SARASOTA-The Top of the Small Business List

10 Best Places for Starting a Small Business Florida is the best state to grow a small business, according to a new study by Bizjournals, the Web site of American City Business Journals Inc. Bizjournals used a 12-part formula to rate the vitality of small-businesses in the nation's 75 largest metropolitan areas. These 75 markets, taken as a group, had 179 million residents as of mid-2005, accounting for 60 percent of the nation's total population. They also included 4.5 million small businesses, a number that rose by 7 percent between 2000 and 2005. The study's objective was to identify those metro areas that are most conducive to the creation and development of small businesses. The highest scores went to areas that have prosperous economies, are expanding rapidly, and are densely packed with small businesses.

The top 10 are:
1. Orlando
2. Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.
3. Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
4. Las Vegas
5. Jacksonville, Fla.
6. Raleigh, N.C.
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Salt Lake City, Utah
9. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, Calif.
10. Minneapolis-St. Paul

Source: Biz Journals, G. Scott Thomas (07/10/07)
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