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Recent Analyst's Journal Articles:
Apr
18
2018
Analyst's Journal
More Non-Banks Are Being Added by Small Businesses for Their Credit Needs
By Emily Cade
The small business ($100K-<$10MM in annual sales) bank market share has been fairly stable over the last several years. Half of small businesses, 53%, bank at large banks (>$50B in assets). Twenty-two percent of small businesses bank at medium banks ($1-$50B in assets), 18% at small banks (<$1B in assets) and 7% at non-banks. Non-banks include fintechs and other financial institutions such as credit unions. Few companies, 5%, plan to...
Apr
11
2018
Analyst's Journal
Small Business Digital Banking Customers Report a Notable Increase in the Importance of Mobile Bill Pay
By Adam Johnson
In the Digital Business Banking Test Drive, Barlow Research explores the availability and functionality for dozens of banking features available to customers through the online business banking platforms at 15 of the largest financial institutions in the country. Because we maintain our own business accounts (primarily designed for small business customers $100K-<$10MM in annual sales), we have a direct line of access to these features, and we provide our Digital Business Banking clients with...
Apr
4
2018
Analyst's Journal
Regions Holds the Top Barlow Research Small Business CAMELS™ Score for the Second Consecutive Year
By Sandy Hanson
At Barlow Research, we are busy analyzing all of the data we have collected from small businesses ($100K-<$10MM in sales) during the four quarters of 2017 for our Annual Report. Unfortunately for the large banks (assets >$50B), we haven’t seen much movement in their scores since the prior year. This is unfortunate because prior to 2016, the large banks had exhibited improved scores both in market share, as well as performance metrics. In 2017...
Mar
28
2018
Analyst's Journal
Bank of America Optimizes Mobile and Desktop Digital Account Application for Small Businesses
By Youa Yang
Financial institutions are continuing to find new ways to digitize their services for business banking customers. One of those ways that we’ve seen continued movement in recently is allowing small businesses (sales of $100K-<$10MM) the ability to open up DDA accounts through digital channels. This functionality is increasingly important because from the small business perspective, many are accustomed to self-servicing since not all customers are assigned to a banker. From the financial institution’s...
Mar
21
2018
Analyst's Journal
M&T Bank and PNC Top the CAMELS™ Scores in the Middle Market
By Emily Anderson
At Barlow Research, we measure bank performance according to the voice of the customer. Every year Barlow Research publishes a CAMELS™ score for each of our top ten banks based on primary bank market share in the middle market (companies with sales $10MM-<$500MM). A Barlow Research CAMELS™ score is a composite of the performance ratings awarded by middle market bank customers in six areas over a two-year period. These individual components measure...
Mar
14
2018
Analyst's Journal
Small Business Mobile Banking Adoption and Feature Importance Spike
By Dustin Greelis
Mobile banking usage is at an all-time high for small businesses. A total of 36% of companies with sales $100K-<$10MM report using mobile banking for their businesses. In fact, respondents have reported increased usage every year since it was first asked about in 2013, and these increases haven’t slowed down. Barlow Research’s most recent four-quarter data showed an increase of 7% in mobile banking usage for small businesses compared to the prior...
Mar
7
2018
Analyst's Journal
SunTrust’s Account Officers Outperform Top Banks on Key Middle Market Metrics
By Joel Mueller
Just as business banking relationships mature and change, the importance of various Account Officer attributes change as well. Knowing what has become increasingly top-of-mind to your clients will ensure relationship satisfaction and bank loyalty. Given that the net potential revenue of a middle market ($10MM-<$500MM in annual sales) relationship averages nearly $200,000, loyalty is essential. In the middle market, three Account Officer attributes have statistically increased in importance since 2010 – promptly following...
Feb
28
2018
Analyst's Journal
Quick Error Resolution Does Pay Off
By Sandy Hanson
Unfortunately, errors are a regular occurrence in business banking. In Barlow Research’s most recent data (2017), 13% of small businesses ($100K-<$10MM) and 15% of middle market companies ($10MM-<$500MM) reported experiencing an error during the past 90 days at their primary bank. These numbers have held steady for the last couple of years. The average number of errors within a 90-day time period was 1.7 among small businesses and 2.2 among middle market...
Feb
21
2018
Analyst's Journal
BB&T and Chase Enhance Mobile Banking Functionality for Small Business Customers with Stop Check Payment
By Adam Johnson
In Barlow Research’s Digital Business Banking research, we’re always on the lookout for new digital banking innovations. As digital banking adoption continues to increase among business owners, financial institutions continue to find new ways to bring essential banking functionality to digital channels. This trend is especially true in mobile business banking; functionality that has already proven to be valuable through the desktop online channel finds an even more convenient place in mobile banking apps where...
Feb
14
2018
Analyst's Journal
Smaller Financial Institutions Capture Almost Half of Middle Market Primary Share
By Donna Arce
Don’t underestimate the ability of medium, small and even non-banks that want to do business in the middle market banking segment (companies $10MM-<$500MM in annual revenues). Slightly over half of middle market companies surveyed named a large bank as their primary banking provider, leaving the remainder of the pie for smaller institutions to gain a foothold. Year after year, the primary share foothold of the smaller banks holds steady. Their share may fluctuate...