Small business owners in North Carolina may be finding it easier to run their companies in the state, if a recent study from small business site Thumbtack.com is any indication.
And some Chapel Hill small business owners say their experiences match the study’s findings.
Thumbtack.com is a website where local businesses across the nation can advertise their services. The website released its second annual small business friendliness survey results this month and North Carolina received a B plus, a letter grade up from last year’s C plus.
The survey was conducted by measuring cities and states across the nation on criteria such as the ease of hiring or the ease of starting a business. North Carolina ranked similarly to surrounding states in the study, with Virginia receiving an A, South Carolina, an A minus, and Tennessee, a B plus.
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce released its own version of a business friendliness survey in March, which drew on data received from a series of questions sent out to businesses in the area, said Kristen Smith, vice president for advocacy and engagement for the chamber.
The survey asked local businesses about the one thing they would like to change locally to help their businesses thrive.
Business owners replied with wishes for more companies in the Chapel Hill area, a better overall business environment, and changes in existing regulations.
Chapel Hill 2020, a plan adopted in 2012 by the town council, seeks to provide a framework to reach the goal of a more accessible, affordable and sustainable town, according to the town website.
The plan includes a set of recommendations, which may prove satisfactory to the wishes of local small businesses. In response to the desires for an increase in business, the town plans to create additional incubator space to support entrepreneurs in the hopes of retaining and increasing local talent, according to the 2020 recommendations.
The town also plans to recruit new employers and service providers in line with their motto of being “open for business, to business,” and by adequately funding the economic development department, according to the recommendations.
Additional plans involve providing more incentives such as public parking, which will be necessary to increase the amount of visitors to Chapel Hill as well as the amount of businesses in the area.
Over the last 20 years, the population of the Chapel Hill area is estimated to have increased by 40 percent and still continues to grow.
“There is a lot of traffic here, and there are a lot of people that come here to stay,” said Matt Oliverio, owner of MFO Painting and Design in Carrboro. “I think in 20 years from now, Carrboro will be a much bigger town.”
Oliverio said expected growth is an added incentive for small businesses to come to the area. — with an increase in population and visitors, companies can expect higher revenues in the future.
Gay Sparano, owner of AAA Organizing in Chapel Hill, said she was happy to have a business located in town.
“I think it [the town of Chapel Hill] is great, it is very welcoming, and it is very supportive,” she said.
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