••• b2b research
Europe’s tech startups have the edge, survey says
Both the vision and business models of European tech startups may be giving them advantages over their U.S. counterparts when it comes to recruiting and growth, according to a survey of more than 1,000 C-suite executives and founders of tech firms in the U.S., U.K., Germany and France commissioned by accommodation search firm trivago.
Technology leaders feel that European companies are superior to U.S. firms when it comes to these factors: having a greater focus on brand (97% agree); benefiting from higher online marketing and sales activity in the region (93% agree); focusing on international markets more quickly (85% agree); and spending more time on development before going to market (80% agree).
Diversity may be another key benefit for EU companies; 84% of leaders feel the EU’s working culture is attractive to global talent. However, a key advantage for U.S. firms is that they are less risk averse. Nearly nine in 10 leaders feel EU startups are more cautious than U.S. startups.
When asked about growth risks, tech leaders surveyed cited these top concerns: lack of talent (52%), data security (52%) and government regulation (51%). In the U.S., regulation is clearly the biggest risk. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of tech leaders feel regulations have made it more difficult to access funding over the past five years. In the U.K. and France, lack of talent is the most serious concern. In Germany, both regulation and data security lead the list of risks.
••• health care research
55 to 65 is long-term care insurance ‘sweet spot’
The vast majority of buyers of traditional long-term care insurance policies are between the ages of 50 and 69, reports Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. “Just over 76 percent of new buyers of a long-term care insurance policy do so after turning age 50 and before they turn 70,” Slome says. “It is important to understand the marketplace in order to know how to effectively communicate with prospective buyers.”
Most buyers today are between ages 55 and 59 (24.7%) or between 60 and 64 (23.2%). “The sweet spot for buying traditional health-based long-term care insurance is between 55 and 65, before you go onto Medicare,” Slome says. “Once on Medicare, many individuals take advantage of the excellent health preventative tests and covered doctor visits, which is a good thing because these exams often detect problems that can be addressed,” Slome says. “But, the exams also can uncover conditions that may make it impossible for an individual to health qualify for long-term care insurance. That’s why we urge action prior to reaching Medicare age.” Data on long-term care insurance sales by issue age as well as data on benefit period selected is available at www.aaltci.org.