The Social Barber opened during the pandemic and held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 16, 2021.
Danny Zaragoza /Laredo Morning Times
The City of Laredo is proud to announce that it has ranked No. 1 on WalletHub’s “2021’s Best Large Cities to Start a Business” study. The results were published on Tuesday, April 27, 2021.
In its efforts to help aspiring entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 pandemic, WalletHub conducted a study comparing startup opportunities across 100 cities in the U.S. In addition, the organization used 21 metrics to determine these opportunities depending on job growth, business environment, business costs, five-year business survival rate, COVID-19 cases and affordability of office space.
“This is a huge recognition for our city, which truly represents a vast opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs,” City Manager Robert A. Eads said. “I am proud that even after the hard year we experienced, we have been able to demonstrate our city’s potential for our current citizens and those who live elsewhere. Congratulations to the Laredo City Council, our City of Laredo employees and everyone else who helped us top this nationwide list!”
Laredo ranked at the top compared to larger and similar-sized cities across the entire U.S. including Austin, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and more. As a pioneer for international trade, Laredo has enhanced its local economy and offers more opportunities to aspiring entrepreneurs in various sectors. The city has also funded small business incubators and received support from MileOne, Texas A&M International University’s Small Business Development Center, the Laredo Chamber of Commerce and more. These funded organizations continue to educate and inspire current and upcoming business leaders in the community.