The following is from a press release issued by Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis:

At least 44 new businesses opened their doors in Little Compton and Tiverton in 2011, based on new data from the secretary of state’s office, which tracks yearly corporate filings. Tiverton led the way with 33 followed by Little Compton with 11. They included restaurants, bakeries and landscapers. 

"The economy has had a traumatic few years, so let’s be careful about reading too much into this data," Mollis said. "The pain isn’t over, but there are signs that things may be turning around,” 

Statewide, it appears that Rhode Island's entrepreneurs may be getting more optimistic about the economy’s recovery. For the first time since 2007, the number of new business starts actually increased year-over-year.

But, overall, the growth was modest. Last year, 6,846 new businesses filed with the Secretary of State’s office compared to 6,778 in 2010. As a basis for comparison, there were 7,837 in 2007.

“Based on our work with start-ups all year long, we were pretty sure 2011 would be more hopeful," Mollis said. "But we were surprised to see such an improvement."

And for the first time since 2007, the secretary of state reports there have been three straight years of growth in any business classification. The number of newly formed limited liability companies (LLCs) rose to 4,202, up 4.8 percent compared to 2010 and 5.5 percent since the streak began in 2009.

LLCs are a type of business entity that has the liability-shield advantages of a corporation and the flexibility and tax pass-through advantages of a partnership. For the past several years, they have been growing in popularity compared to the for-profit corporate structure.

There are signs that the economic shake-out is not over, though. In 2011, 6,627 corporate entities disappeared, about 7 percent more than 2010 when 6,183 shut their doors. Still, Rhode Island did better than in 2008, when a record 7,071 companies went out of existence.

“The state’s economic troubles have taken a terrible toll on Rhode Islanders. We can only hope the worst is behind us,” said Mollis.

The secretary of state's office is often the first place Rhode Islanders stop when considering starting a business. The First Stop Business Information Center provides custom packages that make it easier to apply for financing, obtain permits and make contacts at every level government.

“We cut red tape, offer free consulting services and created e-commerce tools to reduce paperwork. We’re focused on making it easier to start a business in Rhode Island,” Mollis explained.

Below is a list of the 44 new businesses to Tiverton and Little Compton: