Kalispell ranks high as a small business market

The Daily Inter Lake

The small-business climate in Kalispell is one of the best in the country, according to the American City Business Journals publishing group.

In its latest ranking of America's "hottest small-business markets," Kalispell was ranked 10th in the top 10 markets of below 100,000 residents. Bozeman was ranked first.

The publishing group used a four-category formula to rate local climates for small businesses, defined as companies with fewer than 100 employees. The categories were:

. Number of small businesses.

. Change in the number of small businesses from 2000 to 2002 (the latest year for which official figures are available).

. Change in private-sector employment from 2000 to 2002.

. Change in private-sector payrolls from 2000 to 2002.

Bend, Ore., was ranked first in the medium-sized market.

The publishing group noted that places such as Bend and Bozeman are prospering because they're "high-amenity areas" known for scenery and recreation along with opportunities for small business, said Stephan Weiler, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, in a report released by American City Business Journals.

Kalispell Chamber of Commerce President Joe Unterreiner said Kalispell has many of the same amenities. A group of Kalispell Chamber leaders visited Bend two years ago to glean information about how that community markets itself and deals with small businesses.

Weiler noted the upswing of people moving to the Intermountain West.

"There [are] a number of highly educated people moving in," Weiler said. "Many of these people have technical skills and they're enterprising enough to call their own shots. Or at least, they're willing to give it a try."

The Kalispell Chamber will use the ranking publicity to promote the city as a good place to do business. A link will be put on the Chamber's Web site that gets about 35,000 user-sessions a month, and the ranking also will be included in the chamber's annual report and community profile.

"It makes Kalispell more attractive for those wanting to start or relocate a business here," Unterreiner said.

Other small-market cities that made the top 10 list, such as St. George, Utah; and Sheridan and Gillette, Wyo., are "peer communities" of Kalispell.

"We follow their progress," he said.