According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), “Small business is BIG!”

The SBA reports the following facts and trends about the impact of America’s small business sector.

• 23 million small businesses in America account for 54% of all U.S. sales.
• Small businesses provide 55% of all jobs and 66% of all net new jobs since the 1970s.
• The small business sector in America occupies 30-50% of all commercial space, an estimated 20-34 billion square feet.

See more of the SBA’s Small Business Trends here.

Take the SBA’s information and apply it on a smaller scale and you may find that most states and their cities maintain similar numbers and trends. And, what these numbers reveal to us is that small businesses are the backbone of our local economy. We need to make every effort to support, grow and sustain them.

Pompano Beach is not exempt from the small business sector and, on a smaller scale, neither is District 4. In the Northwest area of Pompano Beach alone, we have hundreds of businesses registered with the city and many of them qualify as micro or small businesses. (See the definition of a small business here and here.) These businesses employ our residents and help to make up our local economy. In the city commission’s efforts to sustain a high quality of life for residents, they are tasked with the responsibility of making our city business accessible and small business friendly.

About the Author

Whitney Rawls

Candidate for Pompano Beach District 4 Commissioner. Advocate for social and economic justice and equality, youth and family services.