Small business survey gives New York, Connecticut poor grades

Connecticut and New York proved rather inhospitable to small business in a recent survey.

Thumbtack, a California-based consumer services company, released its annual small business friendliness survey. It included 18,000 business owners nationwide.

Connecticut received an F for overall business friendliness. New York received a D.

According to the survey results, business owners gave Connecticut an F for regulations; health and safety; employment, labor and hiring; tax code; environmental; zoning and training and networking programs. The state received a D+ for ease of starting a business and a C- for ease of hiring and licensing.

In New York, nearly all categories received grades in the  C range except for ease of hiring and training and networking programs, which both received a B-. The state received an F for ease of starting a business.

Last year, Connecticut”™s overall business friendliness grade was a D and New York’s was a D+. Respondents gave both states nearly failing grades for overall friendliness and for ease of starting a business, but both states fared better for their training and networking programs and for ease of hiring.

According to this year’s results, the friendliest states toward small business are Texas, Utah and New Hampshire.