The document summarizes research insights about technology engagement among small business owners. Key findings include: - Small business owners need a clear value proposition to engage with cloud solutions. - Owners see potential in a dashboard that consolidates their important apps and provides insights. - If a solution saves time and provides useful information, owners are interested, especially one that ties together their tasks and data.

1. Trends and Observations About Technology Engagement
May 1, 2018

2. RESEARCH HIGH-LEVEL INSIGHTS
● Small business owners need a very clear value proposition to encourage deep
engagement in any kind of cloud solution.
● While engagement need some incentive, all see potential when asked to imagine a future
state of a dashboard solution
● Small business owners like the idea of organizing all their most important apps into a
single view, but it needs to have some intelligence
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PART 2: FUTURE VISION
We have talked to SMB Owners in several Vertical Markets:
Automotive, Construction, Minority Held, Legal, Salon, Marketing

3. If something offers me value I am
interested in it, especially if it
saves time and if it has useful
information for me.
Research Overview

4. I need a dashboard and being able
to see everything in a single view,
but what I would really love is for it
to tie all together and give me
insights.
Research Overview

5. A day in the life of: Small
Business Owner
Navigating from task to task, my to
do list isn’t as simple as Waze
5 Goals. 5 Pathways, complex
detail in every one. No simple
solution throughout my day.
After one task, I backtrack to the
same starting point for the next. A
never ending to-do list.

6. A day in the life of: Small
Business Owner
Here are today’s software
solutions to the maze.
Still different paths, still no synergy
between them. No "macro view" of
the entire enterprise.
Again, no sense of navigation or
direction. Always backtracking,
wasting time daily.

7. A day in the life of: Small
Business Owner
Here are today’s
solutions to the maze.
Still different paths, still no
synergy between them.
Again, no sense of navigation or
direction. Jumping around my day
aimlessly.
Multiple logins to all my
applications
Frustrating engagement with
existing software
High switching costs once I
install something
Scattered view of data
analytics and information
E n d R e s u l t :

8. RESEARCH THEMES
● Data intelligence is a key factor for driving value and getting people to pay
● Consolidation of all their apps and passwords in one place is compelling and saves time so I can get back
to my craft
● People want to see examples of what other people are doing so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
● People want to learn from the experience of others so they can take advantage of shortening their own
learning curve.
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FUTURE VISION
What is missing for their Technology Work-A-Day

9. FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
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PART 2: FUTURE VISION
We identified three areas of business health based on our insights from research. Small business owners need
to leverage tools, education and expertise to give them a competitive advantage.
● Expert Advice - Tapping into the wisdom of other can help small business owners shorten the learning
curve and realize gains faster.
● Continue aggregation of apps into one “System of Record”
● Interoperability of business apps
● Education - Access to learning more about how to use tools to their advantage and other skills to be
successful business owner
● Technology - Apps and software to give them the power to market, manage and grow their business.