The local Chamber of Commerce reported a 12% year-over-year increase in new small business filings this week, the strongest growth the chamber has recorded since it began tracking the figure a decade ago.
Chamber officials point to a combination of factors, including a new city-run microloan program and a broader wave of workers starting side businesses that have since gone full-time.
“We’re seeing a lot of what used to be a hobby turn into an LLC,” said chamber president Wyatt Foss. The chamber is hosting a series of free workshops this summer for first-time business owners.