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Recent Analyst's Journal Articles:

Sep

20

2017

Analyst's Journal

Small Businesses Attempting Growth Were Least Satisfied with Primary Bank

By Emily Cade

Barlow Research collects a variety of demographic information each quarter using 13 important questions, one of which asks about the current life stage of the company. Each stage (development, growth, attempting growth, maturity and decline) has its own characteristics and banking needs. Interestingly, data from the most recent 2Q2017 rolling four quarter data revealed that small businesses ($100K-<$10MM in sales) in the attempting growth stage were least likely to be very satisfied with their...

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Sep

13

2017

Analyst's Journal

Bank of America Transforms Mobile Lending for Small Businesses

By Youa Yang

Every year, Barlow Research conducts a thorough review of current mobile banking features for small businesses (companies with $100K-<$10MM in annual sales) from 15 top financial institutions in the U.S. We then capture these new features and pose them via questionnaire to digital banking users in order to understand the importance of each feature being offered. Over the last few years, we’ve noticed the trend of continued building in the mobile channel. When mobile...

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Sep

6

2017

Analyst's Journal

Account Officer Visit Performance Improves Bank Brand and Repurchase Intentions

By Emily Anderson

According to Barlow Research's most recent four-quarter data (3Q16-2Q17), over 90% of middle market customers ($10MM-<$500MM in annual sales) have touched their Account Officer in the last year. Routine contact with the Account Officer for a middle market customer is vital to the banking relationship. Barlow Research has found that the Account Officer is a driving channel for middle market customers' overall satisfaction with their primary bank. Customers in the middle market can...

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Aug

30

2017

Analyst's Journal

Importance of Small Business Mobile Banking Users and Ways to Reach Them

By Dustin Greelis-VanLaningham

Many small businesses (sales $100K-<$10MM) have begun banking on the same device they use to call their friends and family, take pictures or get directions to a new dinner location. More and more small businesses are becoming interested in banking on the go. These are valuable customers, as they are committed enough to their bank to learn a complex mobile app or website. Understanding the importance of these clients, as well as what they...

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Aug

23

2017

Analyst's Journal

Digital Banking Features to Track and Manage Paper Are Becoming Less Important to Small Businesses

By Adam Johnson

After spending much of the summer focused on sharing the results from Barlow Research’s 2017 Digital Business Banking study, it is time to start preparing once again for a new year with the Digital Business Banking Test Drive. Over the next few months, we’ll carefully evaluate the availability and functionality of dozens of digital banking features offered to small business owners ($100K-<$10MM in annual sales). Each year, we’re excited to experience the innovative features...

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Aug

16

2017

Analyst's Journal

Aging Small Business Owner Trend Moved One Step Closer to a Tipping Point for Ownership Transition

By Joel Mueller

Over the past several years, Barlow Research has kept close watch on trends in the age of small business owners. Not only have we found that the average age of small business owners has incrementally increased, but the expected age of retirement has recently decreased. As small business owners grow older and more likely to retire, we can expect many more small business owners to be looking to transition the ownership of their business in...

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Aug

9

2017

Analyst's Journal

Large Bank Minority Small Business Customers’ Overall Satisfaction Is Lagging

By Emily Cade

Barlow Research collects a variety of information on the demographics of small business (annual sales of $100K-<$10MM) owners. These demographics are often used to provide more specific data for certain groups within the total market of small business banking customers; one group specifically being minority small business owners. Each quarter, Barlow Research asks whether more than 50% of your business is ethnic or racial minority-owned. In the most recent four quarter data...

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Aug

2

2017

Analyst's Journal

The Future Is Here: Businesses Are Willing to Use Digital Assistants for Banking Tasks

By Youa Yang

Every day, our lives get further and further ingrained with the technology that is available to us. As consumers, we now have the ability to interact with artificial intelligence (AI) to make our lives easier. The most common examples that come to mind are Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home devices. The integration of these services with our current devices provides us with convenience all done with the sound of our voices. In late...

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Jul

26

2017

Analyst's Journal

Growing Middle Market Companies Are Loyal to Their Primary Bank

By Emily Anderson

Since 2014, Barlow Research has tracked business life stages of middle market companies ($10MM-<$500MM in sales). Depending on a company’s life stage, whether just getting started, growing every year or maintaining growth, banking needs and loyalty to the bank may be different and evolve over time. The majority of middle market companies were either in a growth or maturity stage. Over half of all middle market companies indicated they were in a growth life...

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Jul

19

2017

Analyst's Journal

Expect Small Businesses to Invest in Growth This Year

By Dustin Greelis-VanLaningham

In the last few years, small businesses ($100K-<$10MM) have become increasingly confident in their finances. Higher expectations for profit, greater average outstanding checking account balances and improved confidence in the U.S. economy all indicate that small businesses are growing more optimistic in 2017. However, not all businesses are in the same business life stage, a factor that can have a large impact on financial behaviors. Growing and developing businesses, in particular, appear to need...

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