INTRODUCTION_______________________________MINORITY-/WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES


=>GENERAL

The Surveys of Minority-Owned Businesses Enterprises (SMOBE) and 
Women-Owned Businesses (WOB) provide basic economic data on
businesses owned by Blacks, persons of Hispanic or Latin American ancestry, 
persons of Asian, Pacific Islander, American Indian, or Alaska Native 
descent, and women. The survey is based on the entire firm rather than
on establishments of a firm. The published data cover number of firms, 
gross receipts, number of paid employees, and annual payroll. The data are 
presented by geographic area, industry, size of firm, and legal form of 
organization of firm.

=>CENSUS DISCLOSURE RULES

The Bureau of the Census is prohibited by law from publishing any statistics
that disclose information reported by individual companies or their
establishments. Publishing the number of firms is not considered a disclosure
by the Bureau of the Census rules. Therefore, these data are shown, even when
other data must be withheld. The information and data obtained from the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and
other sources are also treated as confidential and can be seen only by Bureau
of the Census employees sworn to protect it from unwarranted disclosure.

=>GEOGRAPHIC AREAS COVERED

This report presents data for the United States, each State and the District
of Columbia; metropolitan areas (MA's), which include metropolitan statistical
areas (MSA's) and primary metropolitan statistical areas (PMSA's); counties;
and places with 100 or more minority- or women-owned firms.

   MSA's. The MSA's for which data are shown are among those defined 
   by the Office of Management and Budget as of June 30, 1993. An MSA 
   is an integrated economic and social unit with a population nucleus of at 
   least 50,000 inhabitants (according to 1990 Census of Population or 
   subsequent special census). Each MSA consists of one or more counties 
   meeting standards of metropolitan character; in New England, cities and 
   towns, rather than counties, are the component geographic units.

   PMSA's. An MSA with a population of 1 million or more may be subdivided 
   into MSA's. A PMSA consists of a large urbanized county or a cluster of 
   counties cities and towns in New England) that demonstrates very strong 
   internal economic and social links separate from the ties to other portions 
   of its MSA. Where PMSA's are defined, the MSA of which they are component 
   parts is redesignated a consolidated metropolitan statistical area (CMSA).

   COUNTIES. Data are shown for counties or county equivalents. (Those defined 
   as of January 1, 1992. See "Geogrpahic Notes" (publication) for Alaska, 
   Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Virginia, and District of 
   Columbia county equivalents.)

   PLACES. Included in this publication are places of 2,500 inhabitants or 
   more or incorporated as a city, borough, village, or town (Those defined
   as of January 1, 1992 and according to 1990 Census of Population or 
   subsequent special census). Census areas and boroughs in Alaska, boroughs 
   in New York, and towns in New York and Wisconsin are not included in this 
   category. It does, however, include towns in the New England States and 
   townships in New Jersey and Pennsylvania that are not classified as 
   incorporated places if they have a total population of 10,000 or more.

=>DOLLAR VALUES

Dollars used in electronic files are stated in thousands ($000) of dollars. 
All dollar values presented are expressed in current dollars; i.e., 1992 data 
are expressed in 1992 dollars and 1987 data in 1987 dollars. Consequently, 
when making comparisons to prior years, users should take into consideration 
the inflation that has occurred.

=>RELIABILITY OF ESTIMATES

The figures shown in this report are, in part, estimated from a sample and
will differ from the figures which would have been obtained from a complete
census. Two types of possible errors are associated with estimates based on
data from sample surveys: sampling errors and nonsampling errors. The accuracy
of a survey result depends not only on the sampling errors and nonsampling
errors measured, but also on the nonsampling errors not explicitly measured.
For particular estimates, the total error may considerably exceed the measured
errors. The following is a description of the sampling and nonsampling errors
associated with the 1992 SMOBE/WOB.

SAMPLE VARIABILITY. The particular sample used for this survey is one of a
large number of all possible samples of the same size that could have been
selected using the same sample design. Estimates derived from the different
samples would differ from each other. The relative standard error is a measure
of the variability among the estimates from all possible samples.

The estimated relative standard errors presented in the tables estimate the
sampling variability, and thus measure the precision with which an estimate
from the particular sample selected for this survey approximates the average
result of all possible samples. Relative standard errors are applicable only
to those published cells in which sample cases are tabulated. A relative
standard error is an expression of the standard error as a percent of the
quantity being estimated.

   Example. In file MB92A, table w01, the estimated number of employer 
   women-owned firms in Agriculture is 15,254. The estimated relative 
   standard error is 2 percent. The estimated standard error is 
   15,254 x .02 = 305.

The sample estimate and an estimate of its relative standard error can be used
to construct interval estimates with a prescribed level of confidence that the
interval includes the average results of all samples. To illustrate, if all
possible samples were surveyed under essentially the same condition, and
calculated from each sample, then: 

   1. Approximately 68 percent of the intervals from one standard error 
      below the estimate to one standard error above the estimate would 
      include the average value of all possible samples.

   2. Approximately 90 percent of the intervals from 1.6 standard errors 
      below the estimate to 1.6 standard errors above the estimate would 
      include the average value of all possible samples.

Thus, for a particular sample, one can say with specified confidence that the
average of all possible samples is included in the constructed interval.

   Example of a confidence interval. The estimated number of employer 
   women-owned firms in Agriculture is 15,254, with a standard error 
   of 305. An approximate 90 percent confidence interval (plus or minus 
   1.6 standard errors) is 15,254 +/- 488 or 14,766 to 15,742.

NONSAMPLING ERRORS. All surveys and censuses are subject to nonsampling
errors. Nonsampling errors are attributable to many sources: inability to
obtain information for all cases in the universe, imputation for missing data,
data errors and bias, mistakes in recording or keying data, errors in
collection or processing, and coverage problems.

Explicit measures of the effects of these nonsampling errors are not
available. However, it is believed that most of the important operational and
data errors were detected and corrected through an automated data edit
designed to review the data for reasonableness and consistency. Quality
control techniques were used to verify that operating procedures were carried
out as specified.

Approximately 77 percent of the questionnaires were returned. For those that
were not returned, data were imputed using a procedure which substituted the
data of a respondent with similar demographic characteristics. This procedure
assumes that nonrespondents possess the same characteristics as respondents
with similar demographic characteristics, but this is never exactly true.

=>TABULATIONS AND DISSEMINATION

SPECIAL TABULATIONS. Special tabulations of data collected in the 1992 
Surveys of Women- and Minority-Owned Businesses may be obtained, depending on 
availability of time and personnel, on diskette, computer tape, or in 
tabular form. The data will be in summary form and subject to the same rules 
prohibiting disclosure of confidential information (including name, address, 
kind of business, or other data for individual firms) as are the regular 
publications.

Special tabulations are prepared on a cost basis. A request for a cost
estimate, as well as exact specifications on the type and format of the data
to be provided, should be directed to the Chief, Company Statistics Branch,
Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC 20233-6400.

INTERNET. The Internet (www.census.gov) highlights selected information from
Bureau of the Census publications and enables immediate access to recently
released facts and data. Various subjects and topics are included on this
electronic resource. For system technical assistance, or questions regarding
the sale or availability of electronic products, contact Administrative and
Customer Services Division, 301-457-4100.

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