January Business Health Analysis
25%
Month over Month Change
483,034
New US Business Formations
5%
Year over Year Change
Key Takeaways:
- While January showed a strong start compared to December, business formation is still down 5% from January of last year.
- Political transitions, wildfires and economic uncertainty likely contributed to the dip in year over year formations.
- Two-thirds of states showed a solid increase in formations after a sluggish 2024 Q4.
January Comes out Swinging
January saw a strong start to the year, with a 25% increase in business formations compared to the previous month and 483,034 new businesses formed nationwide. Compared to January last year, new registrations are down, with about 23,553 fewer formations across the country. Even through the minor chaos of this month’s wildfires, a presidential transition, economic uncertainty, and a winter weather surge, January is putting up decent numbers compared to the slower pace we saw at the end of 2024. Entrepreneurs were clearly ready to get to work after the holidays, and some may have been eager to launch their new ventures before the inauguration. Most states saw gains over December, while only a few saw drops, including Wyoming, New Hampshire, Illinois, North Dakota, and Maryland. After a tough 2024, Alabama saw a solid increase in formations this month after a sluggish 2024 Q4. Maine and Vermont have shown great consistency this year. Even so, two-thirds of jurisdictions averaged fewer formations over the past 12 months compared to the year before. Our analysis is based on state and federal Corporations Division data, as well as our own research, comparing changes year over year from January 2024 to January 2025. Data is collected on a rolling basis and may be updated as additional information becomes available.
About the Business Formation Report
The Registered Agents Inc Business Formation Report offers a monthly snapshot of business creation in every state. The figures are based on aggregated, anonymized data, drawn from state-level filings and cross-referenced against US Census Bureau data. Compiled by a team of analysts, this report is a free resource for use by business owners, journalists, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.
How to Use this Report
The Business Formation Report tells just one piece of a wider story. When considered in tandem with other sources and industry trends, business formation data can help policymakers, journalists, and founders with the following:
Anticipate Regional Shifts
Following upticks or dips in new business formations across the country can help spot trends that may indicate economic health in different regions. This can provide insight into emerging industries and investment opportunities.
Assess Policy Impact
A sharp increase or decrease in business creation that coincides with recent policy change can reveal the impact of local regulatory changes and help policymakers assess whether policies drive or hinder economic development.
Gauge Economic Confidence
Willingness to invest in new ventures and take on financial risk often signals optimism about the economy. Likewise, a drop in formations may indicate fears of a downturn.
Who is Registered Agents Inc?
Registered Agents Inc is the largest business formation service you’ve never heard of, and that’s on purpose. Discretion is at the core of our services, and we currently support over one million businesses in the United States. We help to streamline bureaucratic processes and empower small business owners to go further while protecting their personal privacy.
In other words, we support the very people who power these trends: folks who take the leap and start a business. This report aims to give these brave entrepreneurs and the broader market insights they can leverage to assess the economic landscape and make decisions.
We operate in every state and jurisdiction.
We’re a national registered agent service with offices in every state and are currently one of the largest registered agent providers in the country. This allows us both breadth and granularity no one else can match, so our report can capture both the big picture and zoom in on detailed data points.
We let the numbers speak for themselves.
Because privacy is a core value at Registered Agents Inc, we never sell customer data. Our report is meant to act as an unbiased, neutral resource for the very people we serve. This means that we report the numbers as they are, regardless of the existing political climate.
We work for—not against—business owners.
Our mission is to support small business owners, wherever they are on their journey. All our tools, from registered agent service to the suite of business identity products we offer, are meant to enable founders. This report is a natural extension of this commitment, and we hope entrepreneurs can leverage it for decision-making.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who creates the Business Formation Report?
A team of data analysts, software engineers, customer service representatives and writers at Registered Agents Inc works together to compile the Business Formation Report each month.
Where does the data in the Business Formation Report come from?
Business formation data is collected from the Secretary of State or equivalent agency of each state, when available, and cross-checked against the US Census Bureau data. Customer sentiment data is collected directly from clients to provide snapshot of economic outlook.
Is this report politically affiliated?
No. At Registered Agents Inc, we have one mission: to support small business owners at every step of their journey. Our mission, and the ways in which we fulfill it, is independent of any political leanings. We have no affiliation with political parties or politically driven groups.
Can I access past reports?
Yes! You can access monthly Business Formation Reports going back to September of 2024. Check out our News Room.
How should I interpret regional or seasonal fluctuations in business formation volumes?
Interpreting data requires a nuanced approach that cross-references other data points or resources. For example, fluctuations could be affected by policy changes, GDP growth, consumer confidence, interest rates, market demand, and even the weather.