If you walk into a small business in Texas, chances are the owner has a gun.
According to a survey by small business software company Womply, 55 percent of small business owners in Texas said they have at some point kept a gun at their workplace.
That compares to 34 percent nationwide.
Womply’s Brad Plothow said it’s not necessarily about dealing with more crime. For example, states with high crime like Michigan or New York have a lot fewer businesses that keep guns.
“It seems to be more of a philosophical construct at work here than strictly being the business being in a high-crime area,” Plothow said.
Some of the states that rank higher in small business gun ownership include mostly red states like Arkansas, Mississippi and Alaska but also more liberal Connecticut.
In terms of the types of businesses, Plothow said guns are more likely kept in those that have a consumer-facing storefront and that have valuables and not a lot of foot traffic.
