We all know that a lot of these lists can be bogus because they’re all so subjective, but this list caught our eye because (1) Kansas City earned a spot (sibling rivalry and all), and (2) it took care to note that a number of Midwestern cities moved to the top this year, as highlighted in the excerpt below. Check it out, and feel free to click on the link at the bottom to read the article from the beginning in its entirety. What can we learn from Kansas City to help St. Louis to break onto next year’s list?
“One notable change from last year’s list are the number of Midwestern metro areas to move to the top. The Women’s Business Ownership for theSmall Business Administration which runs over 110 Women’s Business Centers across the country, generally attributes the lack of small business activity among women in the region to a lack of resources. But the past year has seen better performance across Middle America. Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota and Missouri have all seen an increase in women’s business activity over the last 12 months.
But beyond hard figures–financing, earning and growth, for example–what truly makes one city more conducive than another for a woman looking to start a business? Julie Weeks, president and CEO at WomenAble, pointed to a few factors that can set cities apart for women in business–above and beyond a city that’s just good for business, period: It’s all about community. She says the legal environment, government procurement goals for women-led firms and the existence of women’s business organizations in a community and resources like the SBA WBCs are all indicators of a city’s commitment to women in business leadership.”