Nevada falls slightly in Thumbtack business survey

Nevada got top grades from small business owners for tax code and zoning but was rated average on licensing, training and hiring issues, according to Thumbtack of San Francisco.

The ratings covered all states and some cities and were done by Thumbtack, a technology-based marketplace firm that connects Americans with small firms and professionals. The ratings were based on surveys of the firm owners in each state and included city policies as well. In Nevada, the overall small business friendliness rating for 2015 released today was a “B,” which melded the several categories, down from a “B+” in 2014.

After learning some results, Carson City Mayor Robert Crowell reacted from the basis of his political perspective and as a long time lawyer, small business person and lobbyist familiar with the Nevada’s Legislature crafting laws that affect many of the categories surveyed.

“That shows we’ve some work to do in Nevada,” he said, but added: “I think we’re on the right track.” The state capital’s mayor was reacting to news the survey showed the Silver State and communities earned an “A+” for both the state tax code and zoning matters, but got a “C” for licensing, ease of hiring, as well as training and networking programs. Nevada received a “B+” for regulations and a “B” for environmental and for health and safety matters.

The mayor, also a former school board member, said in Carson City things are particularly on the right track in matters like education and training. He also said Carson City was headed in the right direction for home ownership as well, though that wasn’t a survey category.

A Thumbtack economist commented on the Nevada results, saying small businesses were “frequently frustrated by unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles” and one cited in this state was licensing.

“In Nevada, you have to deal with multiple city and county agencies to get licenses, pay license fees and so on,” Thumbtack quoted an unidentified real estate inspector in Henderson.

The Thumbtack release said licensing remained more important than taxes, adding tax equity mattered less than any measure of regulatory compliance.

The San Francisco-based firm said 18,000 small businesses across the nation responded to the survey, included 203 in Nevada, and firms were asked to rate their state and city governments across a range of policy factors.