Dell and Intel Research Reveals Optimism Among U.S. Small Businesses, Focus on Domestic Growth
13 Mai 2013 - 9:30PM
Business Wire
Research released by Dell and Intel today reveals that startups
and small businesses in the United States are focused on growth,
primarily domestically, and are increasingly investing in
technology to help them scale. Entrepreneurs and business owners
are optimistic and maintain a positive future outlook, but believe
that there is more government could be doing to support them,
especially from the state and national level. The findings are part
of a comprehensive report that explores the state of U.S. small
business and entrepreneurship and identifies what can be done to
address key challenges and barriers to growth.
To gain a deeper understanding of the small business experience
at a local level, Dell conducted a nine-city Small Business “Think
Tank” Tour over the last 12 months, hosting interactive,
participant-led discussions with entrepreneurs, small business
owners and local leaders in each metro area. The report combines
these expert opinions and in-person dialogue with Dell- and
Intel-commissioned research to provide a complete overview of the
prospects and priorities of national startups and small businesses,
and how these perspectives vary from city to city.
Across all markets, entrepreneurs and small business owners were
identified as having three primary needs: Access to Capital and
Markets; Access to Networks, Talent and Expertise; and Access to
Technology. Cities in the analysis were chosen for having a
significant index of their population owning or working for small
businesses, and included Atlanta, Miami, the San Francisco Bay
Area, Chicago, the Los Angeles and Orange County Area, Austin,
Philadelphia, Seattle and Boston.
Click here to access the full report. Detailed research findings
and event summaries by city can be found here under the
Entrepreneurship tab.
Key findings illustrate that entrepreneurs and small business
owners are:
- Maintaining their optimism: Over
the course of the next year, more than half of entrepreneurs and
small business owners expect finances to improve (56 percent), and
most expect better prospects for sales (75 percent) as well as
greater growth opportunities (58 percent).
- Focused on growth: Nearly half
of respondents are planning to grow their companies in the near
future (48 percent), while a significant percentage is focused on
long-term growth (38 percent).
- Satisfied with tech: Most
startups and small businesses report being satisfied with how their
technology needs are currently being met (89 percent). Despite
this, a significant percentage report that their technology needs
are becoming increasingly complex (41 percent).
- Staying domestic: The majority
of U.S. startups and small businesses see greater growth
opportunities at home than abroad (84 percent).
- Wary of the national economy:
Nearly all startups and small businesses cite concern with the U.S.
economy’s impact on small business growth (91 percent) and indicate
low expectations for improvements to inflation (28 percent),
interest rates (33 percent) and the global economy (39
percent).
- Receiving support locally:
Respondents feel that their local government is more supportive of
small business growth (50 percent) than their government at the
state (40 percent) or national level (33 percent) and consider
professional organizations (68 percent) and their local Chamber of
Commerce (64 percent) to be the most crucial support pillars for
the small business community.
Based on research findings and conversations with startups and
small businesses over the last year and consistent with the
Technology CEO Council (TCC) recommendations, Dell believes that
policymakers, together with big business, should focus on the
following areas to help them overcome current obstacles to
growth:
- Improving Access to Capital and
Markets: Although obtaining capital remains a common pain
point, the current regulatory environment is causing small business
owners to look elsewhere from government lending for financing.
Policymakers should impose reasonable fiscal controls on government
spending and work to reform America’s corporate tax system to be
globally competitive by adopting a territorial tax system with
lower rates and permanent, effective research incentives.
- Improving Access to Networks, Talent
and Expertise: Competition for top talent is high among
startups and small businesses, especially at executive levels and
in the fields of science and technology. To expand the talent pool
and help empower the next generation of entrepreneurs, policymakers
can work to improve the quality of K-12 STEM education and engage
more students in STEM learning at a younger age, increase U.S.
college graduation rates, and remove barriers to immigration for
skilled workers.
- Improving Access to Technology:
Technology will continue to play a larger role in enabling the
success of startups and small businesses as it levels the playing
field, making it easier for them to compete with large companies,
having to hire fewer employees and automating routine tasks.
Policymakers can encourage innovation and increase access to
technology by maintaining robust national investments in R&D
(3% of GDP), and investing in next-generation infrastructure,
including telecom, energy, transportation and healthcare.
In addition to leading the multi-city tour, Dell has engaged in
discussions with policymakers at the federal and state levels to
help create regulatory environments that remove obstacles to
entrepreneurial success and make government a partner in
accelerating entrepreneur and small business success and job
creation. Dell continues to advocate for the creation of the
“Entrepreneur-in-Residence” (EIR) in government, bringing true
entrepreneurs into government to serve as advocates for
entrepreneurs to work for change in government regulatory processes
and programs.
Quotes
“Entrepreneurship and job creation have rightfully dominated the
national conversation in recent years, but we also need to make
sure that entrepreneurs and young companies are getting the support
they need and that local priorities aren’t overshadowed by national
headlines,” said Scott Case of Startup America Partnership.
“Entrepreneurs are by nature optimistic, but they can’t succeed all
on their own. To continue to drive forward the entrepreneurial
advantage we enjoy in this country requires a collaborative effort
between policymakers, academics, nonprofits, major corporations and
private sector companies.”
“While possessing a bright outlook overall, entrepreneurs and
small business owners remain uncertain about the future ahead. To
compete in today’s global landscape, they need technology to
innovate, but it’s not the only thing they need,” said Ingrid
Vanderveldt, Entrepreneur in Residence at Dell. “Turning a great
idea into a successful business also requires access to financing,
networking and knowledge.”
“In addition to access to vital resources, entrepreneurs need
support to navigate government regulations so they can focus on
innovation,” said Rep. Mike Honda. “There is much that U.S.
policymakers can do today to help American entrepreneurs and small
business owners compete globally, which would encourage job
creation and foster a favorable economic climate for growth,
innovation and competitiveness. The EIR program is an effort to
source these solutions more broadly.”
Methodology
Dell and Intel commissioned research from Penn Schoen Berland
(PSB) to better understand the concerns, challenges and needs of
the small business community, to determine how technology may
increase the success of these businesses, and to inform
conversation on the future of America’s small businesses. Over the
course of 2012 and 2013, PSB conducted 941 interviews in 2012 and
2013 among small businesses decision-makers, from companies with 1
to 99 employees, in the following U.S. cities: Miami, Atlanta,
Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles-Orange County,
Austin, Philadelphia, Boston and Seattle.1
Additional Information:
Link to InfographicLink to WhitepaperLink to Small Business
Think Tank page
About Dell:
As the visionary outcome of a true entrepreneur, Dell (NASDAQ:
DELL) is committed to helping small and medium businesses grow and
better serve their customers by drawing greater value from
technology. For more information, visit the Dell Center for
Entrepreneurs at http://www.dell.com/entrepreneur.
1 Total number of small business decision-makers N=941 (MOE ±
3.19%); Margin of error by city – Miami N=100 (MOE ± 9.8%), Atlanta
N=100 (MOE ± 9.8%), Chicago N=200 (MOE ± 6.93%), San Francisco
N=100 (MOE ± 9.8%), Los Angeles-Orange County N=71 (MOE ± 11.63%),
Austin N=69 (MOE ± 11.80%), Philadelphia N=100 (MOE ± 9.8%), Boston
N=101 (MOE ± 9.75%), Seattle N=100 (MOE ± 9.8%)
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