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About FedEx
FedEx Archives: 2003 Press Releases
Majority of Americans Dream of Starting Their Own Business Fedex Study ShowsMEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 4, 2003--American workers nationwide will report to work as expected today, but a new survey released by FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) reports that they are daydreaming about a different tomorrow. According to the survey, 67 percent have dreamed of owning their own business, with 55 percent indicating that they would leave their current job to start their own business if resources were not an issue. The U.S. Department of Commerce predicts that 96 percent of businesses started this year will fail before their tenth anniversary. FedEx is working to improve that success rate by helping new businesses overcome common obstacles. During its 30 years of operation, FedEx has used its transportation expertise to help small businesses - producing everything from wedding cakes to Christmas trees - grow by getting products into customers' hands on time, whether across the country or around the world. FedEx customer and hobbyist-turned-entrepreneur Ann King began by making and packaging small orders of gourmet cookies at home more than 20 years ago. Today, Atlanta-based Blooming Cookies (www.bloomingcookies.com) is located in a 30,000 square-foot facility and, with the help of FedEx, distributes its products directly to customers in all 50 states. "Our ability to get our product to market across the country has been critical to our growth and helped turn my dream into a reality," said Ann King, proprietor of Blooming Cookies. "FedEx has served as a strategic ally from the outset, helping us establish the right channels for distribution and packaging, while also helping us get our products to customers on time and securely." "My experience is that successful small-businesses have one thing in common: passion. Ann King and Blooming Cookies are a perfect example of the kind passion that it takes to get a small business off the ground," said Scott Harkins, the Director of Marketing focused on small business at FedEx. "At FedEx, we have developed a full range of express, ground, freight and international shipping solutions geared toward helping small- and medium-size businesses turn that passion into profit." Survey respondents agreed that the driving force behind small business is personal satisfaction. According to the survey, 40 percent of respondents reported that the opportunity to do something they love/enjoy is the primary factor in their desire to start a business, followed by the opportunity to be one's own boss (17 percent) and to have work/family flexibility (15 percent). FedEx has developed tools to help small businesses overcome the hurdles to success. Many of those hurdles were identified in the survey as significant challenges that small businesses face. Among the highest ranking challenges to success were:
FedEx has developed tools to help small businesses overcome these challenges, including our full-range of domestic and international shipping solutions to help get products into customers' hands on time, FedEx(R) Global Trade Manager, a web-based tool that provides customers with customs and international shipping regulations information, and the FedEx Returns Portfolio, which helps businesses manage returns and exchanges. About FedEx With annual revenues of $23 billion, FedEx Corp. is the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply chain management services. The company offers integrated business solutions through a network of subsidiaries operating independently, including: FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground, North America's second largest provider of small-package ground delivery service; FedEx Freight, the largest U.S. provider of regional less-than-truckload freight services; FedEx Custom Critical, North America's largest provider of expedited time-critical shipments; and FedEx Trade Networks, North America's largest customs broker and a provider of international freight forwarding and trade facilitation services. FedEx ranked highest in the J. D. Power and Associates 2002 Small Package Delivery Service Business Customer Satisfaction Study(SM) in the categories of air, ground and international delivery services. Note to Editors - Complete survey results are available upon request. Contact Howard Clabo in FedEx Media Relations at 901-434-7786. --30--TLM/na*
CONTACT: FedEx Corp.
Howard Clabo, 901-434-7786
KEYWORD: TENNESSEE
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TRANSPORTATION
SOURCE: FedEx Corp.
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