3rd Annual 'State of the Union' Study for Small and Mid-Size Business Released by AllBusiness.com

AllBusiness.com, Inc. (www.allbusiness.com), a leading online resource for businesses, today announced the results of its 2007 year-end 'SMB State of the Union Study' and SMB Barometer. The study found 74% of SMB (small and mid-size business) leaders list search engines as their top source for business information to help them run their company.

The study also found 63% of SMB leaders will be turning to search engines even more going into the New Year. While 'word of mouth' is still a solid source of information at 71%, this marks the first time in the 'SMB State of the Union' study history that search was cited as the top source.

Overall Business Sentiment Among SMBs is Positive

For the 3rd straight year-end forecast, SMBs are generally optimistic about their business outlook for the coming year and say the falling value of the dollar is their most important economic concern. Other findings focused on SMB outlook included:

• 55% of small business leaders planned to hold a holiday party while 38% of small businesses did not. One recent survey of bigger businesses indicated that 85% of companies hosted a holiday party this year.

• 30% of small business leaders were planning on giving year-end bonuses and 33% were not.

• 60% of small business leaders are concerned about the falling value of the dollar while 23% are primarily concerned about immigration.

• 78% of small businesses took green measures this past year, recycling paper and trash were the most common measure.

• Overall, 73% of small business leaders are optimistic going into 2008 dipping slightly from 75% in 2006 and 79% in 2005.

'We have been tracking the search habits of SMB decision makers since the launch of our Web site, and we're excited to report that search is now their dominant source of business information. This indicates how deeply seated the Internet is as a primary business tool. Search is where they start the research process and increasingly, search is where they find the best answers,' says Kathy Yates, CEO of AllBusiness.com. 'Given so many pessimistic forecasts about interest rates, the housing sector, oil prices and a potential recession, we're also gratified to see a dose of optimism within the SMB community heading into 2008.'

SMB Barometer Stays Steady and Growth Oriented

Launched near the end of 2005, AllBusiness.com's SMB Barometer provides a numerical figure that measures overall SMB health by reflecting the combined values of five components, including staffing plans, business real estate trends, business branch plans, technology investment and overall business outlook. The barometer reading is currently at 63, the same that was reported 4th Quarter last year signaling continued optimism.

About the 'SMB State of the Union' Study

Frank N. Magid Associates prepared the 'SMB State of the Union Study' for AllBusiness.com surveying a national sample of more than 400 for-profit SMB leaders from October 16 through November 27, 2007. Participants were 18 years or older and were the owner, partner, president, CEO, COO or vice president at companies with no more than 499 employees. According to the Small Business Association, small businesses represent 99.7% of all employers, currently employ half of the private workforce (50.1%) and provide approximately 75% of the new jobs added to the economy.



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