Owners seek a break from red tape.
1. To compete with neighboring states. Arizona rated only a C+ for having small-business-friendly regulations, lower than every neighboring state except California, in a report by Thumbtack and the Kauffman Foundation. Tucson on its own earned a D+ for business-friendly regulations. “Creating a business climate that is welcoming to small, dynamic businesses is more important than ever, and Tucson has a ways to go to develop this type of environment,” Jon Lieber, chief economist of Thumbtack, said in a statement.
2. Because regulators can be abusive. House Bill 2260, passed in 2014, began to address this by requiring regulators to publish a Small Business Bill of Rights detailing owners’ rights during regulatory enforcement actions. But more action is needed. In 2015, NFIB/Arizona will push for legislation requiring auditors and regulators to get a signed statement saying small business owners have been advised of their due process rights.
3. So owners can focus on their business instead of red tape. NFIB’s November 2014 Small Business Economic Trends report found that 22 percent of small business owners cited regulations and red tape as their top business concern.