- There are almost 21.5 million (90%) small businesses in the
United States
- Small businesses are responsible for 39 percent of GNP.
- Small businesses are responsible for 52 percent of the all
U.S. sales and contribute
about 21 percent of all manufactured U.S. exports.
- Small businesses contribute 44 percent of all sales in the
country.
- Small businesses employ 54.4 million people, about 57.3
percent of the private
workforce.
- Between December 1992 and December 1993,
small-business-dominated industries
(those in which at least 60 percent of the work force is employed
in firms with fewer
than 500 employees) increased employment by 13 million workers
(3.2 percent).
- During 1990, employment in small businesses grew by 1.1
percent, while
employment in large businesses fell by 0.6 percent.
- From 1982 to 1987, the number of women-owned businesses
increased by nearly 58
percent, from 2.6 million to about 4.1 million.
- From 1982 to 1987, the number of black-owned businesses
increased by 38 percent,
from 308,000 to 424,000.
- From 1982 to 1987, the number of hispanic-owned businesses
increased by 81
percent, from 233,975 to 422,373.
- From 1982 to 1987, the number of asian-owned businesses
increased by 89 percent
187,691 to 355,331.
- Small businesses are responsible for more than half of
innovations developed during
the 20th Century, including the zipper, the helicopter, the
personal computer and
important advances in the medical world such as insulin, the
artificial heart valve and
the pacemaker.
- The number of small businesses in the United States has
increased 54 percent since
1980. These include corporations, partnerships, and sole
proprietorships. About half
of the 20 million businesses operate full-time, the rest
part-time.
- Small firms have also led employment gains and expansion.
Between September 1989
and September 1990, employment in small business-dominated
industries has
increased 2.1 percent, generating 1.1 million new jobs.
- Studies show that small firms produce twice as many
innovations as large firms
relative to the number of persons employed, for the "most
significant" as well as the
"less significant" innovations, and including the employment
of firms that do not
innovate.