Morgantown has been ranked the seventh best small city to launch a small business in a study performed by FORTUNE Small Business magazine and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

The study ranked the 50 most business-friendly communities in America. The ranking was determined based on per capita income, hourly wages, workforce quality, crime rates, taxes, foreclosures and population size.

They split the rankings into small, mid-size and large metro areas.

In the study, which is reported on CNN Money, Morgantown is cited to have the “convenience of a city with the appeal of a small town.”

West Virginia University is featured for providing clientele and an educated workforce. The study also mentions WVU’s Business Incubator as nurturing startup businesses.

To view the complete rankings, visit http://money.cnn.com/smallbusiness/best_places_launch/2009/full_list/top_small.html .

To view personal stories of why people chose to launch their businesses in Morgantown, visit http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/smallbusiness/0910/gallery.best_places_why_i_launched_here.smb/36.html .

-WVU-

cd/10/15/09

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