Small Business Expo opens free stats hub for newsroom use

Small Business Expo is giving journalists free access to daily small business statistics, charts and survey findings drawn from its ongoing owner polls. The resource is meant to help newsrooms cover hiring, financing, AI adoption, cybersecurity and other pressures shaping the U.S. small business economy.

Why it matters: - Small Business Expo is offering reporters a steady source of original small business data at no charge. - The company says the resource can help newsrooms find fresh angles and supporting numbers for coverage of the small business economy. - The material covers issues with direct business and labor-market impact, including hiring, financing, AI adoption, marketing, customer demand and cybersecurity.

What happened: - Small Business Expo invited journalists, editors and publishers to use its free Small Business Statistics section as an ongoing source of survey findings, charts and story ideas. - The company says more than 100,000 small business owners register for its national expos each year. - Small Business Expo polls owners in real time as they register, then publishes new statistics daily. - The resource is positioned as a free editorial tool for national, local and specialist business coverage.

The details: - Recent findings published Sept. 24 showed 52.6% of 2,361 surveyed owners said they took less compensation or skipped pay entirely during the prior year to keep their businesses running. - In that same survey, 44.0% said they paid business expenses with a personal credit card during the prior 30 days. - A Sept. 14 survey of 263 respondents found 45.2% would replace an employee with AI only if necessary, while 10.3% said they already had done so. - A separate survey of 440 owners found 19.5% felt very prepared for a cyberattack, while 43.4% said phishing and email scams were their top cybersecurity concern. - The findings come from separate polls with different sample sizes and reflect the participating respondents. - The annual registration figure refers to audience reach, not the sample size for each poll. - Journalists may cite the findings and reproduce the original charts at no charge. - Editorial use requires credit to “Small Business Expo Research Team” and a link to the relevant source article. - Charts should keep their source notes, respondent counts and survey context. - Reporters can contact Small Business Expo for interviews, questions about the findings and additional context. - The company also releases a State of Small Business Report every six months. - The report is available as a free download through an online request form. - Relevant source links include small business finances, AI adoption in small business, small business cybersecurity risks, the free statistics and charts, the State of Small Business Report, and Small Business Expo on LinkedIn.

Between the lines: - The data points suggest small business owners are under pressure from cash-flow strain, staffing decisions and cybersecurity risk. - A free, continually updated data stream gives Small Business Expo a way to shape the public conversation around small business conditions while building a media audience. - The mix of daily polls and recurring reports gives journalists both quick-turn statistics and broader trend material.

What's next: - Small Business Expo will continue publishing new statistics daily. - The company will keep releasing its State of Small Business Report twice a year. - Newsrooms can use the charts and survey findings in future reporting with the required credit and source links.