San Antonio‘s small business economy includes more than 48,000 verified firms operating within city limits, according to city data. Together, those businesses support nearly 326,000 local jobs.
KSAT reported the figures from the city’s Economic Development Department on Sept. 28. Separate Census Bureau data show new business applications in Bexar County increased 39% from 2020.
Small Business Economy Includes Applications And Existing Firms
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Business Formation Statistics recorded 29,615 new business applications in Bexar County in 2025. That was up 7% from 2024.
In 2020, the county recorded 21,249 applications. The application figures concern Bexar County, while the verified-business and employment figures concern firms within San Antonio city limits.
These measures describe different parts of the local small business economy. Applications are not presented as a count of verified operating businesses.
Alfred Breuer, assistant director of the city’s Economic Development Department, discussed the growth with KSAT. He connected it to population growth and changing attitudes toward entrepreneurship.
“I think people have continued to see, ‘Hey, I can do this. I have talents and there is a community to serve,’” Breuer said.
Breuer also described a growing population and new residents arriving in the city. His comments explain his view of the trend rather than establishing a separate measured cause for every application.
The KSAT small-business report distinguishes those recorded figures from the city’s estimates of possible economic benefits. A proposed spending change remains a hypothetical scenario.
Local Spending Estimate Remains Conditional
The city estimates that shifting just 10% of residents’ spending toward local businesses could generate additional economic activity. It projects 6,000 additional jobs under that scenario.
Other projected results include $268 million in local earnings and more than $700 million in total economic impact every year. KSAT attributes those estimates to the city.
Those numbers are potential results of the spending change, not jobs or earnings already produced. The report does not say residents have made that shift.
Separate related coverage examines small-business operational changes. It concerns different evidence from San Antonio’s spending scenario.
KSAT’s report also highlighted SA Startup and Tech Week, scheduled to begin Monday and run through Friday. The weeklong event brought together entrepreneurs, founders and local business leaders.
Charles Wooden, CEO of Geekdom, described momentum in the city’s startup community. He also cautioned that the ecosystem was still maturing.
“I would say that our startup ecosystem is in its adolescence right now,” Wooden said. “So it’s a little bit awkward, it’s trying to figure out where its body’s at, but it has some great potential and positive growth ahead of it. The momentum and the energy is really strong.”
Wooden described the momentum and energy as strong. His characterization is an assessment of the community, separate from the reported application and employment data.
Support Hub And Monitoring Track Business Needs
Wooden said over 80% of the local economy was run by small businesses. He linked that view to the importance of LaunchSA.
LaunchSA is a joint initiative between Geekdom and the city. It serves as a resource hub for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
According to Wooden, Geekdom has worked with more than 500 companies since 2021. The report presents that experience alongside the broader city and county figures.
Related reading examines Troy’s small-business support and a federal-contracting conference. Those initiatives involve different communities and organizations.
San Antonio’s Economic Development Department tracks the small business economy through a survivability dashboard, outreach specialists and access-to-capital data. It monitors whether businesses are growing, struggling or holding steady.