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To Reach Small Businesses, Go Vertical
May 1, 2007 | Anita Campbell
Quick! What are the top five industries in the U.S. with the highest percentage of small businesses (under 20 employees)?
Do you know the answer?
It is: dentists, freelance writers, home appliance repair, chiropractors and real estate agents.
You may not be able to create products and services just for specific industries. But when you want to reach small business owners, one approach is to target the specific industries that have high concentrations of small business owners.
We small business owners tend to fall into certain industries in higher numbers. And just like employees in big companies, we belong to professional organizations. We read trade magazines. We go to industry events.
If you are puzzled about how to reach small business owners, go where we hang out – to the organizations we are part of, the events we attend, and through the publications we read.
This chart that USA Today put together, showing the top 25 industries with the highest concentrations of small businesses, is the kind of data you need:
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David vs. Goliath |
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The 25 sectors 1 most dominated and least dominated by small firms — companies with fewer than 20 employees. Job sectors and their percentage of small firms: |
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|
Rank |
Most likely to be a small firm |
Fewer than 20 workers |
Rank |
Least likely to be a small firm |
Fewer than 20 workers |
|
1 |
Dentists |
97.7% |
266 |
Engine and turbine makers |
53.1% |
|
2 |
Freelance writers |
97.4% |
267 |
Plastic product makers |
52.7% |
|
3 |
Home appliance repair |
97.1% |
268 |
Janitorial, other |
52.7% corporate support firms |
|
4 |
Chiropractors and other health providers |
97.1% |
269 |
Ore smelters |
52.3% |
|
5 |
Real estate agents |
96.9% |
270 |
Tobacco processors |
51.7% |
|
6 |
Home builders |
96.9% |
271 |
Metal foundries |
50.3% |
|
7 |
Florists |
96.8% |
272 |
Metal forgers and stampers |
50.2% |
|
8 |
Beer, wine, liquor stores |
96.5% |
273 |
Power boiler makers |
49.5% |
|
9 |
Jewelry and luggage stores |
96.4% |
274 |
Yarn mills |
49.1% |
|
10 |
Fishing |
96.4% |
275 |
Chemical makers |
47.9% |
|
11 |
Hair salons |
96.3% |
276 |
Plywood makers |
47.7% |
|
12 |
Interior designers |
96.3% |
277 |
Department stores |
47.5% |
|
13 |
Rooming houses |
96.2% |
278 |
Aluminum makers |
47.3% |
|
14 |
Auto repair |
96.0% |
279 |
Metal tube and wire makers |
47.1% |
|
15 |
Dog and other animal breeders |
96.0% |
280 |
Cardboard box makers |
44.8% |
|
16 |
Water well drillers |
95.9% |
281 |
Railroad car makers |
44.3% |
|
17 |
Agents for celebrities |
95.9% |
282 |
Resin and rubber makers |
43.8% |
|
18 |
Insurance agents |
95.7% |
283 |
Electric utilities |
39.2% |
|
19 |
Real estate leasing |
95.6% |
284 |
Non-oil pipeline firms |
30.2% |
|
20 |
Carpet and floor installers |
95.3% |
285 |
Oil pipelines |
24.5% |
|
21 |
Paint and wallpaper contractors |
95.2% |
286 |
Specialty hospitals |
24.5% |
|
22 |
Lawyers |
95.2% |
287 |
Nursing homes |
22.7% |
|
23 |
Logging |
95.1% |
288 |
Paper mills |
22.1% |
|
24 |
Accountants and bookkeepers |
95.1% |
289 |
Psychiatric hospitals |
9.2% |
|
25 |
Funeral companies |
94.9% |
290 |
General hospitals |
4.5% |
|
All sectors average 89.3 |
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1 — Excluding non-profits |
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Source: USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Small Business Administration data |
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Also, read Jim Hopkins’ insightful analysis of small businesses in the USA Today article accompanying the above chart.
By the way, you can create your own data analyses. Start at American FactFinder at the U.S. Census website, where you can access tons of data and manipulate it. The site is a bit of a bear to use, so it helps if someone familiar with statistics can do the work for you.
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[…] To Reach Small Businesses, Go Vertical — (to reach business owners, identify the vertical markets with the highest concentrations of small businesses). […]