Survey: Arizona Slightly Less Business-Friendly This Year

Date: August 27, 2015

Thumbtack Survey Ranks State B- For Business Climate

 

According to the 2015 annual Thumbtack Small Business Friendliness survey, Arizona is slightly less business-friendly in 2015 than in 2014. The annual survey of 18,000 small business owners across the US, including 597 across Arizona, found the state has a B- grade for overall business friendliness, down from a B grade in 2014. The survey examined responses from business owners on a wide array of issues including taxation, licensing training, the ease of starting a business, and available resources like city government websites. Arizona as a whole reported particular challenges in the availability of training and networking opportunities, where it scored a C-, as well as in the state’s labor and hiring regulations, where it scored a C+. On the flip side, the state got a B+ for its zoning regulations, suggesting business owners face many challenges in doing business in the state, but that finding suitable real estate may not be one of them. According to the Arizona Republic, overall the state ranked 22nd among US states, falling from 15th, in 2014. Thumbtack chief economist Jon Lieber said, “Arizona’s regulatory climate is better than in its neighboring states of California and New Mexico, but it is still playing catch up with friendlier states like Colorado and Utah.”

What This Means For Small Businesses

Arizona has seen mixed results from the Thumbtack survey going back to 2012. Though the state’s 2015 ranking has improved from its 2012 and 2013 grades, the survey results suggest that in 2015 there are some additional challenges the state’s small business owners are facing that have contributed to them feeling less optimistic about the state’s business climate than in 2014.

Additional Reading

NFIB previously noted the Thumbtack survey’s results for California.

Note: this article is intended to keep small business owners up on the latest news. It does not necessarily represent the policy stances of NFIB.

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