The sector with the largest decrease in revenue for the same period was car washes, down 12 percent.
The increase in the sales of trucks and cargo vans—considered a useful indicator of small business activity—in the fourth quarter of 2010, compared with a year earlier was up 24 percent.
The state with the lowest overall tax burden for small business was South Dakota. The highest: New Jersey.
William Bruce is a business broker and appraiser assisting buyers and sellers of privately held businesses. He may be reached at (251) 990-5910 or by email at WilliamBruce@bellsouth.net.