ATLANTA In the small-business market, the importance of personal contact outweighs the appeal of Internet financial services, a survey report by Synergistics Research Corp. concludes.
Seven out of 10 executives of companies with sales of $100,000 to $10 million said in the poll that having a relationship manager at their bank is very or somewhat important. In contrast, one-fifth said they were conducting financial or banking activities online; the same proportion said it interested them.
The small-business market for online financial services is developing at a gradual pace, said William McCracken, chief executive officer of Synergistics. A key issue is how to position online financial services in conjunction with the importance of the relationship manager.
Synergistics study draws from a national telephone survey of 600 owners and executives of small businesses.
