In the US: - Small businesses make up more than 99.7% of all employers - Small businesses create more than 50 percent of the nonfarm private gross domestic product (GDP). - Small businesses employ about 50 percent of all private sector workers - The latest figures show that small businesses create 75 percent of the net new jobs in the US economy. [from: http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/businessfinance/a/sbatopten.htm] In Canada: Between 80 percent and 90 percent of all companies in Canada are small to medium-size businesses. They generate nearly half of the country's GDP.

Small businesses can use the internet to foster interest in their products.

Depends what you mean by small. If a "small business" has a good idea and or product, chances are a larger company will buy them out. For example, I've worked for two small medical device companies that began with a handful of people eventually grew to 50 and than a hundred or more people. The devices (stents and heart valve replacements) are sold all over the world. Both companies were bought up buy a huge medical device company.