Did you know that the U.S. Census Bureau keeps track of the total number of business applications and formation statistics? It’s done by measuring the number of applications for Employer Identification Numbers through IRS fillings. But knowing what other like-minded people are doing might inform when you start your business.
Business applications for October 2021 were 432,101, almost the same as the previous month. But just because someone files a business application, that doesn’t mean that an actual business will result. But since the U.S. Census Bureau has captured so much historical data, they can project the number of businesses that might result from the applications. Here is how they do it.
The Census Bureau calculates what it calls the “Projected Business Formations Within 4 Quarters.” This is an estimate of the number of new business startups that will actually be created from the total number of business applications within 4 quarters of the actual applications. For the most recent month, the Census Bureau is projecting that 31,831 new business startups with payroll tax liabilities will form within 4 quarters of the business applications that were filed in October 2021. In other words, the Census Bureau is predicting that of the business applications that were filed, less than 10% will result in a real business
The Census Bureau also keeps track of business formation statistics by sector – and the results can be informative.
But maybe most interesting is the spike in business applications. Given the massive spike in business applications during the beginnings of the COVID-pandemic, it stands to reason that there were be a lot of businesses that fail over the next 6 months too.
Partner, Financial Planner
Mike enjoys getting to know and understand his clients and their needs. Mike guides clients through the financial planning process to help them identify their goals and create a plan to achieve them. His expertise is working with folks nearing retirement and young couples looking to save for retirement and plan for their children’s education. Mike retired from the Air Force in 2014 and went back to school as a non-traditional student at the University of Northern Iowa. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Mike is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, XY Planning Network and Fee Only Network.
