There are more than 25 million small businesses — firms with fewer than 500 employees — in the US, and more than one in 10 US online consumers is a small business owner. The recession has had a profound effect on these firms, yet small business owners are more optimistic than other US consumers about their financial futures. What does the banking market look like for banking providers hoping to reach these small businesses? Forrester found that while 21% of small businesses have no formal financial relationships with any banking firm, 65% of those that do have a relationship regularly conduct banking transactions on the Web.