1) Attrition risk climbs as SMBs scale
Datos Insights’ latest survey signals real switching intent across institution types, with the propensity to choose a Big Four provider rising as SMBs move up-market. Among firms with 100k to 1M in revenue, 50% use a Big Four bank as primary, and that climbs to 70% in the 5M to 10M band. During the discussion, the panel connected this to “graduation moments” when SMBs add payroll, AP automation, and multi-rail payments, which heightens expectations for sophisticated cash management and embedded integrations.
2) Fintech usage surges, especially for digital-native operators
Three out of four SMBs partner directly with at least one fintech provider. Generational dynamics amplify the shift: Gen Z–operated small businesses show an 85% propensity to work with fintechs, compared with 58% for baby boomers. The speakers pointed to product-led onboarding and in-app activation as the accelerants, with SMB owners discovering tools inside the software they already use to run their business.
3) Payments is the battleground
SMBs go to fintechs first for speed. Seventy-one percent choose a fintech to enable faster payments. Nearly half of SMBs say they would switch primary banks for more payment options, with cash-flow tools close behind. In the Q&A, attendees pressed on real-time payments and the need for easy settlement, clear pricing, and strong fraud controls across rails to keep treasury teams confident.
4) Urgent needs: cash-flow clarity, easier data sync, and real-time
SMBs report daily friction around forecasting, accounting system integration, and getting a full-balance view. The investment wishlist follows suit, led by better real-time payments, easier outside-the-bank workflow initiation, and stronger fraud prevention. Panelists emphasized “single sign-on to a single source of truth” and automated reconciliation as the practical wins that free staff time and improve working-capital precision.
5) Banks hold the home-field advantage
Fintech competition grows, yet SMBs prefer to get these capabilities from their bank when available. Simplification matters because multiple vendor relationships add operational complexity and cost. The room aligned on a clear mandate: deliver best-in-class journeys, integrate with the tools SMBs use daily, and earn primacy through consistent value.
What this means for banking leaders
The baseline for SMB banking has shifted from branch convenience and basic online access to seamless workflow integration, real-time payments, automated reconciliation, predictive cash-flow insights, API connectivity, and industry-specific solutions.
Your opportunity is to put bankers back at the center as growth creators. That vision sits at the heart of our Backbase mission. We call it Growth Mode: unify data and experiences, lead with proactive servicing and selling, and tailor every interaction to the job the customer needs done.
It is time to fight back with a nimble, all-in-one growth platform that sets bankers free.
From insight to action: three moves to activate growth
1) Win payments and cash-flow journeys inside business workflows
Meet SMBs where they work by integrating bank services into accounting and ERP tools. Backbase’s Integration Fabric connects to cores and third-party systems with prebuilt connectors, while the Engagement Fabric delivers consistent, embedded experiences across channels.
2) Orchestrate proactive servicing and selling with AI-powered intelligence
Use real-time insights to trigger timely offers for payment rail upgrades, fraud controls, and cash-flow tools. Our Intelligence Fabric infuses decisioning and Agentic AI into every step of the journey to lift activation and retention.
3) Start where it matters, then scale
Prioritize the journeys that move the needle now, such as real-time payments activation or cash-flow forecasting, then expand. With one platform and a composable suite, every win compounds across segments and channels.
Why banks choose Backbase for SMB growth
One platform, one suite across sales and servicing that integrates with what you already run, adds AI inside every journey, and scales across Retail, SME, Commercial, and Wealth. Proven with institutions worldwide.
This is how you turn customers into fans and your bank into a growth engine.
Keep the momentum
If you joined us live, thank you. If you are building your SMB roadmap now, our team can co-create a plan with you. Book a growth strategy conversation with us and unlock your next wave of SMB revenue.
