By Deanne Jeffers
FOR years, the Australian startup scene has been dominated by the allure of the big smoke. Sydney and Melbourne have been the go-to destinations for aspiring entrepreneurs, but a recent study has turned this conventional wisdom on its head, with Shepparton topping the list as Australia’s most entrepreneurial city.
Australian accounting service, Bristax, analysed 50 cities across the nation and Shepparton emerged as a leading hub for innovation and business growth, outperforming its metropolitan counterparts and challenging the long-held belief that big cities are the sole breeding grounds for successful ventures.
“We found that Shepparton leads the way as Australia’s biggest and best entrepreneurial city, while huge metropolises like Sydney scored surprisingly poorly,” Bristax said.
Shepparton topped the list, outperforming other locations based on factors like business survival and growth rates, entrepreneurial activity, and small business density. This suggests location is crucial for aspiring entrepreneurs.
“Shepparton has a long and rich history of entrepreneurship, with the likes of Campbell’s Soup and Pactum Dairy based here. It’s a substantial commercial hub in Australia – and it’s the best entrepreneurial city according to our data, with a score of 6.96 out of 10.
“This ranking is due to a significant rise in small businesses over the past three years, as well as the fact that it has the highest number of small businesses per 100,000 people, making it a thriving hot spot for new enterprises.”
Here is the list of the best entrepreneurial cities in Australia:
Shepparton, VIC
Ballarat, VIC
Geelong, VIC
Busselton, WA
Devenport, TAS
Kalgoorlie, WA
Traralgon, VIC
Port Macquarie, NSW
Adelaide, SA
Launceston, TAS
You can read Bristax’s findings online at: bristax.com.au/business-articles/best-entrepreneurial-cities-australia/
