How Big Are Most Businesses: Smaller Than You Think?

Are you intrigued by the subject of just how big most businesses are?

American Business Information, an infoUSA company, has a breakdown that is quite revealing. Following is a randomly selected list of different types of businesses and the percentage of the total number in the U.S. that have less than $500,000 in annual sales.

Type of business

% of the total number with sales less than $500,000

Advertising Agencies Apparel & Garments (retail) Art Galleries Art Supplies Auto Lube Auto Exhaust System Repair Auto Parts & Supply Auto Body Repair Bagels Beauty Salons Bicycle Shops Book Dealers (stores) Check Cashing Agencies Coffee Shops Coin-Op Laundries Convenience Stores Delicatessens Doughnut Shops Florists Hotels & Motels Ice Cream Parlors Lawn & Grounds Maintenance Liquors –Retail Paint – Retail Pet Shops Restaurants Sporting Goods – Retail Tanning Salons

58% 67% 78% 53% 77% 56% 27% 66% 58% 96% 54% 48% 58% 79% 96% 19% 77% 69% 82% 57% 74% 82% 42% 16% 58% 59% 46% 94%

Auto dealers, manufacturers and many other companies that would have certainly lowered the percentages are not included, but the above create a cross-section of main street type businesses. These businesses make up almost 90 percent of the total number of businesses in the U.S. Looking at the above selection and not counting the numbers of each, but just the percentages - over 60 percent, on average, have annual sales of less than $500,000. That's what small business is all about. Being your own boss, running your own show, making your own decisions, answering (most of the time) to no one, living your own life, and making a living - that's small business. It would appear from the data that small business is alive and well!

Copyright 2007 Business Brokerage Press