Business

Everyone knows about the excitement of Manhattan, but Southern Business and Development is singing the praises of America's not-so-big downtowns. The magazine is out with a list of "Ten Wonderful Small Town Central Business Districts in the South."

The mag gave props to Bradenton for its laid-back vibe, theater scene and redeveloped Riverwalk, which debuted in October 2012. Here's an excerpt:

So, you wanna start a business?

Tampa Bay may not be the best place to do so, but it isn't the worst, either. That's according to Thumbtack.com, an online marketplace that matches consumers with local services.

This week, the website released the results of its second-annual Small Business Friendliness Survey, which asked nearly 8,000 entrepreneurs nationwide to rank cities on criteria like zoning regulations, tax code fairness and the overall ease of starting a new business.

Here's the takeaway: