ARIZONA ENTREPRENEURS GO AFTER, AND RECEIVE, MORE FINANCING

When it comes to Arizona's presence as an entrepreneurial powerhouse, different measures paint different pictures.

The number of small businesses, defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration as companies with fewer than 500 employees, has been growing. But Arizona ranks somewhere in the middle on the state entrepreneurial activity index. And when it comes to venture capital, Arizona companies trail far behind states such as California, Texas, North Carolina and several others.

We shine in other areas, though. For example, Arizona ranks 10th for growth in privately held, female-owned businesses.