Game on! To mark the start of the fall football season, GoDaddy is releasing its Entrepreneurial Power Rankings, pitting 30 pro football cities against each other in a battle for small business bragging rights.
GoDaddy’s Power Rankings, determined by the number of entrepreneurs per 100 people, capture not only pro football stadiums but also neighboring downtown and suburban areas. It’s here where small and microbusinesses – most with fewer than 10 employees, including many solo entrepreneurs – are starting and growing alongside the flow of game-day fans, tourists and workforce talent drawn to live entertainment events.
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The key takeaways:
- Entrepreneurs thrive in pro football cities. Nearly every metro area in the rankings has more entrepreneurs per 100 people than the national average, with only last-place Pittsburgh narrowly falling short. These results highlight how strong entrepreneurship is in pro football stadium-adjacent communities.
- Florida doesn’t just shine, it builds. Florida’s entrepreneurial trifecta of Miami Gardens (#1), Tampa (#8) and Jacksonville (#15) demonstrates how a supportive environment – steady population growth, strong multicultural hubs and warm weather – can combine to fuel small business growth.
- Mid-sized metros move the chains. Cities like Glendale, AZ (#4) and Nashville, TN (#7) highlight how affordable, livable and digitally connected suburban communities in mid-sized metros, not just major cities, are driving U.S. economic growth.
“The concentration of small business entrepreneurs around pro football stadiums is no surprise, as game day and other events hosted in some of America’s biggest arenas drive significant economic activity,” said Alexandra Rosen, economist and global head of GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab.
“GoDaddy research shows small businesses create jobs throughout their community and, with a digital presence, also impact customers and vendors far beyond their zip code.”
AI: The new quarterback for American entrepreneurs
With football set to draw global attention with the start of a new season, it’s worth remembering the qualities fan admire on the field are the same qualities fueling America’s small business owners every day.
In football, the story is resilience: every setback is temporary, every comeback essential. But no player fights alone. They’ve got teammates, coaches and trainers to give them an edge. For small business owners, AI is playing these supporting roles as the team they can count on.
Platforms like GoDaddy Airo® take small business owners from idea to online in minutes, freeing up their energy so they can not only stay in the game but compete with larger rivals.
The GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab’s findings consistently demonstrate that small business owners:
- Start with little or no outside capital
- Show representation from women, immigrants or people of color
- Often don’t consider themselves “entrepreneurs” at first – they’re just pursuing their passion
- Pick themselves back up after closures or setbacks, because resilience isn’t optional
The Entrepreneurial Power Rankings build on GoDaddy’s ongoing work to highlight how small businesses strengthen communities and make opportunity inclusive for all. GoDaddy will continue giving entrepreneurs the tools and insights they need to start up and grow, putting them in the best position to march down the field and score.
