CNNMoney recently rated the best places to start a small business, and Lexington took the #6 spot in the mid-sized metros.
“Lexington puts a unique spin on 4-H: Horses, health care, high-tech and higher education make up its diversified economy.
Known as the Thoroughbred Capital of the World, Lexington is home to horse farms that handle more than $750 million in horse sales annually. The region is expected to reap another $150 million in economic activity when hundreds of thousands of visitors come to town for the 2010 World Equestrian Games in September 2010. The city’s revitalization efforts have reached warp speed in preparation for the event: New music venues and restaurants are sprouting, along with fresh parks and biking and walking trails.
Even in the absence of major events, Lexington knows how to draw a crowd. Residents throughout the eastern third of Kentucky travel miles to reach its retail stores and three major hospitals, all of which have begun major expansion projects.
The University of Kentucky, Transylvania University and another dozen colleges, universities and technical colleges educate workers for Lexington’s growing tech sector, which includes strong Lexmark, IBM and Hewlett-Packard presences.
Local businesspeople say the municipal government is undergoing a vast restructuring to eliminate redundancies and improve communication, which promises an even more welcoming environment for business owners.”
The article also profiles Commerce Lexington’s 2008 Minority Business of the Year, TCG America, on why they chose Lexington as the place to start their business.
