Thumbtack, in partnership with the Kauffman Foundation, conducted a Small Business Friendliness Survey.
Jon Lieber, Chief Economist at Thumbtack, provided the survey data in spreadsheet form. In turn, the folks at Tableau Software worked with me to create the following interactive map.
http://public.tableausoftware.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js
Notes
- Lieber informs me there were insufficient replies to rate 12 states. Those states are greyed out.
- Overall ranking range from 1 through 38, with 1 being the most small business friendly and 38 the least small business friendly.
- It is difficult to see Rhode Island on the map. It is number 38. Illinois and California unsurprising round out the bottom of the barrel, rated 37 and 36 respectively.
Lieber writes “We’ve partnered for the third year in a row with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to conduct a survey of about 13,000 small businesses nationwide that use our site. The survey asks small business owners and operators what makes for a business friendly environment and uses the responses to rate which are the most and least friendly states and cities for small businesses. States and metro regions are rated across 11 different metrics.”
Thumbtack put together a slightly different interactive map of small business friendliness that shows less fields than I do, but instead gives A-F grades and changes from last year.
- California, Illinois, and Rhode Island received an overall grade of “F”.
- Idaho, Virginia, Utah, and Texas received an overall grade of “A+”
Please check out both interactive maps as well as the survey link at the top to the 45 page report.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
