The Maine Wire
  • News
  • Commentary
  • Maine Wire TV
  • Podcasts
  • About
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending News
  • Two Men Arrested in Sanford Stabbing and Bike Theft Case
  • South Portland High School Locked Down This Morning After Suspicious Individual Spotted Near Entrance
  • Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Longest-Serving Female Senator, Dead At 90
  • Angus King and West Virginia Senator Partner to Designate September as ‘National Recovery Month’ Amid Rise in Overdoses
  • Senate Unanimously Approves Official Business-Appropriate Dress Code
  • ‘Enough is Enough’: Portland Business Owners Speak Out About Crime and Violence in City’s Homeless Encampments [VIDEO]
  • Low Approval Ratings for Congress and Biden Persist as Government Shutdown Looms: Gallup Poll
  • Sanford Man Stabbed Multiple Times After Having His Bike Stolen Near City’s Homeless Hot Spot
Facebook Twitter Instagram
The Maine Wire
Login
Saturday, September 30
  • News
  • Commentary
  • Maine Wire TV
  • Podcasts
  • About
  • Contact
The Maine Wire
Home » News » Survey Ranks Maine 40th Business Friendly State
News

Survey Ranks Maine 40th Business Friendly State

Steve RobinsonBy Steve RobinsonApril 2, 20132 Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Reddit
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Small Business

Well, at least we’re not dead last.

A survey of 8,000 small businesses across the country published by Governing.com on the regulatory, tax and economic climate of all 50 states has placed Maine 40th in terms of the state’s friendliness to small business.

If that sounds like progress since Forbes published a similar study placing Maine 50th, guess again.

According to the survey, nine states were excluded from the review because less than 20 businesses from those states responded to the survey. Only Rhode Island’s business climate ranked less friendly than Maine’s.

Utah, Alabama and New Hampshire took home the 1, 2 and 3 spots, respectively.

But despite Maine’s nationwide recognition as perhaps the worst state to do business in, lawmakers are intent on tightening the screws on businesses that are already struggling to survive under the state’s tax and regulatory leviathan.

Read the report from Governing.com:

When it comes to how business-friendly an area is, smaller companies care about much more than just taxes.

A new survey of nearly 8,000 small businesses throughout the country rates business climates of states and metro areas, providing clues to what these economic engines view as top concerns.

Utah earned the highest overall small-business friendly rating of any state, followed by Alabama, New Hampshire and Idaho. Rounding out the bottom of the list, which did not include nine states with insufficient numbers of respondents, were Rhode Island, Maine and Hawaii.

Thumbtack, an online marketplace for businesses, surveyed its clients and partnered with the Kansas City-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation for the report.

Training and networking programs were found to be the best predictor of overall scores, followed by a state’s economy and licensing requirements. Professional licensing — a source of frustration for many business owners — was 30 percent more important than tax codes in determining business-friendliness, the study reported.

In fact, the majority of businesses surveyed didn’t think their taxes were unfairly high. The larger the business, though, the more negatively it perceived its tax rates.

[Related: Maine Business InsideOut–Understanding Maine’s Business Climate (pdf)]

Nathan Allen, who co-authored the report, said licensing requirements stood out as an important factor in a state’s overall business-friendliness. More than half of companies surveyed reported being subject to at least one licensing agency, and many of them must adhere to mandates set by multiple levels of government.

“It’s something they really have to contend with and stay up on,” Allen said. “The time they have to spend on it can become a serious burden to their growth.”

Read more at Governing.com

 

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
business regulations tax
Previous ArticleUnion-Funded Politician Defends Mandatory Union Funding, Gets Schooled by Defense of Liberty PAC "Volunteer"
Next Article Maine GOP Points Up Dangers, Unforeseen Consequences of MaineCare Expansion
Steve Robinson
  • Twitter

Steve Robinson is the Editor-in-Chief of The Maine Wire. ‪He can be reached by email at Robinson@TheMaineWire.com.

Related Posts

Two Men Arrested in Sanford Stabbing and Bike Theft Case

September 29, 2023

South Portland High School Locked Down This Morning After Suspicious Individual Spotted Near Entrance

September 29, 2023

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Longest-Serving Female Senator, Dead At 90

September 29, 2023

2 Comments

  1. John Frary on April 7, 2013 3:17 AM

    In re taxes, a number of studies concluded that business investments were affected more by taxation trends than by any particular cut or special tax allowances and breaks. That is, long-run expectations affect long-term investments. That would seem to make sense.

  2. Jeramy Brookhart on October 5, 2014 1:45 PM

    jooouli

Leave A Reply

Recent News

Two Men Arrested in Sanford Stabbing and Bike Theft Case

September 29, 2023

South Portland High School Locked Down This Morning After Suspicious Individual Spotted Near Entrance

September 29, 2023

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Longest-Serving Female Senator, Dead At 90

September 29, 2023

Angus King and West Virginia Senator Partner to Designate September as ‘National Recovery Month’ Amid Rise in Overdoses

September 29, 2023

Senate Unanimously Approves Official Business-Appropriate Dress Code

September 29, 2023
Newsletter

News

  • News
  • Campaigns & Elections
  • Opinion & Commentary
  • Media Watch
  • Education
  • Media

Maine Wire

  • About the Maine Wire
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Commentary
  • Complaints
  • Maine Policy Institute

Resources

  • Maine Legislature
  • Legislation Finder
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Maine Wire TV

Facebook Twitter Instagram Steam RSS
  • Post Office Box 7829, Portland, Maine 04112

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Sign In or Register

Welcome Back!

Login below or Register Now.

Lost password?

Register Now!

Already registered? Login.

A password will be e-mailed to you.