If it’s true to say the US is the engine of the world economy, then small and medium-sized businesses are the fuel that drives that engine.

Small businesses create nearly two-thirds of new jobs in the workforce and account for 44% of US economic activity. So what’s the secret to their success? What challenges do they face and which are the best cities and regions for them to thrive?

We went to Nashville, Tennessee, one of America’s small business hotbeds, to find out what made it a magnet for entrepreneurs.

Read more from our Small Business USA series