Everything is bigger in Texas — including, it seems, entrepreneurial opportunity.
Personal finance resource WalletHub just released its 2019 list of best large cities to start up in, and seven of the top 20 are located in the Lone Star State. Using metrics like business survival rates and office space cost comparisons, the site measured startup opportunity in the 100 largest U.S. cities, and found that major hubs like Austin, Fort Worth, Houston and Dallas were among the cream of the crop. Those cities rated especially high for average growth in the number of small businesses, researchers noted.
And other studies, including one published earlier this year from FitSmallBusiness.com, have concluded that Texas is friendly to women entrepreneurs in particular. That effort weighed the general business climate (25 percent), the number of female-owned business (25 percent), economic and financial health (25 percent), and safety and well-belling for women (25 percent) to make its determination.
At The Story Exchange, we’ve spoken with quite a few women entrepreneurs who have found success in Texas (including two who will be featured in upcoming video profiles, so be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for updates).
[Related: This Texas Accessory Biz Owner is Paying Her Success Forward]
Samentha Tiller is one such founder. She launched DMI Technologies Inc., which provides and maintains audio/visual technologies to companies of all sizes, in Fort Worth when the company that employed her at the time was going under. When several dozen colleagues pledged to follow her into the unknown, she took a leap. It paid off, and her long-lasting firm was making over $11 million when we last connected with her.
Serial entrepreneur Kryshon Bratton is also thriving in Texas. Her Houston ventures, Bratton Pools and driveway repair service Piper Whitney, are also making millions of dollars combined. At last check-in, she had plans to branch out into other Texas cities like San Antonio, as well as neighboring states like Louisiana. Amanda Austin has seen similar startup success, with her Dallas Comedy Club also pulling in over six figures annually.
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And entrepreneurship has made significant differences in the lives of these women. Take Angelica Garcia-Dunn, whose Katy, Texas, shipping company, AIM Global Logistics, was making $20 million a year in annual revenue when we last touched base. She says starting up gave her a way to provide for her family, after a divorce left her financially unsteady.
So if you’re in Texas — or open to moving — there may be opportunities for you to join the ranks of these successful startups. And if you need a brilliant business idea, check our list of 16 Popular small business ideas for women entrepreneurs.
[Related: One State Away, This Female Founder is Tackling Our E-Waste Mess]