Across the country on Monday, officials and business leaders began celebrating Small Business Week. A host of events are slated in Atlanta and in Washington to commemorate the week and harness resources for business owners and entrepreneurs.
Governor Brian Kemp marked the week with a message for Georgians to shop in their local communities and a reminder of one of his campaign pledges. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, creating jobs and spurring growth in every region of our state. Georgia has been ranked the number one state for business six years in a row, yet some small businesses still face burdensome rules, regulations and fees that make it hard to start or grow their company,” said Kemp.
“That’s why I formed the Georgians First Commission, to streamline government, cut red tape and ultimately make Georgia number one for small business. Together we can make this goal a reality. So please join me in celebrating this week by supporting and shopping at local small businesses in your community.”
Financial website WalletHub released a study Monday morning listing the “Best Cities to Start a Business in 2019” – Atlanta, quickly becoming a tech and logistics hub, made the top 10 list. Cities are ranked across three categories – business environment, access to resources and business costs. Atlanta came in number 9, right behind three North Carolina cities, Charlotte, Durham and Raleigh. As is often the case with many of these lists, the South is well represented in the top 10. Orlando is ranked tops on the list, followed by Oklahoma City and Miami in the top three. Austin, Tampa and Denver were the other three cities in the top 10.
Atlanta is not ranked particularly highly in any of the three categories, 26th in business environment, 19th in access to resources and 27th in business costs, but the combination of a decent ranking across all three resulted in a strong overall ranking. Despite the strong showing, there was one worrying statistic in the data gathered by WalletHub. Atlanta ranked 99th, second to last, in lower availability of human capital. Orlando was the only city ranked lower. The data point is at least partially thanks to the success of the Atlanta economy but could be a sign of difficulty for continued growth.
Up in Washington, President Donald Trump joined in the celebration of small business. “This week, we celebrate the pioneering spirit, creativity, and determination upon which America has always been built. This undaunted conviction drives our entrepreneurs and small business owners, whose hard work and perseverance give our Nation economic strength,” said Trump. “Their initiative, combined with the greatest workforce in the world, is enabling us to convert the unlimited potential of America into great wealth and prosperity.”
Additionally, the U.S. Small Business Administration hosted one small business from each of the fifty states that was honored as the Small Business of the Year. Pathways Behavioral Consulting, a company that is dedicated to improving education and the quality of life for individuals with autism, was the honoree from Georgia.
Readers can see the ceremony featuring Pathways and get some inspiration from all of the honorees here: https://www.facebook.com/SBAgov/videos/437604143682702/
