General Small-Business Statistics

The Super Bowl is expected to have a $300-$400 economic impact on local businesses in the area of the host city.
–NFL, November 2006

61% of women believe executives are paid too much; 49% of men agree.
–The Committee of 200, November 2006

68% of consumers say they would use the phone number listed on a website to contact a vendor.
–Nielsen/Net Ratings, November 2006

16% of consumers say they would contact a vendor through e-mail.
–Nielsen/Net Ratings, November 2006

43% of business leaders believe they have lost out on business contracts because a competitor paid a bribe.
-Simmons & Simmons, November 2006

32% of business leaders believe that business corruption will increase from now until the end of the decade; 21% believe it will decrease.
–Simmons & Simmons, November 2006

17% of Americans say healthcare costs are their family’s top financial concern; second in response was lack of money and low wages, which got a 14% response.
–Gallup, November 2006

Shoppers spent $52 billion during 2005 and it’s projected they will spend $72 billion in 2006.
–National Retail Federation, October, 2006

62% of entrepreneurs in the US claim “innate drive” as the number one motivator in starting their business.
–Northeastern University’s School of Technological Entrepreneurship, October 2006

62% of entrepreneurs say they do not have a family member that is an entrepreneur.
–Northeastern University’s School of Technological Entrepreneurship, October 2006

37% of entrepreneurs identify family members as the biggest inspiration in their life.
–Northeastern University’s School of Technological Entrepreneurship, October 2006

42% of entrepreneurs say they launched their first venture during childhood (i.e. lemonade stand, paper route, etc.).
–Northeastern University’s School of Technological Entrepreneurship, October 2006

1 in 8 businesses that pitched to angel investors received funding in 2006.
–Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire, October 2006

77% of people use their own money or family assets for business startup funding.
–US Census Bureau, September 2006

35% of businesses owners who have been approached to sell their business but decided against it did so because they anticipated continued growth
–GW Equity, September 2006

33% of all contract dollars by the Department of Homeland Security awarded this year have gone to small businesses.
–Homeland Security Research of Washington D.C., September 2006

19.4%, the projected average revenue growth over the next 12 months according to surveyed CEOs.
— PricewaterhouseCoopers, September 2006

Over 75% of middle market business owners anticipate selling their business within 3 years.
–GW Equity and the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management, September 2006

48% of households earning less than $25,000 per year give charitable donations of at least $100 per year.
–Freelanthropy, September 2006

76% of people surveyed say they don’t know their credit score within 200 points.
–Focus Credit, September 2006

52% of people surveyed say they’ve made late payments on bills and/or credit cards.
–Focus Credit, September 2006

33% of people surveyed admit they always make the minimum payment only.
–Focus Credit, September 2006

17% of people say they have at least one maxed-out credit card.
–Focus Credit, September 2006

46% of workers at large companies agreed that their job interferes with personal and family needs; only 31% of small-business employees said the same.
–Harris Interactive, September 2006

45% of SMB workers say their biggest regret was starting to save too late for retirement.
–Harris Interactive, September 2006

More than 7 out of 10 businesses say trust in theworkplace has either improved or remained steady during the past two years.
–Right Management, September 2006

35% of businesses owners who have been approached to sell their business but decided against it did so because they anticipated continued growth.
–GW Equity, September 2006

Roughly 82% of small business owners turn to their account for business advice over their lawyer or banker.
–SurePayroll, September 2006

49% of the nation’s businesses are operated from home.
–US Census Bureau, September 2006

98% of the top 50 highest growth companies in the Fortune 1000 have mission statements.
–Kinetic Wisdom, August 2006

77.8% of students with entrepreneur family members would like to start their own business someday; 64% of students whose family are not self-employed agreed.
–JA Worldwide, August 2006

On average, entrepreneurs make at least 25% more than the general population.
–Experian, August 2006

45.1 million Americans work from home; 16.3 million work while in their car.
–ITAC/The Dieringer Research Group, July 2006

The average angel group invested $1.45 million in 2005.
–Angel Capital Education Foundation/Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, July 2006

45% of angel group deals had co-investment with venture capital firms in 2005.
–Angel Capital Education Foundation/Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, July 2006

Angel investment groups made an average of 5.46 investments in 4.49 businesses.
–Angel Capital Education Foundation/Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, July 2006

68% of business students are interested in owning their own business.
–Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization, July 2006

7 in 10 people feel that taking risks is more important to success than avoiding mistakes.
–Caliper, June 2006

53% of laid-off employees who bought or started businesses last year did so within 3 months.
–Right Management, April 2006

84% of small businesses are not concerned that a natural disaster will affect their business within the next year, although 77% admit that their business is not fully prepared should one occur.
–MasterCard International, April 2006

75% of U.S. adults who go online say the internet has made it easier to start a business.
–Yahoo Small Business/Harris Interactive, April 2006

50% of small businesses with 20 to 99 employees say their biggest IT challenge is the integration of different applications and systems.
–Yankee Group, March 2006

62% of business leaders say they expect to make their sales targets for the next 6 months.
–Grant Thornton,February 2006

More than 70% of early-stage entrepreneurs are already employed workers.
–GEM, January 2006

Roughly 30% of surveyed self-employed business owners say they have no retirement savings.
–National Association of Self-Employed, January 2006

58% of CFOs say they have never had a mentor.
–Accountemps, June 2006

Small business owners describing themselves as optimistic about the economy dropped 24% from May to June.
–SurePayroll, June 2006

63% of small business owners believe inflation will have a negative impact on their business this year.
–SurePayroll, June 2006

44% of small business owners say they love what they do and “cannot imagine” making a living any other way.
–Open from American Express, May 2006

GDP rose at an annual rate of 4.6% in the first quarter of 2006.
–SBA Office of Advocacy, 2006

70% of Americans say they are good or excellent at managing their finances.
–Tiburon, April 2006

39% of opinion leaders and 45% of U.S. voters believe China will be the strongest economic power in 20-30 years.
–Business Roundtable, January 2006

$672.15: The average purchase made from the Federal SmartPay program.
–U.S. General Services Administration, February 2006

60% of small business owners think the outlook of their business in 2006 is promising.
–MasterCard International, January 2006

65% of small business owners would tell a friend to start a business now, rather than wait a year.
–MasterCard International, January 2006

The average American household’s economic outlays for all goods and services was $1,500 per week in 2005.
–U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, January 2006

Just over 7% of American workers drink during the workday.
–University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions, January 2006

9% of American workers have nursed a hangover in the workplace.
–University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions, January 2006

55% of small business owners say having a disaster plan is mid- to high-level in importance, but less than 30% have an actual plan.
–Citrix Systems Inc., December 2005

40% of small businesses never reopen after a major disaster.
–FEMA, December 2005

28% of small business owners identified sales and development as their top business challenge, while 15% identified their competition.
–MasterCard, December 2005

55% of small and medium-sized businesses say community relations are critical.
–Interland, December 2005

60% of small-business owners worldwide say the future outlook of their business is promising, over half are confident they’ll meet their financial goals in 2006.
–MasterCard, December 2005

75% of small business owners would encourage a friend to start a new business now, rather than wait a year.
–MasterCard, December 2005

Roughly 43% of employers say their reward system is linked to their business strategy–up 7% from 1996–while 23% of employees said they didn’t understand their company’s reward system.
–Watson Wyatt Worldwide, December 2005

One in 11 Americans has shoplifted.
–Cleptomaniacs and Shoplifters Anonymous/National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, November 2005

Retailers lose $25 a day to shoplifting.
–Cleptomaniacs and Shoplifters Anonymous/National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, November 2005

Roughly 80% of corporate employees will disclose sensitive company or customer information over the phone, to people they don’t know.
–RavenEye, November 2005

Roughly 550,000 new businesses are started each month.
–Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, September 2005

Ten states represent 55% of all sole proprietorships, with Florida hosting the most of such businesses.
–SBA Office of Advocacy, September 2005

69% of teens say they would like to start their own business; 25% saying they would like to start a retail business.
–JA Worldwide Interprise Poll, September 2005

Small-business owners work an average of 52 hours per week.
–Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, August 2005

50% of African-American women want to start their own business.
–Essence Window on Our Women II, September 2005