not Have a Website
  • Media SMBs Plan to Start Using Over the Next 12 Months
  • Website Management by Size of Business
  • Website Updates by Business Size
  • Small Business Mobile Strategies
  • Small Business Websites with Ecommerce Capabilities
  • Small Business Website Upgrades Over the Past 12 Months
  • Small Business Likelihood Upgrade Their Websites In 2025
  • Small Business Website Priorities For 2025
  • Small Business Social Media Usage
  • Social Media Small Businesses Use for Marketing/Promotion
  • Small Business Expectations When Using Social Media
  • SMBs That Don’t Use Social Media by Tenure
  • Media SMBs Plan To Start Using Over The Next 12 Months
  • Small Business Challenges with Social Media
  • How Small Businesses Measure the Success Of Social Media
  • Small Business Social Media Monitoring
  • Most Effective Social Media Channels According to Business Owners
  • Top Marketing Areas SMBs Need Help With
  • Small Businesses That Use Ratings & Reviews
  • Business Impact of Using Online Reviews
  • Small Business Response to Negative Reviews
  • Small Businesses That Claim Free Listings

 

In this section, we explore the various areas of technology integration within the business sector, from budgeting to the benefits and reasons behind adopting new technologies. This section helps businesses understand the importance of technological advancements in improving operational efficiencies, enhancing customer service, and staying competitive in a digitally evolving landscape.

Charts Included:

  • Small Business Adoption of Online Solutions
  • Areas Small Businesses Have Adopted Online Solutions
  • Reasons Why SMBs Adopted Online Solutions Over the Past 12 Months
  • Importance of Adopting Online Solutions
  • Technology SMBs Have Upgraded or Adopted Over the Past 12 Months
  • Benefits of Upgrading or Adopting New Technology
  • Reasons Why SMBs Have Not Upgraded or Adopted Technology
  • Top Areas SMBs Plan to Upgrade or Adopt New Technology in 2025

 

In this section, we provide critical insights into the challenges and preferences of small businesses (SMBs) when it comes to digital media and sales interactions. This section highlights the importance of effective sales partnerships and the role they play in helping SMBs navigate the complexities of digital marketing and technology adoption.

Charts Included:

  • Biggest Challenges SMBs Have With Digital Media
  • Things That Would Make SMBs Want to Try a New Digital Solution
  • Importance of Having a Sales Rep Visit in Person Business Size
  • Ideal Sales Rep Contact Frequency for SMBs
  • Ideal Communication Method by Sales Reps For SMBs
  • SMB Preference of Number of Providers to Work With
  • How SMBs Like to Purchase Digital Products/Services
  • Preferred Model of Selecting Digital Products/Services

The AI Adoption section of the Local Pulse Report delves into the current trends, motivations, and challenges small businesses (SMBs) face when integrating AI-driven tools and solutions. This section highlights the growing interest in AI and its potential to transform various business functions, providing valuable insights for service providers looking to support SMBs in their AI journey.

Charts Included:

  • SMB AI Adoption Trends
  • AI Tools for Customer Service
  • AI Tools for Operations
  • AI Tools for Finance & Accounting
  • AI Tools for Product Development
  • AI Tools for Sales & Marketing
  • AI Tools for HR & Talent Management
  • AI Tools for Business Strategy & Insights
  • AI Adoption Motivations & Challenges
  • AI Adoption Benefits & Workflow Impacts
  • Barriers to AI Adoption & Support
  • SMB AI Adoption the Next 12 Months

Sample Pages:

Series Features

Ideal For

Why Engage with Our Small Business Insights Series?

At Thrive Analytics, we delve deep into the specific needs and challenges faced by small businesses to equip providers like you with the knowledge to build more effective, responsive business strategies. Our insights are crafted to ensure you can not only meet but exceed the expectations of your small business customers.

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