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SAN DIEGO, May 3, 2005 – As National Small Business Day, May 10, approaches, the vast majority of American consumers say they still value courteous service and believe small businesses generally are doing a good job of providing it, a new survey shows.
The survey, commissioned by The UPS Store® and Mail Boxes Etc.®, found that 77 percent of respondents rated small businesses as “excellent” or “good” at providing courteous service and 74 percent rated them “excellent” or “good” for being knowledgeable and professional.
The survey also found that being small and local can work to the favor of many business owners. Results showed that 93 percent of Americans say supporting local ownership of small businesses continues to factor into their buying decisions.
“These results reinforce what we’ve known over the 25-year history of our business,” said Stuart Mathis, president of franchisor Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. “Even when the name on the storefront reflects a globally recognized brand, people continue to value and support locally owned businesses, which represent the entrepreneurial spirit on which this country was founded. By maintaining a focus on customer service, and evolving to meet changing customer needs, we’ve grown The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. franchise network to more than 5,400 locations worldwide.”
This success is indicative of franchising’s growth and impact on the U.S. economy. According to research conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the International Franchise Association, there are currently more than 760,000 U.S. franchised small businesses, which create jobs for more than 18 million people. Franchising now spans 75 different industries and generates in excess of $1.5 trillion in U.S. economic output.
Additional key findings from the survey include:
- Overall, 63 percent of respondents thought that small, locally owned businesses did a good or excellent job in the area of supporting local causes and charities.
- Respondents were evenly divided on whether the number of small businesses in their communities has increased, decreased or remain unchanged in recent years.
Survey Methodology
The survey was conducted on behalf of The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. by the Opinion Research Corporation between March 31 – April 3, 2005. Using a random-digit-dial technique, telephone interviews were completed with a nationally representative sample of 1,020 U.S. adults 18 years and older. Error due to sampling will not exceed plus or minus 3.2 percentage points, at a 95 percent confidence level.
About The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc.
Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. (MBE), a UPS company, franchises The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. retail locations. The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations together comprise the world’s largest franchise network of retail shipping, postal and business service centers, with more than 5,400 locations in more than 40 countries. In the United States, The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. Outside the United States, locations are owned and operated by MBE master licensees or their franchisees. For additional information, please visit www.theupsstore.com or www.mbe.com.
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Contact:
- Brandyn Jennings
858-642-7968
bjennings@mbe.com
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