Where SMB Owners Would Have Invested Resources At Startup, December 2014 [CHART]

Issues with digital marketing may have SMBs thinking about the early days of their businesses. In a December 2014 survey by The Alternative Board, 38% of small-business owners (SBOs) worldwide pointed to marketing, advertising and public relations as the top area where they would have spent more money when starting their business—the No. 1 response. Hiring and training employees—which could include those with the appropriate skillsets for tactics such as digital—ranked second, at 35%. Nearly four in 10 wished they had spent more time on marketing, but a much smaller percentage weren’t as concerned about dedicating more hours to employee hiring and training (23%)—again, spending money on skills prevails over investing more time during busy periods.

Of course, some of these businesses may have started long before digital marketing even existed, but their feelings suggest that spending a few extra dollars on marketing and employees upon launch isn’t the worst idea. Read the rest at eMarketer.