Which sectors will provide the best B2B opportunities in 2009?

The finance, retail and property sectors should provide opportunities for business-to-business sales in 2009 despite the economic downturn, according to new research.

The finance, retail and property sectors should provide opportunities for business-to-business sales in 2009 despite the economic downturn, according to new research.

Sydney research firm Information Resource Development tracked the level of corporate activity – including companies setting up in Australia for the first time, launching new products, opening new offices, hiring staff or completing mergers and acquisitions – throughout 2009 to determine which sectors would be looking for support services in 2009.

“A lot of businesses are still trying to innovate and grow and spend their way out of the looming recession,” says IRD managing director Matt Skinner.

IRD found companies announced 6092 product launches in 2008, 2360 mergers and acquisitions, 1702 expansion programs and 151 Australian debuts.

“To execute those plans, they need the support of other B2B organsiations, providing other services and products.”

Skinner gives the example of a company that is setting up a new office in Australia, that might need to engage companies providing property, IT, infrastructure, legal and recruitment services. A company launching a new product might need events, media buying, PR and marketing services.

“The fact of the matter is that opportunities are out there if you are prepared to do the hard work to find them,” Skinner says.

So where to look? Despite the avalanche of bad news surrounding the finance sector, it remained the busiest in 2009, with 4339 examples of corporate activity, although a good deal of this involved companies changing to the strategy of launching new products to try and stay ahead of the downturn.

The retail and travel sectors were next, followed by the property/construction and energy and resources sector.

Skinner says his researchers noticed a slight drop off in activity as 2008 wore on and economic conditions worsened, but stresses that there are still opportunities for B2B companies to cash in on corporate spending.

“The companies that focus on a small existing client base are the ones that will miss opportunities and this will have a critical impact when the market starts to turn.”

Top 10 sectors by corporate activity in 2008: