"There are a lot of factors, but at the ground level it's about opportunity," he said. "Part of that is an existing infrastructure that supports startup culture." He said in the top-ranked cities, accessibility to investment capital is better than in many other locales compared to the overall population and startup density in those markets.

"Based on those factors, is it possible for startups to secure the funding they need to get off the ground?" he said. "Additionally, the best cities are places that offer resources to entrepreneurs that help them in their quest to get their companies up and running, including mentorship."

The entrepreneurial spirit is strong even in the donut world as The Park Record has shared where to get the best donut in Utah. Votes are in and we agree: Utah’s best donut is sold out of a Kamas gas station! The team of bakers at Mirror Lake Station used to think they made the best doughnuts in the state. Now, they have a plaque to prove it as they were awarded Utah’s Best Donut Award during the Utah Dough Show, a convention for donut-lovers that took place for the first time this year, in Salt Lake City. The station’s raspberry fritter beat out doughnuts from 22 other bakeries from around the state.

The Mirror Lake Station doughnuts have been a Kamas favorite since the station started serving the sweet pastries 40 years ago. Bakers make all of the doughnuts from scratch in a bakery behind the station. On average, 400 doughnuts a day with most of the doughnut recipes having remained the same over the last 40 years. The bakery also makes cookies, bagels, turnovers and croissants. Clara Sargent, the bakery manager, has led the bakery for 15 years. She said she wants to switch things up a little, but she intends to keep the crowd favorites on the shelves for the next 40 years.

We will wrap up this week's blog with the most recent market reports.