Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

LA: A Not Very Smart Small Business Mecca

sunrise-skyline.jpg
Photo by Mark Luethi via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.

Planning to open a small business this year? If you live in L.A., you're in the right place. New federal data shows that Los Angeles ranks second nationally with 339,782 private sector businesses and that the vast majority of those businesses had 99 or fewer employees, making it quite the small business mecca, according to Biz Journals.

New York City led the small-business-friendly pack with 526,063 small businesses. Chicago ranked third, Miami-Fort Lauderdale ranked fourth and Philadelphia took the fifth spot.

What makes L.A. an ideal climate to pursue your small business dreams? It's not as rosy as it sounds. The key reason there are so many small business in Los Angeles is because we rank second (behind NYC) in population. One thing we don't rank highly on? Brainpower. According to the same study, L.A. only ranked 111th in smarts. Doesn't bode well for those small businesses staying in business, does it?

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today