SMEs are the Bedrock of the Global Economy

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PYMNTS takes a good look at the latest statistics on SME health, optimism and finance for markets in the U.S. and beyond, including the U.K., Australia and South Africa.  Here are their top six highlights:

1. 84% of U.S. SMEs visit bank branches to make deposits, according to a new survey by Mercator Advisory Group that examined how small business owners interact with their banks.
2. 76.2% of Australian SMEs say they are confident in their prospects for the next three months, said the Bankwest Future of Business: 2017 Outlook report. 
3. 67% of U.K. small business accountants say better integration of software is a key focus for them this year, even more important than replacing physical paper forms with digital ones, the latest report from Exact said. 
4. 66% of U.K. SMEs expect revenue growth of at least 4% this year, said American Express’ Global SME Pulse report. 
5. 48% of South African small businesses are negatively impacted by late B2B payments, the latest analysis from Xero found. 
6. 24% of big U.S. banks approved small business loans last month, Biz2Credit found in its most recent Small Business Lending Index. 

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