If the influx of traffic downtown this past weekend wasn't an indicator of Tampa's thriving food, arts and entertainment scene, a spot on Biz2Credit's list of the Top 10 Cities for Small Business in America certainly drives home the reality of Tampa's growth. With a list that includes San Jose, Los Angeles, Miami and New York, Tampa has now entered the national conversation as a destination for budding entrepreneurs. Biz2Credit analyzed over 55,000 businesses with less than 250 employees across the country. The list shows that the Tampa-St. Pete area brings in $606,833 of revenue annually.
"The annual "Best Small Business Cities in America" ranking of 25 cities is based on a weighted average of data on Biz2Credit's customers across the country. It looks at the health of small businesses in each metro area, the rate of small-business creation and the economic ecosystem for entrepreneurs, including the cost of doing business, tax climate and local talent pool," wrote Rohit Arora, CEO of Biz2Credit.
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The addition millenial housing units in Hyde Park and in the Channelside District have kept recent grads in Florida interested in the Tampa Bay area. Muralists have helped develop an artistic culture downtown, and have given the city of Tampa a look and voice all its own.
A multitude of locally themed events have assisted new businesses in showcasing their craft and product to the expanding Tampa community. RiverFest, the downtown market, Hyde Park's local market, Rock the Park and Indie Flea have all allowed new businesses to make a name for themselves. Over the last year and a half Johnson and Johnson, Ashley Furniture e-Commerce, MagneGas and Cohesion have all moved their corporate headquarters to Tampa. Their arrivals have sparked great confidence in the Tampa market.
Pirate Water Taxi, ZipCar, Coast Bike Share, the Tampa Riverwalk and the soon to launch Downtown Shuttle Carts have helped link Tampa's downtown area, which has helped drive more foot traffic to small businesses around the city.
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