Arkansas: A Small-Business State With An Industrial Spine
The SBA Office of Advocacy's 2026 profile counts 292,728 small businesses in Arkansas, 99.3 percent of Arkansas businesses, employing 501,512 people, 46.1 percent of Arkansas employees. The Census Bureau's 2023 County Business Patterns adds 70,452 employer establishments statewide, 94.8 percent with fewer than 50 employees. Most Arkansas businesses are small, and many sell to larger buyers that expect order and delivery status on request.
- U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy: 2026 Small Business Profile: Arkansas (2026 profile; 2022 Census source data; retrieved 2026-10-08)
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2023 County Business Patterns: State file (cbp23st) (2023 CBP; retrieved 2026-10-05)