Richmond Small Business Report

Uncover Richmond, VA small business growth with data from Mastercard.

Richmond Small Business Report

Uncover Richmond, VA small business growth with data from Mastercard.

Small businesses are growing in Richmond, VA. But which ones? And what are local stakeholders doing to support entrepreneurs of color? We explore aggregate consumer spending data from Mastercard to measure small business growth across the city, while identifying lessons for other cities.

SUMMARY

Key learnings reveal small business trends

Explore the key learnings from Mastercard data that reveal small business growth spikes in Richmond, VA since 2019.

The line graph illustrates Mastercard Spend Volume growth for small businesses versus non-small businesses in Richmond from 2019 to 2023, showing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent recovery. The Y-axis represents spend growth since 2019 in percentage, while the X-axis covers the years 2019 to 2023. Small businesses are represented by a light blue line, and non-small businesses by a dark blue line. The data, sourced from Aggregated and Anonymized Mastercard transaction data, highlights key points: in 2019, small businesses had around 0% growth and non-small businesses about 5%. In 2020, small businesses peaked at 15% growth mid-year, dropping to below 0% by year-end, while non-small businesses spiked at a little over 115% before a sharp decline. By 2021, small businesses showed a gradual increase to 30% growth, maintaining a steady rise, whereas non-small businesses fluctuated around 55% growth. From 2022 to 2023, small businesses reached about 75% growth, and non-small businesses about 107%, indicating a significant recovery trend for both sectors, with non-small businesses initially experiencing a sharper peak and decline compared to the steadier growth of small businesses.

CHAPTER ONE

Richmond's surge in consumer spending trends

Mastercard data shows strong growth in consumer spending and emergence of new businesses fueled by strategic urban planning in Richmond, VA.

CHAPTER TWO

Richmond’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

Local stakeholders are collaborating with small business owners, but more can be done to ensure equitable and sustained growth.

Conclusion

Our findings illustrate a story of small business resilience, dedicated community partners, and a shared recognition that more work must be done to ensure truly equitable development.