Mount Rushmore in South Dakota by jamiedfw
As many of you are well aware, TECH cocktail is all about amplifying the local technology communities around the country. So far we have worked in cities like DC, Boulder, Chicago, Boston, etc and we are looking to visit more in the near future. That being said, I read a report the other day of study results put out by Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council showing its list of most entrepreneur friendly states.
According to the press release
The “Small Business Survival Index” is the most comprehensive measure of which states are truly friendly to small business, and which are not in terms of public policy decisions. The factors included in the Index – taxes, various regulatory costs, government spending, property rights, health care and energy costs, and much more – matter a great deal to the competitiveness of each state and to the well being of small business.
The 2009 Index has been expanded to cover 36 major government-imposed or government-related costs affecting small businesses and entrepreneurs. The measures are added together for an overall rating. The report is available at www.sbecouncil.org. (Look for the Index icon on the right side of the website’s front page.)
With that being said, here is the list of top ten states
- South Dakota
- Nevada
- Texas
- Wyoming
- Washington
- Florida
- South Carolina
- Colorado
- Alabama
- Virginia
and the worst …
42) Hawaii, 43) Minnesota, 44) Massachusetts, 45) Rhode Island, 46) Maine, 47) Vermont, 48) New York, 49) California, 50) New Jersey and 51) District of Columbia
Wow DC is last! How about all of you, what states are you in and how have you found the climate in your states?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Of course, many folks will note access to private investor funding is not listed in the criteria above, for example, affecting the startups’ collaboration and exit plans. Turning to bootstrappers, distance from fluid talent pools may present hiring considerations. Whether in the highlighted locations or others frequented by TC, winning is up to the individuals, such as is brought home at http://andyswan.com/blog/2009/12/11/face-it-youre-screwed/
Where is Illinois in the list?
I can see why New York is near the bottom (high taxes) but D.C. I’m surprised that it is the worst! Could it be the Gov’t focus of the city? Odd that 5 miles to the south is Virginia and it is in the top 10.
A list that bears nearly no resemblance to reality. Yes, I’m sure startups will just be flooding Wyoming now. Better co-working centers.
While access to huge talent pools is definitely a good plus for DC, the huge drawback is the risk adverse climate. At every single tech event, demo session, or workshop, the vast majority of people aren’t out there doing their own thing, have rarely (if ever) been part of a startup, and are usually attached to the Feds.
Some of the web agencies fall in the middle ground of general “entrepreneurship” but none are startups… and most cease to be entrepreneurial once they get bigger.
If California is 49th and Colorado is 8th than why California has more start-ups and higher success rate than Colorado. I live in Colorado and it sucks as well as entrepreneurship is concerned. Still has to see a Google, Oracle or MS type company rising from South Dakota, Wyoming or Florida. Any of the top states mentioned do not have the infrastructure and support system that exists in California.
Washington State will be moving up in the year ahead.