NerdWallet, a financial website, ranked Tampa sixth on its list of best cities to start a small business. The firm looked at several criteria including access to funding, affordability and the quality of the job pool.

According to the study, Tampa has a population growing at a rate of 3 percent and banks willing to lend to small businesses. Last year, community banks made $80 million commercial and industrial loans to small businesses. Currently there are 11.5 businesses per 100 residents in the city, NerdWallet said.

Initiatives by the University of South Florida's College of Business to encourage small businesses with training and information through its Small Business Development Center programs also made the city stand out on the list.