Author name: D Edward Levy

Small business optimism took a dip recently with the NFIB reporting the August index at 91.2, down 2.5 points from the month before. Expectations for higher sales also dropped 9 percent which drove the overall declines in optimism. Still questionable economics and the US election may have been factors in those declines but for small

Although the coronavirus pandemic is becoming a distant memory, small and midsize businesses are still feeling the impacts of lockdowns when it comes to hiring and maintaining service levels for frontline teams. In the United States, at least 1.7 million individuals are missing from the work force and 38% of SMBs reported difficulty in hiring

Contact centers still play a key role in delivering customer service and consumers continue to show a preference to interacting with a live person. A survey from last year (Fit Small Business) suggested that 30% of customers were more comfortable purchasing high ticket items over the phone and the majority of consumers still look for

Fast adoption of the internet and the rapid evolution of mobile devices has changed most aspects of daily living but when it comes to how consumers purchase goods, the changes were seismic. Online shopping has risen in popularity and demand was supercharged during the COVID-19 shutdowns. Preferences for online shopping have grown considerably with 43%

When it comes to customer service, personalized interactions are still king and a survey from 2022 (First Orion) suggested that over half of respondents preferred having a phone option for support when an urgent issue arises. The phone is still the first tool consumers turn to when trying to solve problems or get resolution. From

Even with the increasing popularity of online shopping, in-store transactions dwarfed e-commerce business in 2023. Last year alone, in-store shopping logged $7.05 trillion in sales versus $1.24 trillion online in the United Stats (CapitalOne Shopping Research). A recent Retail Council of Canada survey indicated that 3 out of 4 consumers would prefer in-store shopping for

Back to School officially kicks off a slew of busy seasons for retailers and customer facing businesses. A recent survey by The Retail Council of Canada indicated that 3 out of 4 consumers plan to shop back to school products in person, breathing new life into bricks and mortar operations. Spending is also forecast to