Nonemployer Statistics: 2004
http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/ns0400a01.pdf
The U.S. added nearly a million business firms with no paid employees in 2004. Such small businesses grew by 4.7% to a total of 19.5 million, or more than 70% of the nation’s 27 million plus business firms. Among the fastest growing such firms are building finishing contractors, Internet services providers, and electronic shopping/mail-order houses. From the Census Bureau.