Vol. I, No. 2: 1. Small Business Resources: The Best Businesses?

We did, too. So we took at look at the kinds of small businesses that nearly 18 million Americans are involved in -- Schedule C businesses. Schedule C businesses are sole proprietorships. Unlike corporations, Schedule C businesses report profits or losses by filing a Schedule C with their 1040. Moreover, Schedule C businesses account for the largest portion of small businesses, and the majority of them are service businesses, which account for nearly half [48.6%] of all Schedule C filings.

The other businesses filing Schedule C? In descending order: Wholesale and retail trade [18.6%]; Construction [12.4%]; Finance, insurance, and real estate [7.5%]; Transportation and public utilities [4.9%]; Agricultural services, forestry, and fishing [3.3%]; Manufacturing [3.0%]; and Mining [0.6%].

So ... We decided to look at Schedule C businesses along two lines: first, by Gross Receipts -- the total number of dollars that came through the door ... and second, by Adjusted Net Income -- the relative amount of money that stayed behind the door after expenses.

Gross Receipts:
As you'll see from the table below, the biggest money draws come from drugs, gas, and liquor ... followed by clothing, groceries, financial commodities, and new cars.

The Top Baker's-Dozen Highest Grossing Schedule C Businesses
Business	Number	%	Receipts	%	GRI*
Drug stores	4,398	0.026%	4,237,096	0.502%	19.3715
Gasoline service stations	33,409	0.197%	25,143,433	2.982%	15.1325
Liquor stores	11,306	0.067%	4,674,642	0.554%	8.3136
Men's and boys' clothing stores	1,508	0.009%	569,854	0.068%	7.5982
Grocery stores	87,074	0.514%	29,624,223	3.513%	6.8408
Commodity contract brokers, exchng's & srvc's	9,542	0.056%	3,105,987	0.368%	6.5450
Motor vehicle dealers--new car dealers	5,463	0.032%	1,729,363	0.205%	6.3651
Public warehousing	657	0.004%	200,479	0.024%	6.1356
Automotive dealers and service stations	175,536	1.035%	53,270,793	6.317%	6.1020
Food stores	138,792	0.819%	38,070,740	4.515%	5.5154
Offices of dentists	102,424	0.604%	24,290,857	2.881%	4.7686
Coal mining	1,033	0.006%	240,279	0.028%	4.6770
Mobile home dealers	5,543	0.033%	1,263,044	0.150%	4.5817
* The GRI [Gross Receipts Index] is calculated by dividing the total Gross Receipts for a business type or sector [Receipts] by the the total number of businesses in that sector [Number].

At the bottom of the gross receipts ladder are hunting & trapping, transportation, livestock, child care, and educational services ... followed, after a catch-all category, by ministers and chaplains.

The Bottom Baker's-Dozen Lowest Grossing Schedule C Businesses
Industrial group	Number	%	Receipts	%	GRI*
Hunting and trapping	5,401	0.032%	10,979	0.001%	0.0409
Other highway passenger transportation	4,236	0.025%	26,624	0.003%	0.1264
Livestock breeding	22,462	0.132%	193,924	0.023%	0.1736
Child day care	541,696	3.195%	5,611,317	0.665%	0.2083
Educational services	258,497	1.525%	2,760,817	0.327%	0.2147
Nature of business not allocable	210,174	1.240%	2,250,599	0.267%	0.2153
Ministers and chaplains	217,460	1.283%	2,522,690	0.299%	0.2333
Utilities, incl. dumps, snowplowing, etc.	24,254	0.143%	316,479	0.038%	0.2624
Title abstract companies	9,515	0.056%	126,431	0.015%	0.2672
Janitorial and related services to buildings	488,511	2.881%	7,213,736	0.855%	0.2969
Registered and practical nurses	54,245	0.320%	807,683	0.096%	0.2994
Communication services	89,276	0.527%	1,356,796	0.161%	0.3056
Sales by door-to-door, telephone, etc.	1,064,835	6.280%	16,479,665	1.954%	0.3112
* The GRI [Gross Receipts Index] is calculated by dividing the total Gross Receipts for a business type or sector [Receipts] by the the total number of businesses in that sector [Number].

If you would like to submit an article for our Small Business Resources section, don't hesitate to let us know. Simply e-mail us at business@downstreetmagazine.com. The e-mail should contain your name, address, and a phone number where we can reach you. You may also send a copy of your proposed article. The text can either be included in the body of the e-mail, or you can send it as an attachment in just about any word processing format. If your piece is accepted, we will pay a small honorarium for your interest & your time. [See Freelancers Wanted for more details.]