FreshBooks
Thought-Leadership Report Development
2025-26
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Content strategy
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Content development
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Creative development & production
FreshBooks has long been a champion of small-business owners, using data and insights to advocate for their needs and realities. For the 2025 State of U.S. Small Business report, FreshBooks set out to deliver more than a data dump — they wanted a credible, media-ready thought-leadership asset that translated complex research into a clear, human story about resilience, pressure, and opportunity for American entrepreneurs heading into 2026.
The priority: transform raw survey data into a compelling, insight-driven narrative that would resonate with small-business owners and solo operators, journalists, and industry influencers alike, while reinforcing FreshBooks’ position as a trusted authority in the small business ecosystem.
The challenge
FreshBooks’ annual small-business research surfaces rich, nuanced findings — but the challenge lies in making that data accessible, relevant, and newsworthy. The 2025 data reflected a complex economic environment shaped by inflation, tariffs, rising costs, shifting customer acquisition channels, and evolving attitudes toward work-life balance.
FreshBooks needed a report that could:
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Clearly identify and prioritize the most meaningful insights within the data
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Balance statistical rigour with an empathetic, human tone
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Highlight timely, media-friendly story angles
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Maintain consistency with the FreshBooks brand while elevating design and readability
Most importantly, the report had to speak to real business owners — not just analysts — while supporting FreshBooks’ broader PR and communications strategy.
Our approach
Twig&Tonic partnered closely with FreshBooks’ research and media relations teams, acting as a strategic extension of their internal team from insight development through final delivery.
1) Insight analysis & narrative framing
We worked directly with FreshBooks’ research lead to review and interpret the survey data, identifying key patterns, tensions, and standout findings. From there, we developed a clear messaging framework and report outline that elevated the most compelling themes — resilience, cost pressure, customer acquisition challenges, and cautious optimism — into a cohesive narrative.
Rather than presenting data in isolation, we framed insights within the lived realities of small business owners, ensuring each section answered the question: Why does this matter right now?
2) Thought leadership writing & content development
Twig&Tonic wrote the full report, translating complex findings into plain-language insights supported by clear statistics and expert commentary. We balanced authority with empathy, weaving FreshBooks’ executive perspective throughout the report to reinforce credibility while keeping the focus on small-business owners’ experiences.
The content was structured to be skimmable, quotable, and media-ready — supporting both full-report readership and downstream use in PR, social, and marketing channels.
3) Design direction & visual storytelling
In parallel, we led the creative direction and layout of the report, ensuring the design enhanced comprehension rather than competing with the story. Data points were supported by clean infographics, callout statistics, and visual cues that guided readers through the narrative while reinforcing FreshBooks’ brand standards.
The final deliverables were produced in both editable formats for web integration and a polished PDF for distribution and media outreach.
The results
The 2025 State of U.S. Small Business report delivered a clear, confident point of view on the realities facing American entrepreneurs — grounded in data, elevated through storytelling, and designed for real-world impact.
FreshBooks emerged with a high-quality thought leadership asset that:
Strengthened its position as a trusted voice for small business
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Supported PR and media outreach with timely, quotable insights
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Delivered value to business owners navigating uncertainty
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Created a flexible foundation for ongoing content, campaigns, and commentary
The report stands as a strong example of how rigorous research, when paired with strategic storytelling and thoughtful design, can drive relevance, authority, and connection in-market.
