Study Finds New Wave Of ANZ SMBs Are Technology Savvy & More Confident About Business Growth In 2025 Than Other Regions

• Constant Contact’s global SMB report reveals 49 per cent of SMBs across Australia and New Zealand rated their confidence for business growth this year as high
• 88 per cent of ANZ SMBs feel prepared to handle unexpected market changes this year - the most prepared among all regions
• 76 per cent of ANZ SMBs plan to use AI for marketing in 2025 – the highest among polled regions

Brisbane, AU, March 19, 2025 – New small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) across Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) are the most likely to be confident about business growth among SMBs across the US, UK and Canada, according to a new study conducted by Constant Contact.

The company’s latest Small Business Now report surveyed 1,600+ small business owners with less than 100 employees in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. Individuals surveyed represent small businesses that have been in operation for eight years or less, with a 97 per cent majority in operation for five years or less.

The study found that the new SMBs across the ANZ region feel more prepared to handle market changes this year than any other region polled. They are also the region most likely to leverage AI for personalisation in their marketing efforts.

The ANZ region is starting to emerge from an inflation-driven hardship, with some economic optimism for the year ahead – particularly following the recent announcement of a long-awaited interest rate cut in Australia and another rate cut in New Zealand,” said Renee Chaplin, VP Asia Pacific for Constant Contact. “Perhaps going through 2024 has buoyed confidence among SMBs for the year ahead as they’ve been able to weather the economic storm and survive with lean budgets and resources.

“Survey respondents said if given the chance to go back and start a business or not, knowing then what they know now about economic uncertainties, they’d do it all again.”

Challenges remain, but local SMBs are confident of growth and prepared for change

When asked what trends may impact their business the most in 2025, 35 per cent cited economic factors (inflation, interest rates, etc.) as their biggest potential impact — second-most among polled regions (behind the US at 40 per cent). The response in ANZ was equalled with the importance of customer experience (35 per cent).

And when asked what they expect to be their biggest marketing challenge this year, 48 per cent responded with acquiring new customers, second most among respondents behind Canada (51%).

Yet, despite the challenges and some uncertainty, small businesses across ANZ are the most confident of any region that business will experience growth this year.

The study found that 49 per cent of new ANZ SMBs rated their confidence for business growth this year as high, the highest of any region polled, while 43 per cent expressed “some” confidence that their business will grow this year.

It also found that 88 per cent of these ANZ SMBs feel prepared to handle unexpected market changes this year (most prepared among all regions), with 34 per cent feeling ‘very prepared’.

“SMBs across our region, despite the challenges they have faced in the past few years with inflationary pressures, supply chain issues and interest rate rises – which have worked to curb spending – continue to be among the most confident globally,” said Chaplin. “While economic pressures exist, they are highly adaptable and proactive with a positive long-term outlook on their growth.

“Importantly, 94 per cent said if they could go back in time, they’d still choose to be an entrepreneur. The spirit of the small business owner in Australia and New Zealand is one of strength and resilience – they’ve been through economic uncertainty many times before, and yet, they still approach the future with confidence.”

Founder and CEO of the Small Business Association of Australia, Anne Nalder, welcomed the latest news that shows growing confidence in SMBs with the economy turning.

“This is particularly good news for small businesses who represent 98 per cent of businesses across Australia and who have been doing it tough for several years. It’s important for small business owners to take advantage of this momentum by improving their marketing with technology and tools like Constant Contact,” said Nalder.

Technology and AI filling the marketing expertise and capacity gaps for early-stage ANZ SMBs

New SMBs are increasingly digitally native – so it's perhaps no surprise that many SMBs in ANZ are turning to technology to do some heavy lifting for their business.

The study found that 93 per cent of new ANZ SMBs cite technology as essential to the growth and success of their business, with 76 per cent planning to use AI for marketing in 2025 – making the region the most likely to incorporate AI into their marketing plans this year.

“The latest cohort of ANZ SMBs are leaders when it comes to integrating AI into their marketing workflows, and it’s driving measurable improvements. They want to work more efficiently, which enables them to be more creative, focus on customer engagement and spur new growth,” said Chaplin.

“Australians and New Zealanders have a work-to-live ethos, with 60 per cent of respondents across ANZ saying they were driven to start their business to foster better work-life balance, the highest across any region polled. So we’re committed to finding downtime – and technology is a great enabler of that.”

When asked to select three responses of how they will use AI for marketing their small business this year, the top three responses from ANZ SMBs were:

• 41 per cent intend to use it for content, campaign and idea generation (writing, social media posts, design, etc.)
• 37 per cent for personalising customer experiences (targeted emails, product recommendations, etc.)
• 35 per cent plan to use it to analyse data and trends to better understand their customers

All three were the highest percentages among all polled regions.

“SMBs have had to operate lean for a long time and as such have turned to easy and affordable tools to help them market their offering,” said Chaplin. “The breadth of how SMBs across Australia and New Zealand are using AI toolsets is quite impressive and shows a keen understanding of the benefits of what AI can bring to their business.”

“The Small Business Association of Australia is proud to partner with Constant Contact who offer professional and easy-to-use marketing solutions that help small businesses gain a competitive edge,” said Nalder.

About Small Business Now
Constant Contact’s Small Business Now series offers a real-world look at what trends and challenges are impacting global small businesses and their customers. It combines thorough research with insights from Constant Contact customers and marketing experts to educate small businesses and provide recommendations about how they can be more successful.

Study Methodology

Constant Contact’s Small Business Now report surveyed 1,600+ small business owners with less than 100 employees in Australia/New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. Individuals surveyed represent small businesses that have been in operation for eight years or less, with a 97% majority in operation for five years or less. Statistics from each region were aggregated to determine global trends. All stats are representative of their associated demographics. The survey was conducted by Ascend2 during late November and December 2024.

About Constant Contact

Constant Contact simplifies small business marketing. Whether just starting or managing complex multi-channel campaigns, SMBs benefit from our powerful digital marketing platform that delivers a simplified marketing experience backed by cutting-edge technology, best-in-class deliverability, and award-winning customer support.

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