Growing Small Business Creates Regional Impact
By MIKE NEAL
President and CEO, Tulsa Regional Chambe
BUSINESS OWNERS WELCOME: Small Business Council Chair Barrett Waller addresses regional business leaders at a recent meeting of the council.
Courtesy Tulsa Regional Chamber
Our thriving small business sector continues to bolster the Tulsa region’s economic outlook, and we are earning recognition from local and national media regarding our area’s small business climate. Small businesses are making a major contribution. This is true on a local, regional and national scale.
The success of each and every business is critical to our region’s economy, but it is the vitality of small businesses that sustains and rejuvenates our economy.
As our regional economy continues to grow, small businesses are playing a major role, creating two out of every three jobs in northeast Oklahoma. Nationwide, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small business represents more than 99 percent of all employers.
Small businesses create two out of every three new jobs in the Tulsa region, providing more than 55,000 jobs and an estimated payroll of $1.4 billion. The total economic impact of Tulsa-region small businesses is closer to $3 billion.
Certainly, with such contributions to the economy and to the workforce, small businesses add up to a very big impact on every level.
Leading the region to a brighter future for small business is the mission of the Chamber’s Small Business Council, where more than 30 passionate and motivated small business owners serve as the voice of northeast Oklahoma’s thriving small business community.
This talented and dedicated group advocate tirelessly for small businesses in the Tulsa region, and their efforts have positively benefited our business community in many ways. The Small Business Council is made up of owners from a diverse group of small businesses who truly care about building a better business climate in the Tulsa region and mentoring Tulsa’s next small business leaders.
As we continue to build a better northeast Oklahoma, small businesses are playing a vital role. Each day, dreams are being turned into reality by entrepreneurs that represent a diverse collection of businesses in northeast Oklahoma. Cultivating small businesses and giving them an environment in which they can prosper is essential to the economic success of northeast Oklahoma.
Recently, financial site nerdwallet.com ranked Tulsa as the top location in the U.S. for entrepreneurs. The site also listed Tulsa as the No. 4 location in the country to start a business. These accolades are just a couple our region has garnered in recent months.
Through the efforts and dedication of regional small business owners and the vision of the next generation of entrepreneurs, the Tulsa region will continue to establish itself as a leader for years to come.
Updated 08-27-2013
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