Australia:a land of operators

Napoleon once called England a land of shopkeepers.

If the little Corsican was about today, he might well be calling Australia a land of business operators.

Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics today suggest that more than one Australian adult in seven is running a business.

That includes farmers.

The bureau now counts farmers as business people.

It hasn’t always done so in the past.

But the bureau has now recognised, perhaps belatedly, that a high degree of business skill is needed to run a farm, successfully.

In a study just released, the bureau says there are now 1.9 million people in Australia, who own their own businesses.

Those most likely to be doing so are men, aged between 25 and 64.

They make up 68 per cent of Australia’s business owners.

And, typically, Australia’s small business operators work full time in their businesses.

They expect to keep doing so, too.

A remarkably high 96 per cent told the bureau that they expect to be still in their businesses in a year’s time.

The bureau said just over half – 54 per cent – have dependents and 55 per cent employ staff.