Birmingham Ranks Poorly on Long-Term Small Business Growth

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Birmingham has a lot to offer young companies, but the city is lacking when it comes to sustaining small businesses in the long term. That’s according to a new study by American City Business Journals. They measured the nation’s largest metro areas for small business vitality, and Birmingham ranked 82nd out of more than 100 metro areas. In this week’s Magic City Marketplace, Birmingham Business Journal editor Ty West tells WBHM’s Rachel Lindley what experts say Birmingham could do to help small businesses.

 

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