WalletHub Names Fort Myers The 8th Best Small City For Starting A Business

From the City of Fort Myers:

April 23, 2021

Entrepreneurs can grow and thrive in smaller cities like Fort Myers, Florida, WalletHub’s pick for the 8th best small city for starting a business. WalletHub compared the business-friendliness of more than 1,300 small cities using a data set of 20 key metrics that looked at average growth in number of small businesses, investor access and labor costs.

Cities with smaller populations can offer a greater chance of success, depending on an entrepreneur’s type of business and personal preferences. The best cities can help new businesses survive economic shocks such the COVID-19 pandemic, which already caused around 100,000 small businesses to close permanently in 2020.

“We’ve been purposeful in creating a ‘City of Possibilities’ mindset for those wanting to start a business in the City of Fort Myers,” said Saeed Kazemi, City Manager. “Reducing building permit fees, creating access to open land and viable commercial corridors, and investing in a regional tech hub has been conducive to our success.”

Under Kazemi’s leadership, the city entered into a public-private partnership to establish the Collaboratory, a regional tech hub where ideas for social, economic and sustainable change are launched. The space also serves as a business incubator and flexible workspace, empowering local entrepreneurs with the foundational elements to start a business.

The City of Fort Myers was the only Florida city to break into the top 10. To view the rankings and methodology, visit https://wallethub.com/edu/best-small-cities-to-start-a-business/20180.

This press release was produced by the City of Fort Myers. The views expressed here are the author’s own.