In a nationwide survey of employers, Idaho got straight A's for business friendliness, and the majority were A-pluses.
Thousands of employers from across the country recently evaluated their state and local governments in a survey for Thumbtack.com, an online local services marketplace, and Kauffman Foundation, an entrepreneurship research group. The criteria were things that matter most to small firms: tax rates, ease of hiring, and regulations.
The researchers surveyed 7,766 small business owners and used the data to arrive at grades for each state. Check out the link to see which states received the highest and lowest marks: http://www.thumbtack.com/survey#2013/states
One caveat: In stories like this, Idaho is often conflated with Boise, a bone in the throat for a lot of people on this side of the state. Four Idaho employers were quoted on the interactive map, all of them in Ada or Canyon counties. Nevertheless, they had some interesting things to say:
“Very easy, just fairly unregulated and biased towards larger businesses. Many oversights in health regulation.”
— Fitness company owner, Boise
“Idaho is pro-business and a great state to have a small business. There are not a ton of rules and regulations and it is a growing area of the country. There is plenty of opportunity and the economy is improving and bouncing back faster than in other areas of the country.”
— Musician, Middleton
“It's pretty easy to start a business in Idaho, and you could have a legally operating business in a matter of a few hours here.”
— Marketing consultant, Boise
“I think Idaho is generally a very easy place to do business. However, the government seems to bend over backward for the big corporations in town. The little guys usually need to fend for themselves. The State does do a pretty good job of offering networking and training opportunities. Overall, Idaho makes it pretty easy.”
— Educator, Boise
