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RICHMOND, BC -- (Marketwired) -- 01/29/14 -- As the saying goes, all politics are local. When it comes to small businesses, most customers are local as well, according to 74 per cent of respondents who participated in the recent Sage North America Small Business Advertising Survey.

While much of the world is focused on the new ads that will debut during the big game, Sage decided to examine where most small business customers come from -- local versus national -- and depending on where the customer base is, what type of advertising is most beneficial. The survey findings underscore the importance of local advertising for small businesses. More than 56 per cent of U.S. and Canadian small business owners said that a national ad during the Super Bowl would have no effect on their business, while only 37 per cent stated that it would help their business.

For any business to grow, it needs customers, so it's not surprising that 86 per cent of Canadian small business owners stated that attracting new customers is important to their company. However, 68 per cent aren't doing any advertising for their business. Those businesses that are advertising find that the most effective methods are the ones that can be focus on their community: public relations (79 per cent) and signs or billboards (76 per cent). What's more, a small business' advertising and marketing efforts are most likely being executed by the owner him or herself, as 78 per cent reported not having a dedicated person for marketing activities.

"With the Super Bowl upon us, many wonder about the impact those pervasive ads have on businesses. With this in mind, Sage North America surveyed small businesses about their needs and how to use their dollars to bring in new customers and grow," said Nancy Harris, senior vice president and general manager, Canada, Sage North America. "Small businesses in Canada have unique needs compared to their larger business peers. The survey findings confirmed that as our 3 million plus small and medium-sized business customers have told us: Local is where businesses get the biggest bang for their buck, not national. We think the Sage Local Advertising Contest will provide the winner with a great opportunity to grow organically by targeting a local audience."

Sage Local Advertising Sweepstakes

With a huge majority of small businesses stating that attracting new customers is important to their company for growth, Sage North America is stepping in to help. Launching today is the Sage Local Advertising Sweepstakes in which one lucky business in the U.S. and one lucky business in Canada have the chance to win a local advertising package worth $15,000. As part of the prize, the winners will receive $10,000 in local digital advertising media and a strategy session with a top advertising firm that will help create the strategy and the creative assets for the advertising campaign, valued at $5,000. Those interested in entering the sweepstakes should visit: SageLocalAdvertising.ca. The winning businesses will be picked at random.

The Sage Local Advertising Contest will run from January 28 through February 7, 2014, with the winners announced on February 10.

Methodology
The Sage North America Small Business Advertising Survey was conducted in January 2014 among 334 small businesses in the U.S. and 297 small businesses in Canada. The margin of error is +/- 5 per cent with a confidence level of 95 per cent.

The full findings of the Sage North America Small Business Advertising Survey can be found here.

About Sage
We provide small and medium-sized organizations with a range of easy-to-use, secure, and efficient business management software and services -- from accounting and payroll to enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, and payments. Our customers receive continuous advice and support through our global network of local experts to help them solve their business problems, giving them the confidence to achieve their business ambitions. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and entered the FTSE 100 in 1999. Sage has over 6 million customers and more than 12,700 employees in 24 countries covering the UK & Ireland, mainland Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, Asia, and Brazil. For further information please visit: Sage.com

For more information about Sage in North America, please visit the company website at NA.Sage.com. Follow Sage North America on Facebook, Facebook.com/Sage, and Twitter, Twitter.com/SageNAmerica.

©2014 Sage Software Canada, Inc. All rights reserved. Sage, the Sage logos, and the Sage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software, Inc. or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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