Furniture flipping successful for Fort Myers small business owner
Furniture flipping successful for Fort Myers small business owner. Elle Woodworth built a business of the sale of two chairs brought home by her husband.
Andrea Melendez, Fort Myers News-Press
Does size matter when it comes to starting a small business? In other words, the bigger the city the better chance of success for entrepreneurs?
Not necessarily.
In fact, for entrepreneurs looking to start a small business in a small city, a study by WalletHub identified Fort Myers as being one of the best locations in the U.S. to do that. Fort Myers is ranked No. 3 and one of only two Florida cities to make the Top-10. Altamonte Springs (Central Florida) is No. 9.
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“The benefits of starting a business in a small city include lower overhead costs, stronger relationships with customers and the potential to become a big fish in a little pond. But there are drawbacks, too. Entrepreneurs who want to build a large professional network aren’t likely to make as many connections in a town with fewer residents. Other restrictions might include limited industry options, a less diverse customer base, and difficulty attracting and keeping top talent.” − Cassandra Happe, WalletHub analyst
According to the WalletHub study, Cedar City, Utah is the best small city to start a business. It has one of the highest rates of startups per capita, as well as the fourth-highest growth in the number of small businesses between 2015 and 2021, at over 33%. This growth is significant because it shows that the city has the conditions to keep small businesses afloat even during this period of economic difficulty.
Cedar City has the fourth-lowest average commute time, too, at just 13 minutes, so people can spend less time sitting in traffic and more time being productive. It ranks in the top 100 cities (out of more than 1,300) when it comes to annual employment growth and working-age population growth. There will be plenty of people for new businesses to hire in the future.