SAN DIEGO - A study released Monday says San Diego is not a great city for businesses owned by women.
WalletHub, a personal finance website, conducted a study of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., and it ranked those areas based on 10 ratings ranging from number of women-owned businesses to the revenue generated by those businesses.
According to the study, America's Finest City ranked 92nd out of a 100 cities. Nashville, Tennessee, ranked first.
The study has San Diego as the eighth-highest ranked California city -- behind Fresno, Stockton, Bakersfield, Riverside, Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco.
"This is just sad. I mean, it's so sad," said Media 4 Women co-owner Bobbye Brooks.
Brooks' business coaches and help businesses succeed.
"Even though I'm saddened, I'm not totally shocked by it," she said.
"Going from an idea to manufacturing and selling is actually quite hard," said Jayne Brink, who invented and sells the Oral Hygiene HideOut, or OHHO.
Brink's invention is a plastic cabinet equipped with ultraviolet lights that kill germs, viruses and bacteria on anything you store inside. She's sold 13,000 of them since last June.
"I think just in California alone it's hard because they have so many more regulations and taxes and fees," said Brink.
Brooks said schools and chambers of commerce need to do a better job preparing women to succeed. She also said owners need to be like Brink and never give up.
"You just keep going," said Brooks. "You put one foot in front of the other, and if you keep at it, things will come."
Unfortunately, for Brink, she may give up on San Diego.
"When we actually start getting more sales, we're actually thinking about leaving," she said. "I'm sad that we have to leave, yeah, but I know that we have to do it because the tax rate here; I think it's unfair."
