Holland, Michigan Ranked #1 Small City In U.S. To Start A Business

DETROIT (WWJ) - Thinking about opening your own business? You may want to head west a bit to Holland.

Ranking towns across the nation based on things like affordability of office space, corporate taxes, workweek length and business growth, personal finance website WalletHub chose Holland, Michigan, as the number one small city in the U.S. to start a business.

"I was excited," said Holland Mayor Nancy DeBoer. "Not that I didn't think we deserved it."

DeBoer credits the town with a strong Dutch work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit.

"It's a fun place to be able to try new ideas," the mayor told WWJ's Sandra McNeill. "We really value fresh ideas and new ways of doing things. So, we have the excitement about a new idea, and we have another tier of older, wiser investors who understand how to make a business work and are willing to mentor and help."

DeBoer says there are plenty of programs to help local Hope College students who have ideas for their own start-ups.

She said there's here's a lot going on in Holland. It's much more, she said, than just a tourist town.

"We love tourists and we're excited about hosting people — because we do have the lakes for the summer and tulip time in May — but that's just the tip of the ice burg," she said.

"People love living here as well. Many times when they come as tourists they end up looking for property and looking for a place to stay."

Second on the WalletHub list was North Chicago, Illinois. The next Michigan town to make the ranking was Southfield at number 32.

[View the complete list HERE].