Montana #1 for Entrepreneurs: 3 Years Running

According to the 2015 Kauffman Index, Montana ranks as the state with the highest level of startup activity—the third straight year it has topped the rankings. However, how sustainable is its recent entrepreneurial success?

The Treasure State—its official nickname, although lesser known than Big Sky Country—is not new to tech startups. It is home to Schedulicity, an app for finding and booking local services; Wisetail, a social media e-learning platform; and TechRanch, an advisory organization that helps tech startups get off the ground. It has enjoyed high rates of economic growth and a development frenzy that has driven real estate prices up. Most impressive was the fact that in the 2015 Kauffman Index, Montana’s rate of new entrepreneurs was 0.54 percent – meaning 540 entrepreneurs per month for every 100,000 adults – nearly twice the national average. A further look at the other facts the Index took into account reveals the following:

Opportunity share: Montana had a 74 percent opportunity share of new entrepreneurs, which means that approximately three in 10 new Montana entrepreneurs came directly from unemployment. On the high end, nearby Idaho had a 90.3 percent opportunity share, or just one in 10 new entrepreneurs starting their businesses when they were unemployed.

Density: Montana’ startup density range was 195.7 startups per 100,000 people—topping the 184.7 from the previous year.

MORE>>>Kaufman.org