The Rainforest Rivers – Economic Indicators
Tropical rainforests have some of the largest rivers in the world. These mega-rivers are fed by countless smaller tributaries, streams, and creeks. Tropical streams and creeks are even more variable than tropical rivers and can change from a virtually dry river bed to a raging torrent 30 feet deep in a matter of hours during a heavy rain.
While the recent national economic news is trending positively, like more rain for the forest, each of us has a responsibility to help support our local economy. The larger rivers of the rainforests are pretty steady through even the worst droughts, but it is the strength of the smaller rivers and streams which are the truest indicator of whether the droughts are over.
Small businesses account for over 80% of the employers in our country. Whether that’s a locally owned restaurant or café, a clothing boutique, a government contractor, or auto dealership, businesses in your area depend on your patronage for their survival.
Consciously supporting small businesses in your own community is a direct path to economic recovery for everyone.
Small Businesses:
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-Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.
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-Employ about half of all private sector employees.
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-Pay nearly 45 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
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-Have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the last decade.
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-Create more than half of nonfarm private gross domestic product (GDP).
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-Hire 40 percent of high tech workers (such as scientists, engineers, and computer workers).
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-Are 52 percent home-based and 2 percent franchises.
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-Made up 97.3 percent of all identified exporters and produced 28.9 percent of the known export value in FY 2006.
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-Produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms; these patents are twice as likely as large firm patents to be among the one percent most cited.
Support your local economy and help out the smaller rivers of the rainforests by investing in the small businesses.
These statistics provided by SBA about small business and its direct correlation to employment supports this – http://www.sba.gov/advo/stats/sbfaq.pdf
Tropical Rainforest facts found at http://rainforests.mongabay.com
Carolyn Thompson
Author of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME…available on Amazon.com!
and TEN STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB…available on Amazon.com!
