State of Small & Micro Business 2023: across retail, manufacturing, and IT
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Be ready to entrepreneurs’ expectations in digital banking services

The State of Small & Micro Business 2023 report by Markswebb stands as an authoritative analysis that unravels the decision-making fabric of small and medium-sized business leaders in Eastern European countries as they select digital services. Carried out in 2023, this profound study draws from over 50 in-depth interviews across multiple sectors, including retail, manufacturing, and IT services, delving into 130+ insights and examining 160+ client cases. This comprehensive research not only benchmarks the current use of digital services but also maps out the influences - both personal and external - that drive digital adoption. It offers an invaluable resource for businesses aiming to optimize their digital strategies and align them more closely with the nuanced needs of their leaders and markets. The findings are critical for those looking to enhance their understanding of the digital landscape and implement more effective digital solutions.

  • 50 in-depth interviews
  • 5 groups of digital services
  • 4 small business industries

Researh highlights

Digitalization map

A significant outcome of the research is the development of a digitalization map, which places each interviewed manager on a coordinate system according to two major influences: the external environment and the leader's personal readiness for digitization. This innovative approach allows for a visual representation of the likelihood that a leader will implement digital solutions, factoring in both personal and contextual drivers. The map also categorizes leaders by the size of their businesses and industry type, offering a nuanced view of digital adoption across sectors.

Personal traits and external influences

The research identifies crucial personal and external factors that influence the adoption of digital services. On a personal level, factors such as trust in digital services, a drive for perfectionism, personal experience with digital tools, consideration for employee convenience, and a desire to be perceived as a digital leader play pivotal roles. Externally, the complexity of the business's operations, employee turnover rates, and specific requirements from partners and governmental bodies are influential. These insights highlight the multidimensional nature of decision-making in digital service adoption.

Entrepreneurial personas

Another key insight from the study is the identification of distinct personas among the business leaders, based on their attitudes and approaches towards digitalization. These range from viewing digitalization as a "forced necessity"- typically seen in those reluctant due to low digital literacy or a general unwillingness - to viewing it as an "idea" embraced by highly competent and proactive leaders who see digital tools as integral to their business philosophy.

The research achievement lies in identifying four unique personas of business leaders, offering insights into their diverse approaches to digitalization.

Practical benefits of the Markswebb research

The State of Small & Micro Business 2023 research by Markswebb provides essential insights that can significantly enhance the way businesses across various industries approach digitalization.

Informed decision-making

For business leaders in industries such as retail, manufacturing, construction, and IT services, understanding the detailed digitalization map helps in making more informed decisions regarding which digital services to implement. This strategic advantage is critical in ensuring investments in technology align perfectly with business needs and external conditions.

Enhanced product development

Product teams can leverage the study’s insights to design or improve digital services that meet the nuanced needs of business leaders. By understanding the preferences and pain points detailed in the report, developers can create more user-friendly and efficient tools that directly address the requirements of their target audience.

Competitive edge in marketing

Marketing professionals can utilize the personas and digitalization tendencies identified in the report to tailor their campaigns more effectively. Knowing whether their audience tends to view digitalization as a necessity or an ideological choice enables marketers to craft messages that resonate deeply, improving engagement and conversion rates.

Reduced risks and costs

The comprehensive analysis of factors influencing digital service adoption helps businesses minimize risks associated with new technology implementations. By aligning digital solutions with the specific triggers and barriers experienced by leaders, companies can avoid costly missteps and ensure a smoother integration of new technologies.

Strengthened customer relationships

For businesses providing digital services, applying the insights from the Markswebb research can lead to better customer support and more personalized service offerings. Understanding the underlying motivations and barriers faced by business leaders allows service providers to offer more relevant solutions, thereby strengthening customer trust and loyalty.

Methodology

The State of Small & Micro Business 2023 research employed a rigorous methodology designed to capture a comprehensive understanding of how small and medium-sized business leaders make decisions regarding digital services.

In-depth interviews

The cornerstone of the research was a series of 50 in-depth interviews with top management from various industries including retail, manufacturing, construction, and IT services. These interviews were meticulously planned to ensure a balanced representation across different company sizes, industries, and geographical locations, thus providing a diverse array of insights.

Analytical framework

A unique analytical framework was developed to assess and categorize the data. This involved the creation of the digitalization map, a tool that plots each leader's position based on their personal readiness for digitalization and the external environmental factors affecting their business. This map was instrumental in visualizing data trends and patterns, facilitating a deeper understanding of the landscape of digital service adoption.

Persona development

From the collected data, Markswebb crafted detailed personas of business leaders, identifying specific characteristics, motivations, and behaviors that influence their decision-making process. This persona development is crucial for clients looking to tailor their digital services or marketing strategies to meet the nuanced needs of each leader type.

How entrepreneurs choose services: the digitalization map

The research results are presented in the form of a digitalization map - a coordinate system where all respondents, i.e., managers of small and medium-sized businesses in European country, are located. The analysis of collected data revealed that two factors have the most significant influence on a company's digitization: the external environment and the personality of the leader. These factors have a stronger impact than industry affiliation, and they form the basis of the map.

Horizontal axis - factors of the external environment influencing the company.

Vertical axis - characteristics of the leader's personality and their readiness for digitalization. The higher the profile on the map, the greater the likelihood of the leader implementing digital services.

Each respondent is represented as a point on the map. The size of the point corresponds to the size of the company they lead, and the color indicates the industry of the business.

Personal factors influencing the choice of business services

  • Trust in digital services in general.
  • Perfectionism and a desire for constant improvement.
  • Level of personal experience with using digital services.
  • Attention to the convenience of employees' work.
  • Desire to be part of the digital leadership community or digital companies.

External factors promoting the adoption of digital products

  • The complexity of the company's system.
  • More complex businesses have a higher need for automation.
  • Staff turnover.
  • Companies with stable personnel are less likely to embrace digitalization.
  • Requirements of partners and clients.

Working with the government through procurement platforms, implementing electronic document exchange, task trackers for joint projects, etc. Employee readiness. The service implementation is associated with the need for training.

Many entrepreneurs have distinct personality traits and attitudes. Their interviews allowed for the identification of collective images or personas of MSB (small and medium-sized business) leaders. Four types of personas were identified in total. Here are the characteristics of two personas situated on different sides of the digitalization map.

Persona "Digitalization as a forced necessity"

Located at the bottom of the axis. Characteristics of these entrepreneurs:

  • They understand the necessity of digitalization but are reluctant to pursue it due to low digital literacy or unwillingness.
  • Among several options, they will always choose the one that is cheaper and easier to implement.
  • They tend to address only the most critical problems that threaten the business's existence.
  • For decision-making, they require personal contact, human interaction, and the proactive approach of the sales manager.

Persona "Digitalization as an idea"

Located near the top of the axis. Characteristics of these entrepreneurs:

  • Active users of digital products, well-versed in their range, with a high level of digital competence and awareness.
  • They value the company being perceived as digital.
  • The service implementation is not pragmatic but philosophical: they prioritize personal relationships, brands, ideas, and philosophy.
  • They seek out and try new things.
  • Willingness to allocate resources for implementation.

Profiles

Leaders who are the core of personalities will maintain their commitment to digitization even under strong external influences. Others will change their attitudes depending on external factors. Some needs are common to all leaders regardless of their position on the map.

Based on the research, we have compiled comprehensive profiles of the respondents. They help understand the goals, motives, and barriers of specific personality types of leaders (e.g., "Digitization as a forced necessity" or others).

Grigory is the managing director of a B2B manufacturing company going through tough times. Due to the crisis, key wholesale clients have left, and the management is trying to enter the retail segment.

The leader was not prepared to proactively seek a solution to the problem as it did not pose a threat to the business until he received an email invitation to attend a seminar from a CRM system provider. After the seminar, Grigory acquired the CRM system.

Personal communication and cultivating a sense of individual approach and personal interest are key tools for sales and maintaining relationships with the most challenging clients.

Grigory's profile demonstrates that personal consultation is necessary to make decisions; the leader is not ready to make choices based solely on self-study of information.

Leaders like Grigory:

  • Do not proactively seek solutions to non-critical problems but respond to attractive offers.
  • Require personal consultation when implementing a new service.
  • Prefer to look for new products from existing suppliers.
  • Pay attention to tools for quick consultation with specialists from personal accounts and websites.

Insights for specific services and relevant for all

Some insights are essential for all managers and any digital services, whether it's advertising, communication, inventory management, or digital banking. Without these insights, the leader is not ready to adopt a new product for their business or, conversely, may decide to stop using it.

In the public results, we will talk about three insights.

  • Transparency of the connection process and financial conditions: Small businesses are sensitive to tariff expenses, so they aim to control them as much as possible. Hidden charges undermine trust. Transparency in onboarding is crucial.
  • Confidence in product and supplier stability: Stability is a concern for respondents regarding interface updates, redesigns, and relaunches. When creating digital services for businesses, unlike services for individuals, it is essential to strike a balance in the frequency of updates. Entrepreneurs often prefer to acquire new services from existing suppliers, so it is beneficial for practically any provider to expand their service lineup.
  • Quality of support services: Low-quality support is perceived as a low level of service overall, and it is the most common reason for customers to leave. Good support creates genuine trust; respondents expressed their willingness to pay more for a service if the support is better than that of competitors.

How entrepreneurs choose financial products

  • Businesses strive to obtain all financial services within one package. Entrepreneurs associate working with a single financial service provider with the protection and security of their company's financial data. The choice of a bank is determined by the client's key business tasks. Banks consider it crucial to identify their customer portfolio. Understanding where clients' primary activities lie opens up opportunities to offer them digital solutions that meet their business needs.
  • Many companies have multiple EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) services connected, but only one is actively used. This happens when leaders are unaware of the possibility of exchanging documents between different services and connecting services used by new partners or to fulfill a requirement of a significant client to avoid losing an order.
    Managers reject accounting and financial analysis services due to complex interfaces.
  • Businesses do not see the advantages of a comprehensive service when choosing a cash register and acquiring system. Suppliers who comprehensively connect payment acceptance services do not effectively communicate the value of their services and the benefits of the customer experience to the entire audience.

To sum up: Markswebb outlines the driving factors behind the adoption of new technologies

The insights garnered from this study are instrumental for businesses aiming to refine their digital strategies. By understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within the digitalization process, companies can enhance their competitive edge, improve customer engagement, and streamline operations. For digital service providers, the report offers actionable intelligence on developing solutions that resonate with their target market, ensuring relevance and value in their offerings.

In essence, this research equips businesses and service providers with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of digital transformation, emphasizing the importance of personalized approaches and strategic planning in achieving digital excellence and business growth.

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