Small Businesses in West Virginia

Many people have a negative perception of West Virginia, and picture us as nothing but coal miners with no diversity. When reviewing the registered businesses from the Secretary of State website, the data paints a completely different picture.

West Virginia has a population of 1,770,071 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. With a total of 111,907 that means nearly 1 out of every 10 West Virginia residents are a small business owner. Even more interesting, is the fact that of those business owners 21% of businesses in the state are either woman, minority, or veteran owned.

The history of West Virginia is a rough working-class population, and many men did end up working in the coal mines, or coal adjacent/dependent fields such as trucking or machining. Over 15 percent of small businesses in the state are woman owned. Is this the result of many mining operations being automated or shuttered; is it because of the increase in 2 working income households? I think that it is exciting to see that such a high percentage of successful business owners in this state are women.

Starting a business can be tough, but with drive, a solid plan, and building a strong team, your business will thrive. Contact me today to start your business journey.

The full excel data sheet can be found here.