Coeur d’Alene lands a spot on this list for embracing its natural beauty and creating a small business-friendly environment that has helped develop its thriving tourism industry. Coeur d'Alene ranked second on the 2008 tally of “Best Performing Cities.” The 30-mile long Lake Coeur d’Alene sits between two ski resorts: Silver Mountain Resort and Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort, which also generate plenty of business opportunities. Main Street is all mom-and-pop shops such Leather Works, where the owner makes sheepskin slippers by hand.