SmallBusinessNewz

Last week Vertical Response discussed results from a survey it conducted, which looked at how startups fare in adoption of social media and online marketing practices, versus their more established counterparts.

Key findings from the survey include:

-  85% of startups use social media tools (including blogs, social networks, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more) compared to 75% of established businesses, startups feel that social media is working for the more than more established players.

-  Though more established businesses have expanded globally (56% vs. 31% of startups), 82% of startups with overseas customers said "it just happened," vs. 55% of established businesses who put a concerted effort toward global expansion.

-  More than 50% of startups ranked lack of time or budget as the key roadblocks to online marketing, while less than 5% ranked either lack of technical skills or knowledge of the tools.

-  For established businesses, lack of time also led with a full half of respondents, but 44% cited lack of technical skills and 37% lack of knowledge of what's available as their leading road blocks.

"As we're nearing the end of VerticalResponse's first decade, I've realized how much a company grows and changes through various life stages, and also what a different business climate we find ourselves in today versus when we launched," reflects Vertical Response CEO Janine Popick. "The tools available now allow so many channels of communication among businesses, and between businesses and their customers, it's really changed the game and made so many businesses more global. It's exciting to see where people stand on these issues."

The survey is a reflection of small businesses in California. Vertical Response surveyed hundreds of Californian small businesses. It would be interesting to see a similar survey on a national or even a global scale.