Census Snapshot of U.S. Small Businesses

Approximately 2.3 million businesses received the 2007 U.S. Census questionnaire asking for information about characteristics of the U.S. businesses and their owners. Recently, the U.S. Census Bureau recently released the findings of the 2007 Survey of Business Owners.

Here are some data highlights describing business characteristics:

• More than half of women-owned businesses (58.2 percent ; for businesses owned by men, the figure was 49.1 percent.
• One in 10 businesses (10.4 percent) was started or acquired by owners who used a credit card to finance the start-up or acquisition of their business.
• E-commerce sales were reported by only 6.6 percent of firms.
• For 7.9 percent of all firms, exports made up at least some of the sales.
• About 28.2 percent of firms were family-owned. These family-owned firms accounted for 42.0 percent of all firms’ receipts.

Some of the business owners’ characteristics include:

• About half (50.5 percent) of owners of firms reported that their business was their primary source of income.
• More than three in four owners (77.1 percent) reported that they founded their business.
• About 62.9 percent of owners reported working 40 or more hours per week in their business
• Business owners were well-educated: 50.8 percent of owners of respondent firms had a college degree.
• About 36.5 percent of owners were 55 or older

Read more business demographics here.