A report by Thumbtack shows the friendliest places for small business.
A report by Thumbtack shows the friendliest places for small business. Click on map for interactive look.

Looking to start a new business?

You may want to check out Boise or Colorado Springs. Those are among the most favorable cities for small business, according to a new survey released this week by Thumbtack in partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

While tech hotbeds such as Seattle and San Francisco may grab headlines, they aren’t quite as friendly to entrepreneurs. Seattle was given a grade of a B minus, while San Francisco got a C minus.

California, meanwhile, received a F grade while Washington state received a C. It ranked poorly in zoning, but got a high score in networking and training programs.

The study was conducted based on the responses of 12,000 small business owners, measuring everything from tax codes to ease of hiring to zoning.

“Creating a business climate that is welcoming to small, dynamic businesses is more important than ever, but rarely does anyone ask small business owners themselves about what makes for a pro-entrepreneur environment,” said Jon Lieber, Chief Economist of Thumbtack. “Thousands of small business owners across the country told us that the keys to a pro-growth environment are ease of compliance with tax and regulatory systems and helpful training programs.”

The top states in the study are Utah, Idaho, Texas, Virginia and Louisiana.

Full report here.

 

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