Many everyday Australians have their own businesses that form the backbone of our national communities.
New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show the extent of the influence Australian businesses are having on society by the sheer number of them.
Over two million people either own or operate one or more businesses in Australia, according to the ABS in a statement released on October 29. That's almost one-twelfth of the whole population!
In good news for these business owners, since 2006-7 the average individual income for a business operator has increased to about $999 a week from $799.
"Our report shows the average business owners or operators were men (67 per cent) aged between 45 and 54 and women (33 per cent) aged between 35 and 44," said Karen Connaughton of the ABS.
"Over 80 per cent of men worked full time in their businesses in contrast to 40 per cent of women working full time," reflecting the difference that gender can have in the approach to flexible working arrangements.
Other information about those who owned small businesses was that they were likely to employ 1 to 19 people, were educated, and the majority – over 70 per cent – were born in Australia.
Family operated businesses were the overwhelming majority, accounting for 87 per cent. Almost half of these had dependents, and many people have spent unpaid time caring for children.
Remember, as a business, your history and heritage is likely to affect your company's structure, the way you operate business and the type of customers you target, as well as how you deal with them.
Ensure you're not out of touch with your customer base by regularly making use of online survey software, which allows you to conduct satisfaction questionnaires.
Don't forget, you can trial a free custom-branded demonstration of an Australian-built online survey tool from PeoplePulse, which can demonstrate just how useful these surveys can be.
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