Sources & Citations

Every claim,
linked and verified.

IBT holds businesses to a standard of verified truth. We hold ourselves to the same standard. Every statistic, quote, and factual claim on this site is sourced here — directly linked so anyone can verify it.

This page is a living document. Every stat on the IBT website links back here. If you find a claim that is missing a source, or a source link that no longer works, please tell us. We update this page whenever new research is added to the site.

BrightLocal · 2024
BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2024
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Claims supported
  • Approximately 30% of online reviews are estimated to be fake or unreliable
  • 82% of consumers say they sometimes or regularly read fake reviews without realizing
  • More than 50% of consumers say they would avoid a business they suspected of having fake reviews
  • Consumer trust in online reviews continues to decline year over year
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) · 2023
FTC Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2023
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Claims supported
  • $10 billion+ in consumer losses reported directly to the FTC in 2023 — broader fraud losses estimated at $152 billion annually when including unreported cases
  • Fraud losses have increased substantially year over year
Referenced on
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) · 2024
Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials
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Claims supported
  • In August 2024, the FTC finalized a rule banning the buying, selling, or publication of fake reviews
  • Violations carry fines up to $51,744 per violation
  • The rule applies to businesses, review platforms, and individuals who create fake testimonials
Edelman · 2024
Edelman Trust Barometer 2024: Global Report
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Claims supported
  • 54% of consumers say they do not trust online reviews to the same degree as personal recommendations
  • Trust in business information sources continues to decline
  • Only 46% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations — down from 79% in 2013
Edelman · 2023
Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Trust and B2B Technology
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Claims supported
  • 86% of B2B buyers say trust is a primary factor in purchase decisions
  • Trust is cited as more important than price or product features in high-stakes B2B purchasing
U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy · 2025
United States 2025 Small Business Profile — SBA Office of Advocacy
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Claims supported
  • There are 36.2 million small businesses in the United States as of 2025
  • Small businesses represent 99.9% of all U.S. businesses
  • Small businesses employ 62.3 million Americans — 45.9% of the private sector workforce
Referenced on
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) · 2023
The ISO Survey of Management System Standard Certifications — 2023 Results
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Claims supported
  • Approximately 72,000 U.S. companies maintain ISO certifications
  • ISO 9001 remains the most widely held management system certification globally
  • 0.2% of U.S. businesses hold any ISO certification (72,000 ÷ 36.2M)
Referenced on
Better Business Bureau (BBB) · 2024
Better Business Bureau — About BBB / 2024 Annual Report Data
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Claims supported
  • 380,000 BBB Accredited Businesses in North America as of 2024
  • BBB maintains a database of 5.8 million businesses
  • ~1% of U.S. businesses hold BBB accreditation (380,000 ÷ 36.2M)
B Lab Global · 2025
B Lab Global — State of the B Corp Movement, 2024 Annual Report
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Claims supported
  • As of March 2025, there are 9,576 certified B Corporations across 160 industries in 102 countries
  • 1,317 new businesses joined the B Corp community in 2024
Referenced on
Angi (formerly Angie's List / HomeAdvisor) · 2023
Angi State of Home Spending Report 2023
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Claims supported
  • 55% of home services consumers say trust in a contractor matters more than price when making a hiring decision
  • Verified satisfaction signals are the most commonly cited factor when choosing between comparable contractors
ABC News (20/20) · 2010
ABC News 20/20 Investigation: Better Business Bureau Sells Ratings
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Claims supported
  • ABC News 20/20 investigation revealed that BBB ratings could be improved by paying membership fees
  • Undercover testing showed that paying fees moved businesses from failing grades to A ratings
  • Following the investigation, the Connecticut Attorney General condemned the BBB rating system as misleading
Referenced on
The Transparency Company · 2024
The Transparency Company: AI-Generated Review Detection Report 2024
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Claims supported
  • AI-generated fake reviews have become substantially harder to detect and cheaper to produce
  • Review platforms are increasingly unable to distinguish AI-generated content from legitimate reviews
Referenced on
A note on methodology

Some statistics on the IBT website are derived calculations — for example, "0.2% of US businesses hold ISO certification" is derived by dividing 72,000 (ISO Survey 2023) by 36.2 million (SBA 2025). Where a statistic is derived, both source documents are cited. IBT does not manufacture, estimate, or round statistics to make a point. If the data doesn't say it, we don't either.