Why Small Businesses Are Good for Local Economies小企業(yè)為何有利于地方經(jīng)濟(jì)

When we check business news each day， it’s usually big companies that dominate the headlines. We see layoffs by Tesla， a contract won by Lockheed Martin， a company acquired by General Motors， or a new innovation from General Electric. It’s true that large businesses are seeing their market share increase in a wide range of industries in recent years. However， despite the relative absence of small businesses from the headlines， they drive a considerable portion of the American economy.

每天瀏覽商業(yè)新聞時(shí)，通常都是大企業(yè)的相關(guān)報(bào)道占據(jù)著各大頭條。我們?cè)谛侣勆峡煽吹教厮估脝T、洛克希德·馬丁贏下大合同、通用汽車收購(gòu)某公司或者通用電氣發(fā)布一項(xiàng)創(chuàng)新產(chǎn)品。的確，近年來(lái)，在多個(gè)不同行業(yè)，大公司的市場(chǎng)份額都有所增長(zhǎng)。然而，即便相對(duì)而言小公司出現(xiàn)在頭條新聞中的次數(shù)不多，但他們依然在美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)中占據(jù)著不可忽視的一部分。

Small businesses’ economic impact

小企業(yè)對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)的影響

Small businesses are an important economic engine for both local communities and the national economy.

小企業(yè)是驅(qū)動(dòng)本地社區(qū)和國(guó)家經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展的重要引擎。

A widely cited 2019 report from the U.S. Small Business Administration found that small businesses generated 44% of all economic activity in the country. That same year， small businesses created two-thirds of all jobs in the U.S. In a post-pandemic world， small businesses have been the backbone of economic recovery and job growth.

美國(guó)小企業(yè)管理局2019年發(fā)布的一份報(bào)告被廣泛引用，該報(bào)告顯示，整個(gè)美國(guó)44%的經(jīng)濟(jì)活動(dòng)來(lái)自小企業(yè)。同年，小企業(yè)為美國(guó)創(chuàng)造了2/3的就業(yè)崗位。在后疫情時(shí)代，小企業(yè)成為了經(jīng)濟(jì)復(fù)蘇和就業(yè)增長(zhǎng)的重要支柱。

“Small， locally owned businesses and startups tend to generate higher incomes for people in a community than big， nonlocal firms， which can actually depress local economies，” said Stephan Goetz， professor of agricultural and regional economics at Penn State and director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development， in a statement published alongside the research.

與報(bào)告共同發(fā)表的還有一份聲明，該聲明由賓夕法尼亞州立大學(xué)農(nóng)業(yè)和區(qū)域經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)教授、東北地區(qū)農(nóng)業(yè)發(fā)展中心主任斯蒂芬·戈茨撰寫，他提到：“相比于大型非本地企業(yè)來(lái)說(shuō)，小型的本地企業(yè)和初創(chuàng)公司通常會(huì)給當(dāng)?shù)厝颂峁└叩氖杖搿罢叻炊鶗?huì)抑制本地經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展?！?/p>

Goetz said his research shows that small businesses directly benefit local economies—much more so than large businesses. This is because big box and large corporations have internal systems for services such as accounting， legal， supply and maintenance that are not necessarily based within the county or state. Small businesses， on the other hand， have to outsource these functions and usually do so to professionals within their local or regional communities—professionals who are likely to spend that money in the same community.

戈茨說(shuō)，他的研究成果顯示，與大企業(yè)相比，小企業(yè)為本地經(jīng)濟(jì)帶來(lái)的直接好處要大得多。原因在于，大型連鎖零售商和大企業(yè)有內(nèi)部職能系統(tǒng)，比如會(huì)計(jì)部、法務(wù)部、采購(gòu)部和維修部等，而這些業(yè)務(wù)通常并不設(shè)在本縣或本州。小企業(yè)則不得不將這些職能外包給當(dāng)?shù)鼗虮緟^(qū)域的專業(yè)人士，而這些專業(yè)人士通常會(huì)在本地進(jìn)行消費(fèi)。

How small businesses benefit local economies

小企業(yè)如何造福本地經(jīng)濟(jì)

Small business has long been seen as a boon to local economies， but why is that？ Small businesses help boost a community’s broader economy in several concrete ways that bigger businesses cannot. Here are three ways small businesses contribute to the economy.

一直以來(lái)，人們都認(rèn)為小企業(yè)造福了當(dāng)?shù)亟?jīng)濟(jì)，這是為什么呢？因?yàn)樾∑髽I(yè)會(huì)通過多種實(shí)打?qū)嵉姆绞酵苿?dòng)本地整體經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展，而大公司卻無(wú)法做到。以下列舉小企業(yè)為經(jīng)濟(jì)做出的三方面貢獻(xiàn)。

Job creation

創(chuàng)造就業(yè)崗位

The first way small businesses impact the economy is through job creation. While this might seem obvious， it is incredibly important. According to the SBA1， small businesses created a net 12.9 million new jobs in the last 25 years， which accounts for roughly 66% of all jobs created in that span. In the same period， large businesses only added a net 6.7 million jobs， the SBA reports.

小企業(yè)影響經(jīng)濟(jì)的第一種方式是創(chuàng)造就業(yè)崗位。雖然看似顯而易見，但這一點(diǎn)無(wú)比重要。據(jù)美國(guó)小企業(yè)管理局?jǐn)?shù)據(jù)，過去的25年中，小企業(yè)凈增1290萬(wàn)個(gè)工作崗位，大約占同期新就業(yè)崗位總數(shù)的66%。與此同時(shí)，大公司僅凈增670萬(wàn)個(gè)工作崗位。

Small business job creation was pivotal in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as well. According to the SBA， during the first two quarters of 2020， at the start of the pandemic， 9.1 million jobs were lost. In the following four quarters， through Q2 of 2021， small businesses created 5.5 million jobs， a 60% recovery from the pandemic-era decline.

小企業(yè)所創(chuàng)造的就業(yè)崗位在新冠疫情暴發(fā)后起到了至關(guān)重要的經(jīng)濟(jì)支撐作用。根據(jù)美國(guó)小企業(yè)管理局?jǐn)?shù)據(jù)，2020年上半年，疫情暴發(fā)之初，全美國(guó)共計(jì)消失了910萬(wàn)個(gè)工作崗位。在接下來(lái)的一年里，直到2021年第二季度，小企業(yè)創(chuàng)造了550萬(wàn)個(gè)就業(yè)崗位，相較疫情期間的下滑，回升了60%。

Innovation

推動(dòng)企業(yè)創(chuàng)新

Small businesses and startups provide more than just jobs for community members. More local small businesses means new ways of thinking and fresh perspectives， almost like an entrepreneur mindset. For large businesses， trying fundamentally new approaches can be akin to turning a battleship， while it is relatively simple for small businesses to reinvent themselves.

小企業(yè)和初創(chuàng)公司為當(dāng)?shù)厣鐓^(qū)的貢獻(xiàn)不僅僅是創(chuàng)造了工作崗位。更多本地小企業(yè)參與經(jīng)濟(jì)活動(dòng)，會(huì)帶來(lái)全新的思維模式和商業(yè)視角，幾近企業(yè)家思維。對(duì)大公司來(lái)說(shuō)，嘗試全新的商業(yè)模式難如巨艦掉頭，而小企業(yè)進(jìn)行變革就容易得多。

Small businesses are generally more nimble than large businesses， with tighter-knit teams and simple communication channels. This enables them to quickly pivot and change their operations in major ways with minimal investment. As a result， early-stage entrepreneurs can act as laboratories of innovation， testing new ways of doing things and seeing if any of them pay off. And when they do， it can put the local community on the map.

小企業(yè)通常比大公司更為靈活變通，團(tuán)隊(duì)更為緊湊，內(nèi)部溝通渠道也更為簡(jiǎn)便。因而，小企業(yè)能以最低的投入實(shí)現(xiàn)快速戰(zhàn)略轉(zhuǎn)型和運(yùn)營(yíng)方式調(diào)整。因此，初創(chuàng)階段的企業(yè)就像創(chuàng)新實(shí)驗(yàn)室，不斷嘗試做事的新方法，從中找到獲利途徑。當(dāng)小企業(yè)發(fā)現(xiàn)盈利之道時(shí)，就會(huì)推動(dòng)當(dāng)?shù)厣鐓^(qū)蓬勃發(fā)展。

Opportunities for individuals

發(fā)掘個(gè)人機(jī)遇

During the COVID-19 pandemic， many workers who hoped to develop their careers with their current employer were subject to layoffs. They might have been in good standing with their employer， possibly even in line for a promotion， but economic headwinds saw their jobs disappear nearly overnight. Many chose to start their own businesses and become their own boss to weather the storm. In 2021 alone， Americans created 5.4 million new businesses， the most in a single year by more than 20%， according to a report released by the White House.

在新冠疫情期間，許多希望在現(xiàn)有雇主處發(fā)展自己事業(yè)的員工遭遇了裁員。被解雇的員工可能在現(xiàn)有公司里表現(xiàn)良好，甚至?xí)x升在即，但經(jīng)濟(jì)逆風(fēng)一夜間將他們的崗位倏然吹散。許多失業(yè)者選擇創(chuàng)辦公司，自己做老板，以渡過難關(guān)。美國(guó)白宮發(fā)布的報(bào)告稱，僅在2021年，美國(guó)人就開辦了540萬(wàn)家新企業(yè)，一年內(nèi)新創(chuàng)辦公司的數(shù)量增加了兩成多。

When a local community has a robust network of small businesses， it creates opportunities for other individuals in town as well. As opposed to larger companies which have systematic hiring processes including resumes， cover letters， and internal reviews， small businesses are more likely to hire as much on personal merit as professional experience. This grants opportunities to hard workers who may become top employees even if they don’t have the most comprehensive experience in the field.

當(dāng)本地社區(qū)擁有一個(gè)蓬勃發(fā)展的小企業(yè)網(wǎng)絡(luò)時(shí)，會(huì)為城鎮(zhèn)居民提供工作機(jī)會(huì)。大公司在招聘時(shí)遵循按部就班的招聘流程，包括簡(jiǎn)歷篩選、求職信審閱和內(nèi)部審查等，而與之不同的是，小企業(yè)在招人時(shí)既重視工作經(jīng)驗(yàn)也看重求職者的個(gè)人優(yōu)點(diǎn)。這為努力工作的職場(chǎng)人提供了機(jī)會(huì)，即使他們并不具備該領(lǐng)域最豐富的經(jīng)驗(yàn)，也有可能成為頂尖員工。

In addition， when small businesses flourish， so does demand for local professional services like accountants， real-estate agents， lawyers and marketers. Small business owners are more likely to do business with professionals they know and trust， rather than farm out2 their work to a large national or multinational firm. That creates opportunities for professional service startups in a local community. As small businesses themselves， the emergence of these professional services compounds the local economic growth spurred on by small businesses.

此外，當(dāng)小企業(yè)蓬勃發(fā)展時(shí)，對(duì)當(dāng)?shù)貙I(yè)服務(wù)的需求也會(huì)隨之增加，包括會(huì)計(jì)、房地產(chǎn)中介、律師和營(yíng)銷人員等。小企業(yè)主更傾向與他們熟識(shí)并信任的專業(yè)人士合作，而不是將相應(yīng)業(yè)務(wù)外包給大型的全國(guó)性公司或跨國(guó)公司。這也為本地提供專業(yè)服務(wù)的初創(chuàng)企業(yè)創(chuàng)造了機(jī)會(huì)。這些專業(yè)服務(wù)機(jī)構(gòu)（它們本身就是小企業(yè)）的涌現(xiàn)會(huì)讓由小企業(yè)推動(dòng)的地方經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展擁有更強(qiáng)勁的動(dòng)力。

What is the definition of a small business？

小企業(yè)的定義是什么？

The SBA’s definition of a small business is a company that employs fewer than 500 people. This may vary depending on the industry a business operates within. Nearly 80% of small businesses have no employees at all. Of the roughly 31.7 million small businesses in the U.S.， only about 6 million have paid employees. The remaining 25.7 million are non-employer firms.

美國(guó)小企業(yè)管理局對(duì)小企業(yè)的定義是：雇員人數(shù)不超過500人的企業(yè)——具體人數(shù)可能因企業(yè)所處的行業(yè)而異，甚至將近80%的小企業(yè)根本就沒有雇員。在全美約3170萬(wàn)家小企業(yè)中，僅有600萬(wàn)家企業(yè)擁有帶薪員工，剩下的2570萬(wàn)家企業(yè)都是無(wú)雇員公司。

Why small businesses are critical for economic growth

小企業(yè)為什么對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)至關(guān)重要？

Though small businesses represent a considerable portion of the total U.S. economy， they are often forgotten by American leaders and consumers. Still， American small businesses create nearly two-thirds of American jobs and generate nearly half of the country’s economic output.

雖然小企業(yè)占據(jù)美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)總量相當(dāng)大的份額，但它們常常被美國(guó)的政策制定者和消費(fèi)者所遺忘。盡管如此，美國(guó)的小企業(yè)創(chuàng)造了近乎2/3的美國(guó)工作崗位和美國(guó)近一半的經(jīng)濟(jì)產(chǎn)出。

Given the impact that small businesses have on the broader American economy， it’s critical to create a healthy environment for small businesses to operate. While larger firms’ economic impacts are more widely recognized， leaders shouldn’t give unfair advantages to a small number of businesses when small companies （even solopreneurs） account for a considerable portion of total economic output.

既然小企業(yè)對(duì)美國(guó)總體經(jīng)濟(jì)有著舉足輕重的影響，那么為小企業(yè)的成長(zhǎng)壯大創(chuàng)造良好環(huán)境至關(guān)重要。大企業(yè)的經(jīng)濟(jì)影響力已世所公認(rèn)，政策制定者還是應(yīng)該給予占經(jīng)濟(jì)總產(chǎn)值相當(dāng)大比例的小企業(yè)（甚至個(gè)體經(jīng)營(yíng)者）更好的待遇，而不應(yīng)為少數(shù)大企業(yè)提供不公平的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)優(yōu)勢(shì)。

（譯者單位：北京大學(xué)）

1 = Small Business Administration。

2 farm something out把（工作）包給。