Forbes publishes an annual list of the “Best Places for Business and Careers“. Raleigh, NC was ranked the #1 city on the list because of the ”strength of strong job growth, low business costs and a highly educated workforce”. The study looked at the 200 largest metropolitan areas in the United States.

Other North Carolina cities ranked in the top twenty nationwide including Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Asheville, Wilmington, and Durham. That’s six (6) North Carolina cities in the nation’s top twenty!

Two years ago a CNBC study ranked North Carolina as having the #1 workforce in the USA. High technology, health sciences, and banking & finance are leading industries here in North Carolina.

Raleigh is the state capitol and the second largest city. North Carolina is now the 10th most populated state with around 9.2 million people. The economic climate varies across the state as some areas have been hit a little harder due to the exporting of textiles and furniture manufacturing.

However, newer industries are moving in to take the place of those that were ultimately oursourced to cheap labor. Dell, FedEx, IBM, Cisco, and Honda Jet are among a few of the newer additions having established a major presence. Bank of America is headquartered out of Charlotte.

I’m glad to be a resident of North Carolina. The state has always offered a wide variety of attractions –> beaches, mountains, quality academic institutions, sports dynasties, moderate cost of living, and great people.

Incidentally, Raleigh received this honor each of the previous two years making this year’s recognition an exceptional, enduring achievement.

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The Greater Women’s Business Council (GWBC), started in 2000, is an Atlanta-based organization that specializes in linking certified Women’s Business Enterprises (WBE’s) with major corporations, governmental agencies, and other WBE’s. Their corporate partners include the likes of: Accenture, Bank of America, AT&T, Comcast, Georgia Pacific, Coca Cola, Office Depot, Nokia, The Home Depot, Turner Broadcasting, UPS, Ernst & Young, and others.

The official website of the GWBC is www.GWBC.biz, and it provides excellent guidelines for obtaining national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise. The GWBC.biz site focuses on developing new opportunities to connect with large corporations, and networking to generate new avenues of business.

The GWBC was originally known as the Georgia Women’s Business Council. Due to the organization’s regional successes and national recognition, they are now expanding into North and South Carolina and have retitled to the Greater Women’s Business Council.

Roz Lewis is the Executive Director of the GWBC, and she shared that the .biz (Business) internet address has been a a good fit for the organization’s business-centric focus. The GWBC have a variety of upcoming events which will take place in 2009. One of the organization’s goals is to expand into the Carolinas. To this end, they have an upcoming business event set for February 26 in Charlotte, North Carolina (America’s 18th largest city).

PremiumDomains.biz are especially interested in the GWBC and their prospective growth and influence in North Carolina. North Carolina was recently ranked as having the # 1 workforce in the nation in a comprehensive CNBC study. And were also ranked as the 5th leading business environment in the country. As a 42 year resident of North Carolina, I’ve seen dramatic advancements in North Carolina’s growth during my lifetime.

Looking ahead, I think the GWBC will quite possibly have a prominent place in North Carolina as the state furthers its status & relevance as a business incubator.

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