Starting a business can be tough no matter where you are, but a study by WalletHub finds the cities where it can be a little easier. The study used 13 metrics to rank 150 American cities including the cost of living, affordability of office space and educational attainment of the local labor force. Check out the top 10 here.
10. Columbus, Georgia
"The average workday lasts well over eight hours in Columbus — an entrepreneur's dream come true," said WalletHub spokesperson Jill Gonzalez in a 2015 interview.
9. Greensboro, North Carolina
This city has both a low cost of living and a high workforce education level. That means it has a lot of people with a bachelor's degree or higher.
8. Augusta, Georgia
This other Georgia city is affordable and has room for a lot more small businesses.
7. Memphis, Tennessee
"The local cost of living in Memphis is the fourth-lowest out of the 150 cities we looked at," said Gonzalez.
6. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
The study found that office rentals are cheaper here. Plus, the state has recently shown a boom in entrepreneurial activity.
5. Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson's median income is about $30,800. This is good news for entrepreneurs looking for employees.
4. Chattanooga, Tennessee
"Chattanooga has some of the best access financing, which we measured by comparing small business loans to total number of businesses," said Gonzalez.
3. Springfield, Missouri
This city is generous when it comes to small business loans and has low corporate taxes.
2. Tulsa, Oklahoma
"Tulsa ranked No. 1 in industry variety, which propelled them to the top of the list," said Gonzalez.
1. Shreveport, Louisiana
"At an average of $12.50 per square foot, Shreveport's low cost for office space combined with its high availability of employees earns it the top spot," said Gonzalez.