According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, small businesses generate 44% of U.S. economic activity, though that contribution has gradually been declining as small business growth has slowed in recent years.

It takes brave entrepreneurs to launch a small business. Some states are better environments than others, and according to at least one study, West Virginia has an enormous amount of room for improvement.

In WalletHub’s “Best and Worst States to Start a Business (2026),” the Mountain State ranks 44th. For business environment, we rank 46th; for access to resources, 50th; though for business cost, we rank 18th.

West Virginia is also 50th for the average growth in the number of small businesses and for educated population. On the other hand, we have the second-lowest labor costs — though it is up for discussion whether that is a positive.

Lawmakers and other elected officials appear to be aware of the problem. West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner’s office hosts the WV One Stop Business Portal, which streamlines the process and provides resources such as a business startup wizard and business fundamentals workshop.

Lawmakers have, of course, stated their mission this session as being to focus on “Jobs First — Opportunity Everywhere.” To that end, House Bill 4003 is the WV First Small Business Growth Act. With Del. J.B. Akers, R-Kanawha, as its lead sponsor, and a host of other sponsors joined in, the act creates “the WV First Small Business Growth Program to be administered by the Department of Commerce; establishing program procedures and requirements; providing application procedures and requirements; providing for the certification of capital investment authority; establishing insurance premium tax credit; providing tax credit claimant and recapture procedures; prohibiting certain investments; and requiring annual reporting.”

Clearly, lawmakers are taking a multi-faceted approach to supporting such a significant contributor to the economy. But we can help, too.

Events such as Small Business Saturday should not be the only times we think of supporting our smaller local employers. Those who are able should always be on the lookout for ways to get what they need from smaller, locally owned establishments — old and new.

West Virginia’s small businesses need help from the state AND from consumers if we are to give them the climate to thrive that they deserve.