Verizon Business announced the release of the “Best Small Cities for Small Businesses” Report.  According to Verizon, small business make up 99.7% of US employer firms.  But what about the cities they start in?  Verizon analysts dug deep into six factors relevant to small business owners to determine the top cities in their report and in doing so found that our own City of Weston, Florida ranked as # 2 across the nation.  

To compile the report, data was gathered from small cities across the country, as defined by the US Census.  

The evaluation was based on 6 ranking factors that indicate the financial climate of each city, and gives an overview of it’s demographics.  They analyzed the education level of the local workforce, in-city commute times, income per capita, broadband access, availability of SBA loans, and overall tax friendliness for small businesses. 

According to the Verizon Business Press Release, "Though it is true that when it comes to places rich with business growth and opportunity, small cities don’t generally come first to mind. But avoiding the chaos and competition of large cities and planting your roots in a quieter, yet equally industrious pocket of the country puts your business in a uniquely advantageous position. After some generous research and a bit of computing on our part, we found that the smaller the city, the more room there is to grow."  For this study, Verizon Business used their own internal definition of small business as 1 to 121 employees.

The City of Weston has over 4,000 businesses that require a Business Tax Receipt.  This list includes businesses of all sizes, from Cleveland Clinic Florida to the Home Occupation, as there is no place better than Weston for business.  With immediate access to I-75 and I-595, Weston connects to the tri-county area, Florida’s west coast, and seaports and airports with ease. However, it is the small businesses that personally connect and provide character, charm and uniqueness to each area.  Weston's multi-cultural population has given rise to an abundance of signature boutiques and services and a variety of casual and fine dining establishments with an array of ethnic selections.  The City of Weston is thrilled to be recognized as #2 in the Nation for a positive climate for small business.

Read the full article from Verizon Business.