Utah Small Business Statistics
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2024 profile, Utah had 352,191 small businesses, 99.4 percent of the state's businesses. They had 654,553 employees, 45.7 percent of Utah employees. Every statistic on this page comes from that profile and is dated. Nothing here is the firm's own data.
Note on currency: the SBA Office of Advocacy has since published a 2025 Small Business Profile for Utah, with different figures. This page uses the 2024 edition as published. The latest edition is on the SBA Office of Advocacy site at advocacy.sba.gov.
How many small businesses are there in Utah?
The SBA Office of Advocacy's 2024 Small Business Profile for Utah reports 352,191 small businesses, which is 99.4 percent of Utah businesses. The SBA generally defines a small business as one with fewer than 500 employees. The counts are mostly 2021 Census data. It reports 654,553 small business employees, 45.7 percent of Utah employees.
Of these, 277,813 have no employees. The same profile, using Census Bureau data from 2021, counts them by size:
| Size | Small businesses |
|---|---|
| Without employees | 277,813 |
| 1 to 19 employees | 66,530 |
| 20 to 499 employees | 7,848 |
| All small businesses | 352,191 |
A business with no employees may have the owner doing the books alongside the work. Bookkeeping often falls behind in that situation; see bookkeeping and catch-up bookkeeping.
Which industries have the most small businesses in Utah?
From the same table, here are selected industries, using the Census data from 2021 as reported by the SBA:
| Industry | Small businesses |
|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 58,027 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 46,420 |
| Retail Trade | 36,725 |
| Construction | 33,223 |
| Information | 6,136 |
Our industry pages describe what these kinds of business typically need from their finance function: real estate, SaaS and tech startups and construction contractors. Those pages do not claim client numbers in any industry.
How many Utah businesses open and close?
The SBA profile, using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, says that between March 2022 and March 2023, 18,549 Utah establishments opened and 14,478 closed, a net increase of 4,071. Small businesses accounted for 16,605 openings and 12,663 closings.
It also reports a net gain of 33,884 jobs over that period. Small businesses contributed a net increase of 29,395 jobs, or 86.8 percent of the total.
The profile notes that counts include temporary closures and reopenings.
What does this mean for your own numbers?
These are statewide counts. They say nothing about your business. To see your own position, use the cash runway calculator, the break-even calculator or the gross margin calculator. The tools hub lists them all, and what we do explains the services behind them. Bookkeeping starts from $500 a month, one fixed monthly fee; see pricing.
What about Utah sales tax?
This page carries no sales tax figures, because rates and rules change and we have not cited a current official source here. Check the Utah State Tax Commission for current rules. Sales tax support is listed among the services English Oak offers. English Oak does not prepare tax returns, audit or give investment advice. This is general information, not tax or investment advice.
Method note and refresh date
- Source: the SBA Office of Advocacy 2024 Small Business Profile for Utah, opened 2026-10-17.
- The profile's original data come from Census Bureau (Nonemployer Statistics and Statistics of U.S. Businesses, 2021) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Business Employment Dynamics).
- Firm counts reflect 2021 data; openings and closings cover March 2022 to March 2023. The SBA published a newer edition, the 2025 Small Business Profile for Utah, in June 2025, with different figures. The figures here are from the 2024 edition as published, so check the SBA Office of Advocacy site (advocacy.sba.gov) for the latest edition before relying on them. The 2024 profile is at this link.
- Page last reviewed 2026-10-17. Figures are copied as published and not rounded or recalculated.
Need this done for you? See our Bookkeeping service, or pricing. English Oak Financial does not prepare tax returns, perform audits or give investment advice. This guide is general information, not tax, legal or investment advice.
Related pages
Sources
- U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, 2024 Small Business Profile: Utah. Accessed 2026-10-17. Government-published. The profile cites Census Bureau Nonemployer Statistics and Statistics of U.S. Businesses (2021) and Bureau of Labor Statistics Business Employment Dynamics as original data.
- U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, 2025 Small Business Profile: Utah. Accessed 2026-10-17. Government-published. Opened only to confirm that a newer edition exists with different figures; none of its figures are quoted here.
Common questions
How many small businesses are in Utah?
The SBA's 2024 profile reports 352,191 small businesses, 99.4 percent of Utah businesses. 277,813 of them have no employees.
What share of Utah employees work for small businesses?
The same profile reports 654,553 small business employees, which is 45.7 percent of Utah employees.
What is the most common type of small business in Utah?
Among the industries listed, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services has the most, at 58,027 small businesses in the SBA profile.
Where do these figures come from?
From the SBA Office of Advocacy 2024 profile for Utah, which draws on Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The method note above lists the details.
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