There's an app for that

Luxury car service Uber saves Valentine's Day with last-minute flower delivery

If you wake up on Valentine’s Day in a panic because you forgot to send your sweetheart a bouquet of roses, don’t worry. Uber has your back.

The luxury on-demand car service is getting into the flower delivery game beginning at 10 am February 14 with an offer for red rose bouquets from Cebolla Fine Flowers. For $95, you can order “ROSE” — in addition to the regular “BLACK” and “SUV” options — from iPhone and Android Uber apps and enter the destination of your Valentine. The driver even delivers a personalized card. All you have to do is tap a few options on your phone. C’est vraiment romantique, non?

For $95, Uber delivers a rose bouquet from Cebolla and a personalized card to your Valentine.

Uber has even said it will include “a very warm and fuzzy surprise” to a few peoples’ orders, which leads us to believe that the company is now in the live bear delivery business as well.

If you’re covered on the flower front, Uber still has something that might interest you. The company partnered with The Dram, Sissy’s Southern Kitchen, Ocho Kitchen + Cocktails, Sisu, SER and Shinsei for special offers. Just show the server your Uber receipt.

Sisu and SER are gifting a complimentary glass of champagne, and The Dram has several drink specials for Uber users only. At Shinsei, you receive a complimentary royal shrimp ceviche; at Ocho, get a complimentary tres leches dessert. Sissy’s is doing a complimentary plate of squash puppies with whipped Texas Honey Guild butter and jalapeño jelly.

So, at the very least, Uber is helping out with a free dish or drink (and no valet). At most, your sweetheart is getting a live bear. That’s a good Valentine’s Day, no matter what.

Uber will deliver Cebolla's red rose bouquets beginning at 10 am on Valentine's Day.

Photo from Cebolla Fine Flowers

Uber will deliver Cebolla's red rose bouquets beginning at 10 am on Valentine's Day.

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State of innovation

Texas ranks among 5 best states to start a business in 2025

Photo by Mykyta Kravčenko on Unsplash

Texas' friendly business climate has allowed the state to regain its rightful position among the top five best states to start a new business.

As one of the largest states in the U.S., it's no surprise Texas is big on business and entrepreneurship. Now the state is earning new praise among WalletHub's 2025 list of "Best & Worst States to Start a Business."

The Lone Star State claimed the No. 4 spot in the report's rankings — putting Texas in a better shape than it was last year when it earned No. 8 in WalletHub's 2024 report.

The study compared all 50 states across 25 metrics to determine the best places to start, grow, and find success with a new business. Factors that were considered include the number of startups per capita, job growth rates, financing accessibility measures, labor costs, and corporate tax rates.

The three states to outperform Texas are Florida (No. 1), Georgia (No. 2), and Utah (No. 3). Idaho rounded out the top five.

Across the study's three main categories, Texas performed the best in the "business environment" rank, earning No. 1 nationally. This section compared the states based on its five-year business survival rates, average business revenues growth, and more.

Texas ranked No. 12 in the nationwide comparison of "access to resources" – which covers working age population growth, venture investment amounts per capita, and other means – and earned a fair No. 34 in the report's "business costs" ranking.

But Texas can still do better with its business friendliness to reclaim a top-three overall ranking, which the state last earned in 2023.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report that it is imperative for potential new business owners to establish their enterprise in a place that can maximize their ability to succeed.

"Around half of all new businesses don’t survive five years, so the idea of becoming a business owner can be daunting, especially with the current high cost of living," Lupo said. "The best states have low corporate tax rates, strong economies, an abundance of reliable workers, easy access to financing and affordable real estate. On top of that, you’ll need to make sure you start in a place with an engaged customer base, if you’re operating locally."

Dallas has also proven to be at the top of the destination list for entrepreneurs who are looking for their next venture.

The top 10 best states to start a new business in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Florida
No. 2 – Georgia
No. 3 – Utah
No. 4 – Texas
No. 5 – Idaho
No. 6 – Oklahoma
No. 7 – Nevada
No. 8 – Colorado
No. 9 – Arizona
No. 10 – Kentucky

business entrepreneurship rankings texas wallethub