Popular Small Businesses by State

All across the country, entrepreneurs are starting, or thinking about starting, small businesses. Yet, the kinds of businesses these resourceful individuals are pursuing are as varied as a map of the United States. Bid on Equipment, the online marketplace, released an infographic last year that shows the kinds of businesses most popular with entrepreneurs and wannabe business owners in each state. Some of the results may surprise you:

Most-searched Businesses

One part of the infographic referenced Google searches in each state. It showed that, for example, in the Appalachian region and throughout much of the Heartland, the information most sought after related to construction companies. (New York was also big on construction.) In many coastal states—like California, Connecticut, Hawaii and South Carolina—the emphasis was on clothing lines.

In many of the industrial Rust Belt states, entrepreneurs were interested in group homes, while in a number of transportation heavy states—such as Texas, Illinois, Tennessee and Georgia—trucking companies garnered the most attention. In a number of states where you can be outdoors most of the time, entrepreneurs were exploring starting a business with food trucks.

The Niche Markets

Certain states appear to favor startups in niche markets. In Washington State, for instance, entrepreneurs were interested in opening breweries. In Idaho, it was bakeries. Coffee shops were big in Oregon and Minnesota. In Florida, where the housing stock turns over more quickly than maybe anywhere else in the country, searchers scanned for real estate agencies. The focus in New Jersey and Massachusetts was dog walking.

Small Business Assistance

If you’re contemplating starting a new business, or even if you’ve already got one going, you would do well to search out the assistance of a respected accounting firm. No matter your business, you can find the peace of mind that comes with the assistance of a trusted bookkeeper, payroll specialist or tax accountant to keep your business headed in the right direction.

A knowledgeable tax accountant in particular can help your business succeed by keeping your tax filings on time, and by making sure you take all the tax deductions to which you’re entitled to. For a more in-depth look at commonly deductible and nondeductible expenses for dozens of small businesses, as well as other pertinent tax information, check out 1-800Accountant’s Tax Savings Calculator.