According to the New York Times, the Chinese government has reported that there are now more Internet users in China than in the U.S., and therefore any other country. 253 million of 'em, to be roughly precise. As that statistic sinks in, and as world attention turns toward China as the Olympics approach, it's worth asking yourself: is your small business--and especially its Website--friendly on a global scale?

To be sure, numerous caveats come with the above announcement:
-It comes courtesy of the Chinese government, which is few people's idea of a paragon of openness or trustworthiness.
-Percentage-wise, not only has China not surpassed the U.S., its roughly 20% figure doesn't even come close to the nearly 70% of the U.S., Japanese, or South Korean residents who are on the Net.
-China's economy, too, isn't close to those of several powers.
-Oh yeah: it's halfway around the world.

But still. You don't need to be a multinational corporation to want to receive business from multiple nations: something worth keeping in mind as Beijing plays host to the Summer Games, and as China's population continues to go online.