CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOWK) — There are many reasons why you might want to start a small business, whether you want to fulfill a lifelong dream or simply need a new source of income, but in West Virginia It seems like not many people do it. be interested.
A recent study by The Small Business Blog found that West Virginia is one of the lowest ranked states in terms of how likely residents are to start their own business in 2024.
According to a release from The Small Business Blog, the study found that West Virginia's “average monthly searches related to small businesses” was 4,234. On the other hand, the “monthly average number of small business-related searches per 100,000 people,'' which was used as an indicator to determine the ranking of each state, was 239.
Utah topped the list with 365 cases, but the national average was found to be 299 cases.
So many states made the list that even though West Virginia ranked 33rd, Mississippi, whose residents are least likely to start a business, only ranked 36th.
To arrive at this finding, this study used Google Keyword Planner to analyze searches containing 100 terms related to side hustles and small businesses.
“Average monthly searches were found for each of these 100 terms and summed for each state in the U.S. To account for differences in population size between states, total searches were calculated as a percentage of 100,000 residents. ” states the release.
West Virginia's rankings reflect previous research findings. According to a study last year by Simplify LLC, West Virginia has the seventh highest cost of starting a business, which can be a deterrent to starting a business.
