Annual Brother Business Survey Shows Entrepreneurs Trust Office Basics For Increased Productivity, While Embracing Cloud-Based Technology

Seventh Annual Survey Confirms Small Business Owners Seek Success by Integrating the "Best of Both Worlds"

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Jun 15, 2016, 08:30 ET

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., June 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With the challenges and opportunities of today's advancing technology landscape, small business owners are constantly searching for innovative tools and techniques to help gain competitive advantages. However, according to the 2016 Brother Business Survey, small business still relies on the tried and true traditional working environment.

While open to adopting innovative, next-generation solutions in their organization (such as cloud-based and mobile technology), the survey shows small business owners are also holding on to "office basics". For example, 58% of small businesses' daily work tasks still require a physical office presence and 91% of small business owners currently have a printer, scanner, copier or fax machine within their work space. The need for these devices is confirmed in the data showing 43% of this same group use a printer, on average, 10+ times per day.

This "best of both worlds" approach allows businesses to seek maximum productivity, while driving the business forward. For example, according to the survey:

Small businesses continue to migrate towards the cloud for scalability and cost savings; 21% of respondents plan to invest the largest portion of their IT budget in cloud-based file sync and share solutions.
Many small business owners are accommodating the expanding mobile workforce; 28% of respondents said they would spend most of their IT budget on mobile devices for remote employees.
Security remains to be of importance; 30% percent of business owners plan to spend the largest portion of their IT budget on network and data security technology.

"This year's Brother Business Survey findings show small business owners still trust and rely on tried-and-true core business practices," said John Wandishin, Vice President of Marketing, Business Machines Group at Brother International Corporation. "Clearly these technology-minded entrepreneurs are pursuing and implementing the best available solutions to grow and succeed. As a result, they are investing in reliability, as well as cost-effectiveness and quality, which demonstrates sound thinking and can make all the difference in their business success."

Survey Methodology
The Brother Business Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 509 U.S. small business owners and business decision-makers at companies with 500 or fewer employees between December 10th and 18th, 2015, using an email invitation and an online survey.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 4.3 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

About Brother
Brother International Corporation (www.brother.com) is an industry leading provider of small and mid-sized business printing and imaging solutions developed to help increase productivity, improve workflow, and enhance organizational efficiency, all while helping to reduce costs. Brother is also a leader in electronic labeling and provides the number one line of facsimile machines in the U.S. The U.S. corporate office in Bridgewater, NJ was established on April 21, 1954 and currently markets many industrial products, home appliances and business products manufactured by its parent company, Brother Industries, Ltd. of Nagoya, Japan. For more information, visit www.brother.com.

About Wakefield Research
Wakefield Research is a market research consultancy specializing in strategic and tactical research for corporations and organizations throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Their staff has the classical training of career researchers, but they have also worked in public relations firms, marketing and ad agencies, news organizations, political communications companies, and non-profit organizations. This uniquely valuable background informs the marketing and positioning of some of the most prominent brands in the marketplace.

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SOURCE Brother International Corporation