Enterprise demographics



Of the 758 businesses interviewed during August and September 2009, 63.2 per cent reported an annual turnover in the A$10 million– A$50 million range. The average turnover across all those interviewed was A$49.5 million.

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Table 48: Distribution of businesses by turnover range

The average turnover of private businesses continues to grow and has increased by A$3.1 million since February 2007, evidence of the continuing good health of
Australia’s private businesses.


Table 49: Average annual turnover across all businesses


Table 50: Number of employees by business

The average full-time employee headcount across businesses spoken to in this round of the Private Business Barometer stood at 151. The respondents also employed, on average, 40 part-time employees. The average full-time employee headcount has fallen noticeably since August 2007, while the average part-time staff count has nudged higher. The shift to hiring on a part-time basis reflects the tougher economic conditions that have dragged down business growth rates and, in turn, intentions to hire full-time staff.


Figure 17: Average full-time and part-time
employee headcounts


Table 51: Average employee headcount by
employment type

Overall, 43.8 per cent of direct interviews for this sixth edition of the Private Business Barometer were with business owners, 38.6 per cent of whom started the business themselves. A further 34.3 per cent of owners bought the business and the remaining 27.1 per cent of owners took over a family business.


Table 52: Distribution of interviewees by business title

The private business community is still dominated by males. There is a continued disparity in the gender of business owners, with 92.6 per cent of owners being male.


Table 53: Distribution of interviewees by gender

Private businesses in the A$10 million–A$100 million turnover range are relatively young. Just 11.3 per cent of businesses were established before 1995, while more than 40 per cent of businesses opened their doors from 2000 onwards. The share of businesses established after 2000 has grown in each Private Business Barometer, suggesting that this sector is seeing a healthy increase in the number of new entrants.


Table 54: Distribution of businesses by
year of establishment

More than 60 per cent of businesses surveyed were based in either New South Wales or Victoria, with 20 per cent in Queensland or Western Australia and just over 5 per cent
in South Australia.


Table 55: Geographic distribution of businesses

The share of respondents that started their business remained stable in this Private Business Barometer, relative to those that bought or inherited their businesses.


Table 56: Method of business establishment
by the owner

Manufacturing (19.8 per cent of respondents), business services (18.2 per cent) and retail (16.4 per cent) were the largest industry sectors represented.


Table 57: Distribution of businesses by industry sector