A new survey has disappointing results for Minnesota business owners
Here’s What Business Owners Think of Minnesota’s Business Climate
Minnesota’s business environment seems to be getting worse.
The state’s small business ranking took a tumble in Thumbtack’s 2016 Small Business Friendliness Survey, dropping from a C+ ranking in 2015 to a C this year. A few things can explain the drop in Minnesota’s overall rating.
Minnesota business owners cited zoning laws and the ease of hiring in the state as the most burdensome aspect of the small business environment, each receiving a failing grade from survey respondents. The grade for zoning laws plummeted from a C in 2015 and ease of hiring fell even lower from the C- business owners gave it in 2015, contributing to the overall lower grade this year.
Additionally, Minnesota’s business climate had two categories that garnered A- ratings in 2015—but only one in 2016. Owners believe it is harder to start a business in Minnesota than it was last year, and ranked it accordingly, from A- in 2015 to a B- this year. Business owners marked the state’s training and networking programs the most generously, making them the highest-ranked category in the state for two years in a row.
In some good news, three categories saw improvement from 2015, a sign that some business owners might be seeing improvement in certain areas. Licensing, the tax code, and health and safety regulations are all areas that business owners ranked higher in 2016 than they did in 2015.
