Browse All Research Services Maximizing SMB Channel Opportunities

Small-to-medium businesses, those with 5 to 500 PC workers, are the engines of the business economy but often exceed their internal abilities to support their hardware and services. The SMB market has extensive revenue opportunities for service providers and resellers who understand its unique challenges and entry barriers. Parks Associates’ 2012 Maximizing SMB Channel Opportunities business service provides critical information for those serving or planning to enter this market.

This research reveals the internal processes for SMBs and how owners/managers:

  1. Assess and select technical support services
  2. Choose channel partners to provide hardware, software, and ongoing installation, configuration, and services
  3. Select ancillary services, including broadband and website development services, mobile data and voice services, energy management services, and cloud services, including backup, data storage and remote access services
     

This research service determines key buying factors for North American SMBs:

  • The role or title of the decision maker(s) who selects the business services and products
  • The marketing and informational sources most valued by the decision maker
  • The preferred type of provider for support & ancillary services
  • Satisfaction with current providers & likelihood of switching
  • The most critical problems facing the SMB decision maker and the greatest unmet needs
  • Segmentation of decision-making behavior by size and type of entity

Two primary surveys of SMB decision makers

1. 1H 2012 SMB Survey Focus

  • Primary needs for service & support
  • Process for acquiring services & supplier preferences
  • Classification of purchase process by entity size and type

2. 2H 2012 SMB Survey Focus

  • Unmet needs and opportunities for service bundles
  • Appeal of proposed solution sets and pricing packages
  • Video, broadband, security, and energy management practices, preferences, and needs

Selection of Industry Reports:

Tech Support Services

  • SMB Tech Support Needs, Sources, and Spending
  • SMB Tech Support Decision Process

Product and Service Channels

  • Profile of SMB Channel Partners
  • Channel Selection Processes and Preferences

Ancillary Service Selection

  • SMB Needs for Web Services, Cloud Services, and Mobile Data
  • Energy Management for SMBs
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