Governments pursue a range of policies to prop up the small businesses that serve as key components to growing local economies.
Several interest groups issue grades for “business friendliness” -- often tied to metrics associated with one political ideology or another. Thumback.com, a consumer service website, has taken a different approach by asking small business owners themselves how they perceive the business environment in states and metro areas. The website surveyed more than 12,000 small businesses in its network over a two-month period ending in late January.
Image: Downtown Harrisonburg in Virginia, one of the states that got an A+ for business-friendliness. FlickrCC/thanh.ha.dang.