Competitive Cable/Broadband Market Would Give Small Businesses Tools Needed For Growth.

A new study says America’s small businesses would benefit greatly if the cable television market was opened to competition and providers began marketing services to this sector, which is often described as the nation’s economic engine.

“Small business owners say they have never been approached by traditional cable companies as a customer base even though the business applications of broadband technology are virtually unlimited,” said Dr. Esteban Soriano, the study’s author. “The business owners I interviewed describe cutting-edge technology like real-time and interactive video as essential tools for their business success.”

Study participants had many ideas for using interactive video to save money and increase their business reach, including using on-demand video conferencing for attorney-client discussions, doctor-patient visits and graphic image sharing across long distances; on-demand training and continuing education seminars for staff; and data sharing and on-line collaboration among clients, customers and suppliers.

Hector Flores, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said the study has great implications for Hispanic and Latino businesses.

“Minority-owned businesses are an increasingly significant contributor to this country’s success in the global marketplace,” Flores said. “Hispanics own more than 1.5 million businesses in this country, and like all business people, they are eager to improve their market reach. Competition in the cable industry will increase their abilities to reach out to customers and suppliers.”

National advocacy group Consumers for Cable Choice commissioned the study. “Small business is the engine that drives the U.S. economy and it’s time this sector had the opportunity to access technology their counterparts in other countries are already using,” said the group’s president, Robert K. Johnson. “Competition in this market will strongly encourage providers to reach out to all customer sectors, spur innovation and result in greater service offerings for everyone.”

Soriano, director of research for the California Small Business Education Foundation, conducted his research in California, speaking with small business representatives in large urban cities, suburban towns and rural communities; traditional, female-owned and minority-owned small firms; small business owners and executives from health care, manufacturing and assembly, accounting, law, financial services, retail sales, insurance, graphic arts, publishing, travel, automotive sales and service, marketing, business technical services and property management sectors; academics and economic development officials.

The full report is available at http://www.consumers4choice.org