Survey of Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons (SBO)

PURPOSE

To collect statistics on businesses and their individual owners. The United States Code, Title 13, authorizes this survey and provides for mandatory responses.

COVERAGE

Includes all nonfarm businesses filing 2007 tax forms as individual proprietorships, partnerships, and any type of corporation, and with receipts of $1,000 or more.

CONTENT

The survey collects data on the gender, ethnicity, and race for up to three persons owning the majority of rights, equity, or interest in the business. Additional demographic and economic characteristics of the business owners and their businesses will be collected such as: owner's age, education level, veteran status and primary function in the business; family- and home-based businesses; types of customers and workers; and sources of financing for expansion, capital improvements, or start-up.

FREQUENCY

Every 5 years since 1972, for years ending in "2" and "7." Data collection begins in September following the census year and continues through September of the next year. Reported data are for the census calendar year.

METHODS

One of two questionnaires, tailored to the businesses' legal form of organization, will be sent to the firms selected to participate in this survey.

PRODUCTS

We will release 7 publications on a flow basis: American Indians and Alaska Natives; Asians, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders; Blacks or African Americans; Hispanics; Minority Business Enterprise Summary; Women Business Enterprises; and a Company Summary. Data will be available via the Internet, on CD-ROM, and printed reports. Additional HTML tables will be available to allow for customized searches by industry and geographic location.

USES

SBO statistics are used routinely by government program officials, industry organization leaders, economic and social analysts, and business entrepreneurs. Examples of data use include those by:

• The Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) to assess business assistance needs and allocate available program resources.
  
  
• Local government commissions on small and disadvantaged businesses to establish and evaluate contract procurement practices.
  
  
• Federal, state and local government agencies as a framework for planning, directing and assessing programs that promote the activities of disadvantaged groups.
  
  
• A national women-owned business trade association to assess women-owned businesses by industry and area, and educate other industry associations, corporations and government entities.
  
  
• Consultants and researchers to analyze long-term economic and demographic shifts, and differences in ownership and performance among geographic areas.
  
  
• Individual business owners to analyze their operations in comparison to similar firms, compute their market share, and assess their growth and future prospects.

SBO Forms