Besides being computer-savvy and rapidly getting into e-commerce, some other interesting aspects of the top small businesses in the U.S. include:

One of every four winners is involved in manufacturing; one of five is in a retail business. Nine percent of the businesses are in computer technology, 7 percent in construction and 17 percent in some kind of professional service – real estate, engineering, accounting or the like.

Women own 28 percent of the winning businesses and 25 percent are minority-owned: 6 percent by African Americans; 8 percent are by Hispanic Americans and 4 percent by Asian Americans. Veterans own 17 percent. Indeed, U.S. small business has always closely reflected the rich diversity of American society.

More than half of the winning businesses are family owned and operated. Among these, 22 percent employ their spouses, 18 percent employ siblings – 9 percent brothers and 9 percent sisters – 4 percent employ their mothers and 6 percent employ their fathers. Children are also an important part of these operations, with 13 percent employing their daughters and 28 percent employing their sons.

Of the state winners, 28 percent sell to the federal government and reported median sales of more than $850,000 last year. Their combined total sales to the federal government amount to $57 million for an average of 28 percent of their total sales. The most recent year’s total sales for all the businesses amounted to $460 million. Median sales were $5.5 million ($9 million average). The winning businesses have been in business for an average of 15 years. Of the winning businesses, 41 percent were started in the 1990s, 26 percent in the 1980s, and 17 percent started in the 1970s. The oldest business was founded in 1907.

Twenty-two percent export goods and services representing 20 percent of sales. Additionally, 17 percent of those who currently do not export anticipate doing so within two years. Countries receiving exports include: nations of The United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Germany, China, Switzerland, Japan, Cypress, Israel, Norway, France, Singapore, Russia, Argentina, Central America, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and Venezuela.

Together the winning businesses employ 3,628 full-time and 1,028 part-time employees. The smallest business employs three people full-time and the largest business has 350 full-time employees. Although more than a quarter (28 percent) of the businesses started out as home-based, only a handful (4 percent) are still home-based.

About a quarter of the winners indicated that financing and managing a growing business was their biggest challenge. Other hurdles cited included hiring and managing employees, managing customer service, dealing with uncertainty, handling tax and regulatory issues, facing gender discrimination, wearing multiple hats, handling competition, and balancing personal and work life.

For more information on National Small Business Week and a complete list of state and other award winners, visit the SBA’s Small Business Week Web site at http://smallbusinesssuccess.sba.gov/.

[Source: United States Small Business Administration.]

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