ATLANTA — A nationally-known website and app that helps consumers find local professionals for projects says Georgia is at the top when it comes to small business friendliness.
Small business owners on the website Thumbtack awarded Georgia an A+ this year, ranking fourth in a survey in 49 states.
With more than 5,000 small business owners surveyed, it is the largest continuous study of small business perceptions of local government policy in the United States, according to a press release.
Georgia was previously ranked sixth in the 2018 Thumbtack Survey.
Gov. Brian Kemp said: "Small businesses are the backbone of our state's economy, comprising over 99% of all businesses in Georgia. This A+ ranking confirms what entrepreneurs across the nation and around the world know: Georgia is a great place to live, work, and do business."
Thumbtack also assigned several policy-specific grades to evaluate how easy state governments make it to start, operate, and grow a small business.
Highlights from Georgia's score include:
▪ Overall friendliness: A+
▪ Ease of starting a business: A+
▪ Regulations: A+
▪ Employment, labor, and hiring: A+
▪ Tax code: A+
▪ Licensing: A+
▪ Government websites: A+
"Building on our success as the top state for business, I am proud to see Georgia receive top marks for our small business climate," Kemp said.
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