They often invest respectable sums in computers and information technology but do not seem to reap the same productivity gains from it as many American firms, according to John van Reenen and Nick Bloom of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics.

ECONOMIST: A lost opportunity

While many Americans would love to own a business, they are often dissuaded because they do not believe that their passion will reap sufficient profit to sustain them financially.

FORBES: Step 2 for a Successful Startup: Identify, Utilize, and Develop your Talents or Skills

Datamonitor warns that companies who do not adopt such diverse approaches will never reap all the potential benefits from e-commerce.

BBC: Web shoppers are big spenders

Black farmers, whose farms tend to be smaller, do not have the resources that helped many whites to reap the benefits of deregulation.

ECONOMIST: South African farming

While you may not benefit now, you can reap the reward later, especially if taxes do go up.

FORBES: Worried About Higher Taxes?