The new business venture environment in the state of Utah 1980-1988

The specific business environment in which a new venture is created can determine the degree of success or failure which the business experiences. Several aspects of the business environment in Utah are analyzed here by utilizing corporate records from the Utah State Division of Corporations and Commercial Code whose duty it is to protect the public interest by regulating businesses in the state. These records provide information on business formation, failures, initial capital investment, and survival rates for all corporations in the state. Businesses are grouped according to the industry classification system used by the Division and then ranked ten ways according to different criteria. In this way it is possible to observe characteristics and trends in industries and groups of industries since 1980. A number of conclusions are drawn from this study which outline the biggest characteristics and trends in Utah business during the 1980's.