General Manager’s Note — September 2008
General Manager’s Note — September 2008
Written by Matt Painter Friday, 12 September 2008
One of the perks of my job is getting to meet with local business owners and just talk shop. This might sound like about as much fun as going to the dentist (sorry Dr. Roberson), but for me, it’s very rewarding. I feel like it helps me keep a finger on the pulse of what is going on in our communities.
The U.S. Small Business Administration estimates that small businesses created 60 percent to 80 percent of all net new jobs in the past decade. Additionally, small businesses represent 97 percent of all exporters of goods and employ more than half of the entire private sector workforce in the United States. Some other facts: Small innovative businesses create 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms, and more than half of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) is generated by small businesses. Whether or not you find these figures as interesting as I do, one thing is certain: Small businesses are vital to our economy and to our communities. We are fortunate to have so many successful, thriving firms in our area.
You might have noticed that this Community Impact Newspaper is a bit heavier than previous editions. For the past several months, our team has been working on the first issue of Connected: A Comprehensive Community Guide. You will find this publication inserted in the newspaper. Connected is designed to be a “best-of-the-best” issue; many of the guides, directories and information found in the newspaper over the past 12 months have been distilled into a single, useful magazine. We have included some new features as well. I hope you find it useful and informative.
Matt Painter
mpainter@impactnews.com
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