Meta, which used to be called Facebook, takes periodic surveys of the health of small- and medium-sized businesses to gather data on their challenges and opportunities.
The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company released a new Global State of Small Business Report this week sharing some statistics gathered from a survey of 174 North Carolina-based companies.
- Forty-two percent of N.C. small and medium-sized businesses reported higher sales in the past month than a year earlier. Only Pennsylvania reported a higher percentage, 55%, (Texas also reported 42%.)
- Ten percent of N.C. small and medium-sized businesses reported increased employment, fifth highest among the states. Ohio topped the list at 19%.
- More than 70% of N.C. small and medium-sized businesses are confident they can continue operating for another 12 months given current economic conditions. Only Michigan and Pennsylvania ranked higher.
- Fifty-four percent of the businesses reported at least 25% of their sales were digital in the last month.
The report also showed that minority-led businesses reported higher levels of closures and were more likely to report reductions in sales and employment compared with all businesses.
“Small businesses are a key engine of local markets and the global economy, so it is essential that policymakers and government leaders understand their perspectives, challenges and opportunities,” according to the Meta report.
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