What are the best states in which to start your own business? As you can imagine, if you look at the rankings, there are different metrics used. The industry and specific location you choose also matters. Let’s take a look at what the rankings have to say. Here are the best, and worst, states to start your own business.
I was curious to see where my home state was on the list. It’s not in the top 10, but it’s not in the bottom 10 either. My home state is South Carolina. So I took a look at the list of the top 10 states, and the first three are Texas, Utah, and Georgia. When I first looked at this topic and got ready to write an article, for some reason Montana popped up in my head. I figure that is a great place for small businesses, and it actually comes in at #4 on the list.
To round out the top 5, you would be looking at the state of Oklahoma. Florida comes in at #6, and you can imagine it’s a great place to start a small business with every city being so close to the water and a tourist destination. South Florida specifically is a great small business haven because it is a growing part of the state. We asked Whole Life Dentistry by Dr. Vallejo why he moved his business from North to South Florida and he told us simply because of the demand coupled with the lifestyle. South Florida is laid back but still has high demand for common services like dentists, doctors, chiropractors etc. Then you have North Dakota, California, Arizona, and Colorado rounding out the top 10 list.
What about the bottom 10? Well, it starts with Hawaii. I figured Hawaii would actually be a great place for small local businesses. But you have to remember that there are different metrics used for various rankings of the states. In some cases, Hawaii might be great for small business, and other instances, not so much. Depending on the city and island in Hawaii you live has a lot of influence on your success in your small business venture. Companies with services in high demand with have an easier time with this, like mold removal companies, and other services relevant to the atmosphere.
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont are next on the list, and that surprised me, all three picks. Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New Jersey didn’t surprise me as much, but it could have been any other state in my head that I thought could have been there as well. The last two are Maryland and Alabama. Alabama is, according to some accounts, evidently the worst state for starting a small business in the US.