Hot Cities
Our annual ranking of the nation's top entrepreneurial spots.
No Big Apple. No City of Angels. No Windy City. Much like in years past, our 1998 annual ranking of the best cities in the nation for small business takes us off the beaten path and onto roads less traveled. Not that there aren't cities you'll recognize on our list--neither Atlanta nor Orlando, Florida, are obscure destinations by any stretch--but we're always surprised by the results of the survey we conduct with Dun & Bradstreet (D&B).
Then again, maybe we're not too surprised. Major metropolitan areas tend to be ultra-competitive as well as notoriously high in business failures. According to Steve Hess, D&B's director of analytical services, setting up shop in commercial behemoths like Los Angeles also runs on the costly side. "Certainly, there are a lot of customers in markets like these," says Hess, "but they are very expensive places to [do business]."
Continue reading this article - and everything on Entrepreneur!
Become a member to get unlimited access and support the voices you want to hear more from. Get full access to Entrepreneur for just $5.
Get 3 months free with code zendesk
Presented by Zendesk

Entrepreneur Editors' Picks
-
Zooey Deschanel Embraces the Word 'Quirky' and Thinks Businesses Should Too
-
A Simple (But Not Easy) Guide to Achieving Almost Any Dream
-
Making Time to Be 'Useless' Is a Vital Part of Creating Anything Valuable
-
A Billionaire Who Operates More Than 2,400 Franchises Knows These Types of Franchisees Make the Most Money
-
How Relentless Optimism Fuels Success for Hilary Schneider, CEO of Shutterfly
-
The Paradox of Celebrity Tequila
-
Social Media Was Draining Me, So I Gave It Up. My Business Has Never Been Stronger.