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The Best State To Start A Business In 2023 Revealed

A new study has named Montana the best state in America to start a business. The Best State To Start … Read more

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5 months ago

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  • Montana ranked as the best state to start a business, with some of the lowest monthly commercial energy costs and LLC filing fees of all states.
  • Iowa and Colorado follow closely in the top rankings.
  • Google searches for ‘how to start a business’ have increased by 28.9% between April 2020 and April 2023.

A new study has named Montana the best state in America to start a business.

The Best State To Start A Business

The research undertaken by accounting software Akounto.com considered the following factors to determine the best state to start a business: corporate tax rates, business filing fees, private sector establishment closure rate, monthly commercial energy bills, household income, and the number of workers aged 16-64 in each state’s workforce.

Each of these six metrics were scored and weighted according to their impact on start-up businesses, with each state scoring a maximum of 75 points.

Montana

The study found that Montana is the best state to start a business, scoring 63.47 out of 75 points. Among the analyzed states, Montana boasts the highest start-up savings. The state’s average commercial energy bill of $382.07 per month is the fourth lowest in America, meaning that business owners save over $2,600, compared to the national average, in their first year of trading.

The state LLC filing fee, which is required to register a business, is just $35, 93% below the national average, and its yearly LLC fee, which can be as high as $800 in other states, is just $20.

In addition, 75.6% of Montana residents aged 16-64 are employed, closely mirroring the national average of 75.2%. This employment rate is important because it indicates a healthy recruitment pool for new businesses.

Iowa

Iowa ranked as the second-best state to start a business, scoring 62.01 out of 75 points. The state has a notably low business establishment death rate of 2.13%, 25% below the national average.

Additionally, Iowa’s average business energy bill is $417.19, ranking fifth lowest in the nation, which allows companies to save and re-invest almost $200 extra each month compared to the national average.

Residents in this state have a median income of $102,220, $2,500 above the national average, and this state has the 6th highest employment rate in America, with 79.5% of citizens aged 16-64 in employment. These combined factors indicate that people in Iowa may generally have more funds to spend or invest in local businesses.

Colorado

Ranked third, Colorado was awarded 60.63 points out of a possible 75. This state has the sixth highest median household income, which at $119,663.08, is more than 20% higher than the national average, and an employment rate of 78.9% for citizens aged 16-64, which is 6% higher than the national average, both factors contribute to a healthy state economy, and additional customer spending.

Notably, the state has a corporate tax rate of 4.4%, meaning businesses in this state pay 30% less tax when compared to the national average of 6.44%. The state’s average commercial energy bill is $478.70 per month, $125 less than the national average.

On top of this, new companies in this state will benefit from a low LLC filing fee of $50 and a yearly LLC fee of $10, equating to an additional saving of more than $150 compared to the national averages.

Mississippi

Mississippi ranks fourth in the study, earning 58.55 points out of 75. Mississippi also ranks joint-first for LLC fees, as they currently have no annual LLC fee. This equates to savings of up to $800 compared to other states. Companies in this state will also only need to pay a single LLC filing fee of $155 upfront.

With an average commercial energy bill of $510.18, companies in this state can expect to pay $94 less on energy compared to the national average. Mississippi also beats the national average for corporate tax, coming in at 5%, meaning that companies in this state save 25% more tax than the average.

The “Magnolia State” also has 67.6% of all 16-64-year-olds currently employed, the second lowest employment rate in America, meaning there are plenty of recruitment opportunities for a budding business in this state.

Missouri

Missouri ranks fifth as the best state to start a business, scoring 58.55 out of 75 points. This Show-Me state has a corporate tax rate of 4%, meaning that a company in this state will pay around 38% less tax on average than any other state.

This state has a monthly commercial energy bill of $560.47, which is 7.3% less than the national average of $604.62. Moreover, the state has an employment rate of 75.5% among its 16-64-year-old population, and the median household income is $87,756, more than $11,000 below the national average.

The Show-Me State had the highest business establishment death rate, with 3.33% of establishments closing the past year. This is a statistic that Missouri may be eager to change with its low $50 LLC filing fee, which is the fifth lowest in America, and its $0 LLC annual fee, which, when compared to the highest fee in all 50 states of $800 makes Missouri an appealing choice for future business owners.

KentuckyAnd New Mexico

Kentucky ranks sixth with 57.29 points out of a possible 75 and outshines many other states by ranking third overall for the lowest LLC filing fee at $40-saving businesses $450 on day one.

New Mexico ranks seventh, with 57.02 points and is one of the few states to require no annual LLC fee and no yearly information report, making it an excellent choice for business owners wishing to save time on additional paperwork.

Arizona And Idaho

Ranking eighth is Arizona, with 56.23 points out of a possible 75. Arizona also ranks fifth overall for the lowest LLC filing fee at $50- a day-one saving of up to $450 compared to the other states.

Idaho emerged as the ninth-best state to start a business with a total score of 55.86 points out of a possible 75. The average company in the “Gem State” can expect to pay $369.97 per month on energy, which is the lowest in America, and a difference of $825 from that of the highest state’s commercial energy bill, meaning business owners in this state will have more money to re-invest in growth.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania ranked tenth in the study, with a total score of 55.78 points out of a possible 75. The Keystone State had the lowest business death rate in America at 2.1%. Pennsylvania also has the second lowest monthly commercial energy bill at $378.38, which is $226 below the national average, and offers a saving of more than $800 per month when compared to the state with the highest rates.

Speaking on the findings, a spokesperson from Akounto.com said:

“The data shows that the top 10 states in this study offer a great environment for new businesses to thrive, with lower commercial energy bills, high workforce participation, and stable private sectors. Aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners might want to consider these states when planning their next venture.

“Interestingly, Google searches for “how to start a business” have increased 28.9% from April 2020 to April 2023, suggesting a growing interest in entrepreneurship. As we have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall interest in starting a business remains strong, highlighting the importance of choosing the right state for new businesses to succeed.”

Rank

State

Median Household Income

Tax %

LLC Filing Fee

LLC Annual/ Biennial Fee

Average business death rate (%)

Monthly Energy Bill Avg.

Aged 16-64 Workforce %

Total Points

1

Montana

$91,440.59 

6.75

$35 

$20

2.68

$382.07

75.6

63.47

2

Iowa

$102,219.50 

8.4

$50 

$30

2.13

$417.19

79.5

62.01

3

Colorado

$119,663.08 

4.4

$50 

$10

3.03

$478.70

78.9

60.63

4

Mississippi

$67,660.16 

5

$50 

$0

2.35

$510.18

67.6

59.42

5

Missouri

$87,756.46 

4

$50 

$0

3.33

$560.47

75.5

58.55

6

Kentucky

$80,208.18 

5

$40 

$15

2.68

$528.33

70.5

57.29

7

New Mexico

$75,412.53 

5.9

$50 

$0

3.1

$532.54

69.2

57.02

8

Arizona

$100,890.13 

4.9

$50 

$0

2.85

$769.97

73.7

56.23

9

Idaho

$96,257.42 

5.8

$100 

$0

2.95

$369.97

75.6

55.86

10

Pennsylvania

$104,608.43 

8.99

$125 

$70

2.1

$378.38

75.7

55.78

11

Utah

$115,006.77 

4.85

$54 

$18

3

$594.26

77.9

54.19

12

Nebraska

$107,019.89 

7.25

$100 

$13

2.7

$431.95

80.7

54.04

13

Michigan

$94,628.68 

6

$50 

$25

2.3

$686.57

74

51.62

14

West Virginia

$73,050.78 

6.5

$100 

$25

2.43

$382.04

65.9

51.61

15

South Carolina

$88,909.64 

5

$110 

$0

2.68

$467.20

72.4

50.91

16

Wyoming

$88,418.53 

0

$100 

$60

2.75

$478.60

78.5

50.7

17

Ohio

$88,615.62 

5.75

$99 

$0

2.33

$571.00

75.4

50.26

18

Vermont

$99,565.18 

8.5

$125 

$35

2.68

$427.37

78.1

50.02

19

Indiana

$90,201.70 

4.9

$95 

$31

2.18

$606.65

75.2

49.55

20

South Dakota

$89,056.73 

0

$150 

$50

2.3

$540.50

79.7

49.39

21

Hawaii

$109,587.36 

6.4

$50 

$15

2.78

$1,195.47

76.7

48.8

22

Oklahoma

$83,251.51 

4

$100 

$25

2.9

$488.32

72.3

48.72

23

North Carolina

$93,244.59 

2.5

$125 

$200

2.63

$461.77

74.3

48.29

24

New Hampshire

$118,186.82 

7.5

$100 

$100

2.88

$501.79

79.6

47.42

25

Maine

$92,812.64 

8.93

$175 

$85

2.53

$431.85

75.9

47.06

26

Wisconsin

$97,140.31 

7.9

$130 

$25

2.3

$587.18

78.8

46.83

27

Washington

$119,655.59 

6.5

$200 

$60

2.4

$553.80

75.6

46.24

28

Oregon

$113,522.43 

7.6

$100 

$100

2.85

$517.10

74.8

46.1

29

Minnesota

$110,714.08 

9.8

$155 

$0

2.5

$673.61

81.6

45.53

30

Arkansas

$77,114.15 

5.3

$45 

$150

3.13

$455.71

70.7

44.97

31

Kansas

$99,791.55 

7

$160 

$50

2.7

$549.25

77.7

44.91

32

North Dakota

$93,782.99 

4

$135 

$50

2.55

$674.12

80

44.69

33

Illinois

$112,986.70 

9.5

$150 

$75

2.53

$596.27

76.5

44.43

34

New Jersey

$125,598.65 

11.5

$125 

$75

2.45

$722.09

76.9

43.87

35

Louisiana

$81,035.94 

7.5

$100 

$35

2.45

$643.18

69.2

43.83

36

Virginia

$119,714.86 

6

$100 

$50

3.03

$862.09

76.6

42.72

37

Georgia

$89,725.88 

5.75

$100 

$50

2.98

$674.84

73

42.62

38

Alabama

$78,639.09 

6.5

$200 

$50

2.4

$573.08

69.6

42.13

39

Nevada

$94,127.56 

6.85

$425 

$350

3.2

$463.41

74.7

41.95

40

Massachusetts

$133,402.75 

8

$500 

$500

2.13

$779.31

78.4

41.67

41

Connecticut

$127,989.94 

7.5

$120 

$80

2.63

$1,030.34

77.8

41.08

42

Rhode Island

$113,761.12 

7

$150 

$50

3.18

$775.12

77.6

41.07

43

Florida

$84,589.25 

5.5

$125 

$139

3.13

$584.71

73.8

40.91

43

New York

$110,361.88 

7.25

$200 

$9

2.75

$806.07

74.2

40.91

45

Texas

$99,422.72 

6.25

$300 

$0

2.6

$692.26

74.8

40.83

46

Tennessee

$87,346.88 

6.5

$300 

$300

2.33

$607.58

73

40.4

47

Delaware

$102,189.61 

8.7

$90 

$300

3.23

$568.32

74

40.34

48

Alaska

$105,162.63 

9.4

$250 

$100

2.63

$746.45

75.3

39.79

49

Maryland

$131,216.33 

8.25

$100 

$300

2.75

$909.13

77.7

39.26

50

California

$117,708.96 

8.84

$0 

$800

2.6

$992.86

73.7

36.15

The study was conducted by Akounto.com, the all-in-one accounting software to manage invoices, expenses, financial reports, payments, and taxes.

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Von Der Leyen Speech Suggests Russia Dropped Nuke On Hiroshima 

Von Der Leyen Speech Suggests Russia Dropped Nuke On Hiroshima 

Von der Leyen just said what?…

This past Wednesday, President of the European…

Published

3 hours ago

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September 24, 2023

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Von Der Leyen Speech Suggests Russia Dropped Nuke On Hiroshima 

Von der Leyen just said what?...

This past Wednesday, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen delivered a speech before the 2023 Atlantic Council Awards in New York, where she sounded the alarm over the specter of nuclear war centered on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. But while invoking remembrance of the some 78,000 civilians killed instantly by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima at the end of WWII, she said her warning comes "especially at a time when Russia threatens to use nuclear weapons once again". She  actually framed the atomic atrocity in a way that made it sound like the Russians did it. Watch:

There was not one single acknowledgement in Von der Leyen's speech that it was in fact the United States which incinerated and maimed hundreds of thousands when it dropped no less that two atomic bombs on Japanese cities.

Here were her precise words, according to an Atlantic Council transcript...

You, dear Prime Minister, showed me the meaning of this proverb during the G7 summit in Japan last year. You brought us to your hometown of Hiroshima, the place where you have your roots and which has deeply shaped your life and leadership. Many of your relatives lost their life when the atomic bomb razed Hiroshima to the ground. You have grown up with the stories of the survivors. And you wanted us to listen to the same stories, to face the past, and learn something about the future.

It was a sobering start to the G7, and one that I will not forget, especially at a time when Russia threatens to use nuclear weapons once again. It is heinous. It is dangerous. And in the shadow of Hiroshima, it is unforgivable. 

The above video of that segment of the speech gives a better idea of the subtle way she closely associated in her rhetoric the words "once again" with the phrase "shadow of Hiroshima" while focusing on what Russia is doing, to make it sound like it was Moscow behind the past atrocities.

Via dpa

Russian media not only picked up on the woefully misleading comments, but the Kremlin issued a formal rebuke of Von der Leyen's speech as well:

In response to von der Leynen's remarks, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the European Commission president of making "no mention whatsoever of the US and its executioners who dropped the bombs on populated Japanese cities."

Zakharova responded on social media, arguing that von der Leyen's assertions on Moscow's supposed intentions to employ nuclear weapons "is despicable and dangerous" and "lies."

Some Russian embassies in various parts of the globe also highlighted the speech on social media, denouncing the "empire of lies" and those Western leaders issuing 'shameful' propaganda and historical revisionism.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/24/2023 - 13:15

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International

Saudi Arabia Sentences Schoolgirl To 18 Years In Prison Over Tweets

Saudi Arabia Sentences Schoolgirl To 18 Years In Prison Over Tweets

Via Middle East Eye,

Saudi Arabia has sentenced a secondary schoolgirl…

Published

4 hours ago

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September 24, 2023

By

Saudi Arabia Sentences Schoolgirl To 18 Years In Prison Over Tweets

Via Middle East Eye,

Saudi Arabia has sentenced a secondary schoolgirl to 18 years in jail and a travel ban for posting tweets in support of political prisoners, according to a rights group.

On Friday, ALQST rights group, which documents human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, revealed that the Saudi Specialised Criminal Court handed out the sentence in August to 18-year-old Manal al-Gafiri, who was only 17 at the time of her arrest.

Via Reuters

The Saudi judiciary, under the de facto rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has issued several extreme prison sentences over cyber activism and the use of social media for criticising the government.

They include the recent death penalty against Mohammed al-Ghamdi, a retired teacher, for comments made on Twitter and YouTube, and the 34-year sentence of Leeds University doctoral candidate Salma al-Shehab over tweets last year.

The crown prince confirmed Ghamdi's sentence during a wide-ranging interview with Fox News on Wednesday. He blamed it on "bad laws" that he cannot change. 

"We are not happy with that. We are ashamed of that. But [under] the jury system, you have to follow the laws, and I cannot tell a judge [to] do that and ignore the law, because... that's against the rule of law," he said.

Saudi human rights defenders and lawyers, however, disputed Mohammed bin Salman's allegations and said the crackdown on social media users is correlated with his ascent to power and the introduction of new judicial bodies that have since overseen a crackdown on his critics. 

"He is able, with one word or the stroke of a pen, in seconds, to change the laws if he wants," Taha al-Hajji, a Saudi lawyer and legal consultant with the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights, told Middle East Eye this week.

According to Joey Shea, Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch, Ghamdi was sentenced under a counterterrorism law passed in 2017, shortly after Mohammed bin Salman became crown prince. The law has been criticised for its broad definition of terrorism.

Similarly, two new bodies - the Presidency of State Security and the Public Prosecution Office - were established by royal decrees in the same year.

Rights groups have said that the 2017 overhaul of the kingdom's security apparatus has significantly enabled the repression of Saudi opposition voices, including those of women rights defenders and opposition activists. 

"These violations are new under MBS, and it's ridiculous that he is blaming this on the prosecution when he and senior Saudi authorities wield so much power over the prosecution services and the political apparatus more broadly," Shea said, using a common term for the prince.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/24/2023 - 11:30

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Biden To Join UAW Picket Line As Strike Expands, Good Luck Getting Repairs

Biden To Join UAW Picket Line As Strike Expands, Good Luck Getting Repairs

Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,

In a symbolic, photo-op…

Published

5 hours ago

on

September 24, 2023

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Biden To Join UAW Picket Line As Strike Expands, Good Luck Getting Repairs

Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,

In a symbolic, photo-op gesture to win union votes, Biden will head to Michigan for a token visit.

Biden to Walk the Picket Line

Taking Sides

CNN had some Interesting comments on Biden Talking Sides.

Jeremi Suri, a presidential historian and professor at University of Texas at Austin, said he doesn’t believe any president has ever visited a picket line during a strike.

Presidents, including Biden, have previously declined to wade into union disputes to avoid the perception of taking sides on issues where the negotiating parties are often engaged in litigation.

On September 15, the day the strike started, Biden said that the automakers “should go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts for the UAW.”

Some Democratic politicians have been urging Biden to do more. California Rep. Ro Khanna on Monday told CNN’s Vanessa Yurkevich that Biden and other Democrats should join him on the picket line.

“I’d love to see the president out here,” he said, arguing the Democratic Party needs to demonstrate it’s “the party of the working class.”

UAW Announces New Strike Locations

As the strike enters a second week, UAW Announces New Strike Locations

UAW President Shawn Fain called for union members to strike at noon ET Friday at 38 General Motors and Stellantis facilities across 20 states. He said the strike call covers all of GM and Stellantis’ parts distribution facilities.

The strike call notably excludes Ford, the third member of Detroit’s Big Three, suggesting the UAW is more satisfied with the progress it has made on a new contract with that company.

General Motors plants being told to strike are in Pontiac, Belleville, Ypsilanti, Burton, Swartz Creek and Lansing, Michigan; West Chester, Ohio; Aurora, Colorado; Hudson, Wisconsin; Bolingbrook, Illinois; Reno, Nevada; Rancho Cucamonga, California; Roanoke, Texas; Martinsburg, West Virginia; Brandon, Mississippi; Charlotte, North Carolina; Memphis, Tennessee; and Lang Horne, Pennsylvania.

The Stellantis facilities going on strike are in Marysville, Center Line, Warren, Auburn Hills, Romulus and Streetsboro, Michigan; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Plymouth, Minnesota; Commerce City, Colorado; Naperville, Illinois; Ontario, California; Beaverton, Oregon; Morrow, Georgia; Winchester, Virginia; Carrollton, Texas; Tappan, New York; and Mansfield, Massachusetts.

Contract Negotiations Are Not Close

Good Luck Getting Repairs

Party of the Working Cass, Really?

Let’s discuss the nonsensical notion that Democrats are the party of the “working class”.

Unnecessary stimulus, reckless expansion of social services, student debt cancellation, eviction moratoriums, earned income credits, immigration policy, and forcing higher prices for all, to benefit the few, are geared towards the “unworking class”.

On top of it, Biden wants to take away your gas stove, end charter schools to protect incompetent union teachers, and force you into an EV that you do not want and for which infrastructure is not in place.

All of this increases inflation across the board as do sanctions and clean energy madness.

Exploring the Working Class Idea

If you don’t work and have no income, Biden may make your healthcare cheaper. If you do work, he seeks to take your healthcare options away.

If you want to pay higher prices for cars, give up your gas stove, be forced into an EV, subsidize wind energy then pay more for electricity on top of it, you have a clear choice. If you support those efforts, by all means, please join him on the picket line for a token photo-op (not that you will be able to get within miles for the staged charade).

But if you can think at all, you understand Biden does not support the working class, he supports the unworking class.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/24/2023 - 10:30

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