Study Finds 68% of Small Businesses Waste $12,000 on Underused Marketing Tools
North Muskegon, United States - May 17, 2026 / Floatmybiz /
A study conducted by FloatMyBiz has revealed that 68% of small businesses waste an average of $12,000 annually on underutilized marketing software. Based on more than 500 client engagements, the research points to poor onboarding and integration as the primary drivers behind this financial loss.
The analysis surfaces several figures that outline the scope of the problem:
- 68% of small businesses waste $12,000 each year on underused marketing software.
- 42% of this waste stems from CRM systems that are not fully utilized.
- Marketing automation platforms account for 31% of the wasted spending.
- SEO tools contribute to 27% of the financial loss.
- 73% of the businesses surveyed cite poor onboarding and integration as the root cause of underutilization.
"Many small businesses face common integration failures and workflow issues that prevent them from fully leveraging their marketing software. The disconnect between tools and their intended use often leads to wasted resources and missed opportunities for growth," said Jeff Dana, CEO of FloatMyBiz.
The research also identifies recurring mistakes that contribute to the problem:
- Poor integration between CRM systems and websites, creating data silos and operational inefficiencies.
- Unused automation features that could otherwise reduce manual workload.
- Overlapping subscriptions for tools with similar functions, generating unnecessary costs.
- Insufficient staff training on software use, limiting the practical value of the tools.
FloatMyBiz outlines several steps small businesses can take to reduce waste and better leverage existing investments:
- Conducting a marketing stack audit to surface underutilized tools and eliminate redundancies.
- Integrating CRM and CMS systems with SEO tools to improve data flow and visibility.
- Implementing automated workflows to increase efficiency and reduce manual tasks.
- Consolidating subscriptions to eliminate overlap and simplify operations.
The findings reflect a pattern across the B2B SaaS sector. As small businesses continue to adopt marketing automation and CRM software to support growth, effective onboarding and integration remain critical factors in determining whether those tools deliver measurable value. Without proper implementation, the investment in these platforms often fails to produce the intended results.
Contact Information:
Floatmybiz
758 Moulton Avenue, North Muskegon, MI 49445
North Muskegon, MI 49445
United States
Jeff Dana
+1-231-227-4488
https://FLOATMYBIZ.COM
