8127.0 - Characteristics of Small Business, Australia, 2001  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 19/03/2002   
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Business operator(s)

There is no standard definition of a small business operator and other ABS publications do not use the term, or provide statistics about small business operators as a group. However, the expression "small business operator" is one that is often used in research and policy debate and is generally taken to include the following group of people:

The person or persons who own and run the business. Generally these business operators can be identified as:

  • the proprietor of a sole proprietorship;
  • the partners of a partnership; or
  • the working director(s) of an incorporated company.

Computer

Includes personal computers (PCs), laptops, note books, mainframes and mini-computers.

Email

Electronic mail is a facility which allows network users locally and worldwide to exchange messages, including text and attachments.

Full-time (work)

Employed persons who usually worked 35 hours or more a week (in all jobs) and those who, although usually working less than 35 hours a week, worked 35 hours or more during the reference week.

Home based businesses

Where the person(s) usually conducts work at their residential address. Refer also to Chapter 4 - Introduction, for additional clarification.
  • Operated at home - where most of the work of the business was carried out at the home(s) of the operator(s).
  • Operated from home - where the business had no other premises owned or rented other than the home(s) of the operator(s).

Internet

A world-wide collection of computers which are linked together using a particular communications protocol to form a repository of stored information and to provide a range of communication services. These services include, but are not limited to, the World Wide Web (WWW), Internet EDI and Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP).

Internet business

The use of the Internet, including the Web, to facilitate business processes. Included is the use of the Internet or a Web site for activities associated with buying or selling goods or services, banking, recruitment or company promotion. A business may use the Internet for only one or any number of purposes to be defined as participating in Internet business.

Non-school qualification

Non-school qualifications are awarded for educational attainments other than those of pre-primary, primary or secondary education. They include qualifications at the Post Graduate Degree Level, Master Degree Level, Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate Level, Bachelor Degree Level, Advanced Diploma and Diploma Level, and Certificates I, II, III and IV levels. Non-school qualifications may be attained concurrently with school qualifications. For more information please refer to the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED), 2001 (Cat. no. 1272.0)

Part-time (work)

Employed persons who usually worked less than 35 hours a week (in all jobs) and either did so during the reference week, or were not at work in the reference week.

Small business

Small businesses (excluding agricultural businesses) are those businesses employing less than 20 people. The categories presented in this publication are as follows:
  • non-employing businesses - sole proprietors and partnerships without employees;
  • businesses with 1-4 employees; and
  • businesses with 5-19 employees.

Together, these three groups form the small business category - those businesses employing less than 20 people. Note that because operators of all incorporated businesses are considered employees of that corporation, all incorporated businesses will be classified as employing businesses.