West Plains was selected 19th out of 117 communities in Missouri as an ideal place to start a business, with most of the top selections located in the suburbs of the state’s biggest cities. NerdWallet based its findings on a city’s business climate and economic health using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Only communities with a population of over 5,000 were evaluated, and communities with less than 500 businesses also were excluded.
According to NerdWallet, West Plains has a population of 12,135, boasting 1,779 businesses within its city limits with an average listed revenue of $1,070,820 per business. Approximately 37 percent of those businesses have paid employees, according to NerdWallet.
The top-ranked community is Creve Coeur, with that St. Louis suburb considered a hub for technology, life sciences and bioscience. Creve Coeur averages $5,347,591 revenue per business.
West Plains Economic Development Director Robert Case said West Plains’ positive ranking was not surprising, considering the amount of support for small business start-ups and budding entrepreneurs in the area. Specifically, Case mentioned the Ozarks Small Business Incubator(OzSBI) located downtown on Washington Avenue. “OzSBI provides support not only for etrepreneurs, but also for well-established businesses,” said Case. “Between the training they offer and the resources and connections they have at the local, state and national level, our area businesses have access to a very unique support system that can put a business in the best possible position to succeed.”
To view the entire list, people may go to www.nerdwallet.com/blog/small-business/best-places-start-business-missouri-2015/.
