Inspiring small business facts

By Charles Dundley
As small business owners, we can always be motivated and inspired to continue to do what it takes to move our companies forward. The right motivation and encouragement can create conviction in us that, even during down times, we made the right choice when we started our companies.


Motivational small business facts like the ones that follow clearly show the impact that small business owners are having on local and national economies. To start, all major corporations began as small businesses. This includes companies like IBM, Wal-Mart, Microsoft, Apple and Ford Motor Company, a business Henry Ford launched in 1903 with $28,000.

• Small business in the United States outnumber large corporations by more than 1100 to 1. Additionally, there are about 28 million small businesses in America.
• Hiring at small businesses has picked up, rising from 21% in 2012 to 24% in 2013.
• About 44% of all sales are made at small companies.
• More than 50% of entrepreneurs at small firms operate and manage their companies from home.
• Half of newly created small businesses last five years or longer.
• Starting a small firm has helped 5.5% of unemployed workers to start earning an income.
• As many as 70% of small businesses are headed by a solopreneur.
• Of America’s private workforce, 57% work at small businesses.
• It’s possible to launch a small business in the United States with less than $300.
• Entrepreneurs at small companies are proven to be incredibly innovative, registering 13 times more patents per employee than workers at large corporations.
• Anywhere from 60% to 80% of newly created jobs in America come from small firms.

In addition to the above facts is the fact that small business owners pay a lot of independent contractors, strengthening the American economy that much more. As a small business owner, whether you realize it or not, you’re making positive contributions to the national landscape.