Small Businesses Embrace Technology Even More in 2013, According to PaySimple Pulse Survey

Small companies plan on more cloud-based solutions, social media marketing, and mobile, but nothing beats that personal touch.

2013-02-13

DENVER, CO, February 13, 2013 (Press-News.org) PaySimple, the cloud-based platform for managing and growing small businesses, announced the findings in its 2013 Pulse Survey of Small Businesses today. Thousands of PaySimple users surveyed articulated a plan to adopt more technology solutions, particularly for the operational functions of their firms, including back office, billing, and accounting. Small businesses want more cloud-based technologies, and they want to manage more of their operations on mobile devices. Small businesses have less interest in adding new staff in 2013. Business owners remain convinced that even with more technology, there is no substitute for personal touch with customers.

Highlights from the survey, showcased in the 2013 Small Business Pulse Infogrpahic.

Operators have higher appetite for cloud, web and mobile solutions:
- 90% of small businesses have company websites Tweet this!
- 50% plan to add more cloud-based technology into their operations in 2013 Tweet this!
- More than half of small businesses (53%) plan to run more functions over a mobile device Tweet this!
- Over 90% have a mobile device
- Over 60% own at least one Apple device, and iPhone users outnumber Android users 2:1

Technology will increase productivity and reduce appetite for new hiring:
- Only 33% of small businesses plan to hire new full-time employees in 2013 Tweet this!
- Average expected increase in staff is 24%

Small business owners are increasing use of new media marketing:
- 85% use email, with 67% using company email, 11% using Constant Contact, and 8.5% using MailChimp
- 51% plan to use Facebook and 17.7% Linkedin for marketing Tweet this!
- 37% engage in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) activities
- Less than 10% plan to use phonebooks and local newspaper and magazine ads

Small business owners still rely heavily on personal touch to maintain relationships:
- 55% relying on the telephone as a key engagement tool for customer relationships
- 45% use in-person events and community organizations

Small businesses report increased use of receivables innovations to accelerate revenue and cash flow:
- In 2012, new PaySimple users reduced the number of days it took to get customer invoices paid from 12 days in month one to 4 days by the end of the year
- 70% use PaySimple's small business platform to collect recurring payments
- In 2012, new PaySimple users grew their monthly revenue processed on the platform by more than 600 Tweet this!

"We are happy to be a part of the trend toward more adoption of SMB technology solutions," said PaySimple CEO, Eric Remer. "Surveys like this help shape our thinking and plans for how we can be even more valuable to the 20 million service-based small businesses in the US."

About PaySimple. PaySimple is the leading cloud-based platform for managing and growing small businesses. Thousands of companies use PaySimple's turnkey solution to automate billing, accept electronic payments, increase cash flow, manage customers, and run real-time performance reports. PaySimple markets its product directly to small businesses as well as through valued enterprise partners, including ADP, Chase, Vantiv, Jack Henry, and Western Union.PaySimple helps small businesses take on the world. To learn more, visit PaySimple.com, call 800-466-0992, or follow on Twitter and Facebook.

Media Contact:

Megan Paladino
Marketing Manager
720.446.4687
mpaladino@paysimple.com

[Attachments] See images for this press release:

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Carbon sponge could soak up coal emissions

2013-02-12

Emissions from coal power stations could be drastically reduced by a new, energy-efficient material that adsorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide, then releases it when exposed to sunlight. In a study published today in Angewandte Chemie, Monash University and CSIRO scientists for the first time discovered a photosensitive metal organic framework (MOF) - a class of materials known for their exceptional capacity to store gases. This has created a powerful and cost-effective new tool to capture and store, or potentially recycle, carbon dioxide. By utilising sunlight to ...

Synthetic circuit allows dialing gene expression up or down in human cells

2013-02-12

HOUSTON - Scientists who built a synthetic gene circuit that allowed for the precise tuning of a gene's expression in yeast have now refined this new research tool to work in human cells, according to research published online in Nature Communications. "Using this circuit, you can turn a gene from completely off to completely on and anywhere between those two extremes in each cell at once. It's a nice tool if you want to know what happens at intermediate levels of gene expression. There has been no such system so far, but now it is available for mammalian cell research," ...

Scientists create automated 'time machine' to reconstruct ancient languages

2013-02-12

Ancient languages hold a treasure trove of information about the culture, politics and commerce of millennia past. Yet, reconstructing them to reveal clues into human history can require decades of painstaking work. Now, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have created an automated "time machine," of sorts, that will greatly accelerate and improve the process of reconstructing hundreds of ancestral languages. In a compelling example of how "big data" and machine learning are beginning to make a significant impact on all facets of knowledge, researchers ...

Refocusing important on and off the court, says recent study.

2013-02-12

Toronto – If an employee's performance drops in one area, does that mean they're slacking off? It could mean that they've simply shifted and refocused their efforts on a different set of tasks -- a positive sign of adaptability that should be considered in performance evaluations, says a study lead by a researcher at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. The study, published in Human Performance, draws on statistics from professional basketball players for its data and conclusions. Researchers assessed data on more than 700 members of the NBA to ...

Consumers have few negative reactions to the results of genetic testing for cancer mutations

2013-02-12

A 23andMe study of consumers' reactions to genetic testing found that even when the tests revealed high-risk mutations in individuals, those individuals had few negative reactions to the news. Instead of inducing serious anxiety, the test results prompted people to take positive steps, including follow-up visits with a doctor and discussions with family members who could also be at risk. The study, titled "Dealing with the unexpected: Consumer responses to direct-access BRCA mutation testing" published today as part of the launch of PeerJ, a new peer reviewed open access ...

Scientists advance the art of magic with a study of Penn and Teller's 'cups and balls' illusion

2013-02-12

Cognitive brain researchers have studied a magic trick filmed in magician duo Penn & Teller's theater in Las Vegas, to illuminate the neuroscience of illusion. Their results advance our understanding of how observers can be misdirected and will aid magicians as they work to improve their art. The research team was led by Dr. Stephen Macknik, Director of the Laboratory of Behavioral Neurophysiology at Barrow Neurological Institute, in collaboration with fellow Barrow researchers Hector Rieiro and Dr. Susana Martinez-Conde, Director of the Laboratory of Visual Neuroscience. ...

Identification of abnormal protein may help diagnose, treat ALS and frontotemporal dementia

2013-02-12

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are devastating neurodegenerative diseases with no effective treatment. Researchers are beginning to recognize ALS and FTD as part of a spectrum disorder with overlapping symptoms. Now investigators reporting online February 12 in the Cell Press journal Neuron have discovered an abnormal protein that first forms as a result of genetic abnormalities and later builds up in the brains of many patients with either disease. "In identifying the novel protein that abnormally accumulates ...

Neuroprosthesis gives rats the ability to 'touch' infrared light

2013-02-12

Researchers have given rats the ability to "touch" infrared light, normally invisible to them, by fitting them with an infrared detector wired to microscopic electrodes implanted in the part of the mammalian brain that processes tactile information. The achievement represents the first time a brain-machine interface has augmented a sense in adult animals, said Duke University neurobiologist Miguel Nicolelis, who led the research team. The experiment also demonstrated for the first time that a novel sensory input could be processed by a cortical region specialized in ...

A new 'virtual moderator' helps reach consensus in troubled negotiations

2013-02-12

A group of researchers have designed a new fuzzy ontology-based system to help people in disagreement reach consensus. This system, which acts as a virtual moderator, is a step forward in the field on Artificial Intelligence. This tool can be useful in making everyday decisions –such as choosing a wine in a restaurant–, but it can also be helpful in complex negotiations between countries fighting for their interests in the European Union framework. Fuzzy ontologies represent the relationships among basic concepts. This new system uses ontology to help in the decision-making ...

Low-arsenic rice discovered in Bangladesh could have major health benefits

2013-02-12

Amsterdam, NL, 12 February 2013 – Millions of people worldwide are regularly exposed to arsenic through drinking water and eating rice grown in soil and water containing high amounts of arsenic. Long-term exposure can lead to the development of different types of cancer as well as serious cardiovascular, neurological, and other health problems. Scientists have now identified aromatic rice from Bangladesh that has far lower arsenic concentrations than found in non-aromatic rice. The other important benefit is that it contains higher amounts of selenium and zinc. The discovery ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Simple blood test predicts cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients, new study shows

Antimicrobial resistance genes hitch rides on imported seafood

New way to find “aged” cells marks fresh approach for research into ageing

From blood sugar to brain relief: GLP-1 therapy slashes migraine frequency

Variability in heart rate during sleep may reveal early signs of stroke, depression or cognitive dysfunction, new study shows

New method to study catalysts could lead to better batteries

Current Molecular Pharmacology impact factor rises to 2.9, achieving Q2 ranking in the Pharmacology & Pharmacy category in 2024 JCR

More time with loved ones for cancer patients spared radiation treatment

New methods speed diagnosis of rare genetic disease

Genetics of cardiomyopathy risk in cancer survivors differ by age of onset

Autism inpatient collection releases genetic, phenotypic data for more than 1,500 children with autism

Targeting fusion protein’s role in childhood leukemia produces striking results

Clear understanding of social connections propels strivers up the social ladder

New research reveals why acute and chronic pain are so different – and what might make pain last

Stable cooling fostered life, rapid warming brought death: scientists use high-resolution fusuline data reveal evolutionary responses to cooling and warming