Arizona’s economy is growing, due in large part to the number of small businesses in our state that are helping drive growth and job creation.
Recently, Facebook and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a report, Examining the Impact of Technology on Small Business: How small businesses use social media and digital platforms to grow, sell, and hire. The report explores the role that digital tools play in helping small businesses grow and find new markets.
This report builds from three national surveys and state-level surveys conducted last year by Morning Consult, which show that 60 percent of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the U.S. — especially minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned businesses — perceive Facebook as a strong channel for growth, trade and hiring. In Arizona, the findings are strong:
· 54% of SMBs in Arizona surveyed agree that Facebook is an essential tool for their business
· 50% of SMBs surveyed in Arizona say that Facebook has helped them hire additional employees to work at their business
· 55% of SMBs surveyed in Arizona believe that Facebook allows me to find customers in other cities, states or countries
· 79% of SMBs surveyed in Arizona believe an individuals digital and social media skills are important when hiring, more than those who think where an individual went to school is important
Nina Simmons, co-founder of NB&NS, a Phoenix-based online marketing education consultancy, is not only a small business owner herself but teaches other small business owners how to harness the power of digital marketing strategies including Facebook.
“My business partner and I have almost exclusively grown our business on Facebook,” Simmons said. “We’ve launched three products and hit six-figures in revenue in just 10 months by using Facebook Ads.”
Simmons, who has an advertising agency background, believes that Facebook Ads are one of the least understood and most underutilized tools by businesses small and large today. “As a small business owner, I have access to the same tools on Facebook as large corporations. I am able to serve my ads and my content to my ideal client with a budget that is reasonable. There is a slight learning curve when it comes to using the tools that Facebook offers, but once you learn, they can make a powerful impact on your business,” Simmons said.
Arizona’s economy will continue to change and grow as technology and innovation open up new opportunities. Our state and local communities will continue to benefit when our small- and medium-sized businesses utilize the tools and platforms they need to grow, hire and expand their business. For more information on the report, visit: economy.fb.com.
