The full version of Barlow Research's weekly email newsletter (which includes access to the Analyst's Journal articles) is available to members of our syndicated research programs, or available for individual purchase at $499 per year. Click the button on the left side of this page to purchase your subscription.

If you are already a client or a paid newsletter subscriber, please log in to view this content in the MyBarlow section, or to update your profile and subscription preferences.

Recent Analyst's Journal Articles:

Oct

11

2017

Analyst's Journal

Royal Bank of Canada and ATB Financial Launch Innovative Solutions

By Donna Arce

The banking industry is ripe for transformation. Digital functionality affords us the opportunity to not only improve service and streamline costs; it affords us the opportunity to create unique customer experiences that once were not possible. The devil is in the details. Well thought-out solutions will remove friction in the customer journey and enhance the customer experience. Poorly executed solutions can add customer frustration and in the worst possible situation, it can hinder their...

Buy Subscription

Oct

4

2017

Analyst's Journal

Company Ownership Transition: It’s Not Business, It’s Personal

By Linda O'Connell

With small business owners growing older and a high percentage of founders still running their own companies, it is not surprising to see expanded plans to transition ownership on the horizon. What impact will this pivotal signature event have on the company’s banking relationship? Without some active attention to and participation in this transition, banks could be missing out in the most dynamic change projected for the future landscape of business banking. The age of...

Buy Subscription

Sep

27

2017

Analyst's Journal

Middle Market Companies in the Third Quarter: Optimists, Spenders, Borrowers

By Joel Mueller

While middle market (annual sales revenue of $10MM-<$500MM) expectations about the U.S. economy have fluctuated greatly over the past year, increasing confidence in their own financial condition appears to go hand-in-hand with more demand for additional credit. Middle market companies have remained consistently optimistic about their overall financial condition since the recession (see graph below). While confidence has been high, there has also been signs of uncertainty among financial decision makers in...

Buy Subscription

Sep

20

2017

Analyst's Journal

Small Businesses Attempting Growth Were Least Satisfied with Primary Bank

By Emily Cade

Barlow Research collects a variety of demographic information each quarter using 13 important questions, one of which asks about the current life stage of the company. Each stage (development, growth, attempting growth, maturity and decline) has its own characteristics and banking needs. Interestingly, data from the most recent 2Q2017 rolling four quarter data revealed that small businesses ($100K-<$10MM in sales) in the attempting growth stage were least likely to be very satisfied with their...

Buy Subscription

Sep

13

2017

Analyst's Journal

Bank of America Transforms Mobile Lending for Small Businesses

By Youa Yang

Every year, Barlow Research conducts a thorough review of current mobile banking features for small businesses (companies with $100K-<$10MM in annual sales) from 15 top financial institutions in the U.S. We then capture these new features and pose them via questionnaire to digital banking users in order to understand the importance of each feature being offered. Over the last few years, we’ve noticed the trend of continued building in the mobile channel. When mobile...

Buy Subscription

Sep

6

2017

Analyst's Journal

Account Officer Visit Performance Improves Bank Brand and Repurchase Intentions

By Emily Anderson

According to Barlow Research's most recent four-quarter data (3Q16-2Q17), over 90% of middle market customers ($10MM-<$500MM in annual sales) have touched their Account Officer in the last year. Routine contact with the Account Officer for a middle market customer is vital to the banking relationship. Barlow Research has found that the Account Officer is a driving channel for middle market customers' overall satisfaction with their primary bank. Customers in the middle market can...

Buy Subscription

Aug

30

2017

Analyst's Journal

Importance of Small Business Mobile Banking Users and Ways to Reach Them

By Dustin Greelis-VanLaningham

Many small businesses (sales $100K-<$10MM) have begun banking on the same device they use to call their friends and family, take pictures or get directions to a new dinner location. More and more small businesses are becoming interested in banking on the go. These are valuable customers, as they are committed enough to their bank to learn a complex mobile app or website. Understanding the importance of these clients, as well as what they...

Buy Subscription

Aug

23

2017

Analyst's Journal

Digital Banking Features to Track and Manage Paper Are Becoming Less Important to Small Businesses

By Adam Johnson

After spending much of the summer focused on sharing the results from Barlow Research’s 2017 Digital Business Banking study, it is time to start preparing once again for a new year with the Digital Business Banking Test Drive. Over the next few months, we’ll carefully evaluate the availability and functionality of dozens of digital banking features offered to small business owners ($100K-<$10MM in annual sales). Each year, we’re excited to experience the innovative features...

Buy Subscription

Aug

16

2017

Analyst's Journal

Aging Small Business Owner Trend Moved One Step Closer to a Tipping Point for Ownership Transition

By Joel Mueller

Over the past several years, Barlow Research has kept close watch on trends in the age of small business owners. Not only have we found that the average age of small business owners has incrementally increased, but the expected age of retirement has recently decreased. As small business owners grow older and more likely to retire, we can expect many more small business owners to be looking to transition the ownership of their business in...

Buy Subscription

Aug

9

2017

Analyst's Journal

Large Bank Minority Small Business Customers’ Overall Satisfaction Is Lagging

By Emily Cade

Barlow Research collects a variety of information on the demographics of small business (annual sales of $100K-<$10MM) owners. These demographics are often used to provide more specific data for certain groups within the total market of small business banking customers; one group specifically being minority small business owners. Each quarter, Barlow Research asks whether more than 50% of your business is ethnic or racial minority-owned. In the most recent four quarter data...

Buy Subscription