8 most business-friendly cities

Dallas earns high marks from entrepreneurs for its low taxes and minimal government interference.

What's more, the Dallas metro area is huge, and it's only getting bigger. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metroplex has 6.7 million people and is the fastest-growing region in the country.

As major companies move to town, smaller companies are able to grow by providing services to them.

When European furniture maker Timothy Oulton set up its first U.S. showroom there last year, it needed a company to produce promotional video. Dallas HD Films landed the gig and has since been hired again to produce video for its factories in China.

Hussain Manjee, the video company's CEO, said they would have been overlooked in a more established city like New York.

"I don't think I could have done this in other cities," Manjee said.

NEXT: Raleigh-Durham