Jimmy Carter

“ This year, every small business man and woman and indeed, every American, should be giving serious thought to how we may best secure and expand the small business sector of our economy in the years ahead. ”

“ There are 13.9 million businesses in the United States today, and 13.4 million are small, including nearly three million farms. Together, they provide employment for over half the business labor force and account for more than 48 percent of the gross business product. They are an important source of the major innovations that create new markets and improve our quality of life. America's prestige in the world today could never have been achieved without this outstanding productivity by small business. ”

“ Small business has been the economic backbone of American life since the earliest colonial days. Traders, craftsmen and merchants spurred the economy and played a vital role in the Nation's westward movement and growth. ”