Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
Indiana ranks as the best overall state to start a business, according to Forbes magazine.
If Indiana is one of the best states for starting a business, where are the best counties for starting a business? Are there some counties that have their own “secret sauce” to attract and retain business? Well, it turns out the answer is yes.
A recent report asked that question to pinpoint which counties are cultivating fertile soil for businesses.
altLINE used US Census Bureau data to find the counties in Indiana with the highest concentration of small businesses in 2021.
The results showed Dubois County is the No. 1 small business-friendly county in Indiana. Two other Radius Indiana counties also made the ranking with Daviess County ranked No. 4 and Martin County No. 34.
Ed Cole, executive director of Dubois Strong, the county’s economic development organization, said the county’s “secret sauce” starts with a rich history of entrepreneurship.
“Many of what people would call the bigger companies in Dubois County started as small businesses,” Cole said.
Today, those once small businesses like Kimball International, MasterBrand, Jasper Engines and Transmissions and Best Home Furnishings are all world class companies.
From the large companies to small mom-and-pops, Cole said the business community is supported by Dubois Strong, the local chambers of commerce, banks and local governments.
“It’s a tremendous place to start a small business because everyone is hoping you’ll be successful,” he said.
The county has two co-working spaces – Current Blend in Huntingburg and Live Wire in Jasper – and both Dubois Strong and the Jasper Chamber of Commerce make sure businesses are linked to resources from the Indiana Small Business Development Center.
Dubois County also has an Entrepreneurs and Innovators group that meets a couple of times a year to promote networking.
According to altLINE, Dubois County had 1,287 (29.5 per 1,000 residents) small businesses in 2021. Its share of establishments that are small was 99.4%.
Nancy Eckerle, executive director of the Jasper Chamber of Commerce, said the county has retained its small-town culture even as the larger companies have grown.
“All of those large companies employ a lot of people from Dubois County and surrounding counties,” she said. “And they support the small businesses by shopping at them and using their services.”
In Jasper alone, the city is on track to have 45 ribbon-cuttings this year, many of them small businesses.
“I see a lot of people taking a passion, something they’ve always wanted to do and are opening those businesses,” Eckerle said. “In Dubois County, they feel there is good community support for their business.”
Daviess County
The economy of Daviess County, much like Dubois, also has grown because of successful entrepreneurs.
“It’s no surprise that Daviess County ranks so highly,” said Bob Grewe, executive director for the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation. “The community has a rich and proud history of entrepreneurs that have helped to shape an outstanding environment to foster new businesses. The many local and exceedingly successful businesses in the county also serve as examples to residents who are looking at launching an enterprise. Having these role models is essential to help foster an entrepreneurial spirit and mindset. All said, Daviess County has amassed an outstanding business ecosystem.”
According to altLINE, Daviess County had 924 (27.7 per 1,000 residents) small businesses. Its share of businesses are small was 99.7%.
Martin County
Coming in at No. 34, was Martin County, home to Shoals and Loogootee. In 2021, the county had 207 (21.1 per 1,000 residents) small businesses. Its share of establishments that are small – 98.6%.
“Martin County is a great place to start a business. We are a small rural County that some would say is in the middle of nowhere, but we are actually in the middle of everywhere,” said Jessica Potts, executive director of the Martin County Alliance for Economic Growth. “We offer a diverse range of start-up opportunities. Martin County being conveniently located in NSWC Crane’s backyard, we offer endless opportunities with defense contracts. On the other side of the County there’s opportunities for outdoor park and recreation business start-ups, not to mention a riverfront community that offers endless opportunities for various start-ups.”