"For the second year, Virginia set an outstanding example of providing a supportive environment for small business," said Sander Daniels, co-founder of Thumbtack.com. "Our research with thousands of small businesses points to the importance of clear and consistent regulations and relevant training programs, and these are exactly the areas where Virginia excels."

Some of the key findings for Virginia include:

• Small business owners ranked Virginia #6 for its overall business friendliness, up from #7 last year. 
• The state also received an 'A' grade for its licensing regulations and tax codes, as well as an 'A' for its training and networking programs. Additionally, Virginia was ranked #4 for the quality of its online business resources.
• Nationally, professional licensing requirements were more important to small business owners than taxes in determining a state's overall business-friendliness, confirming the findings from last year's study.
• African-American and Hispanic small business owners were more likely than their white counterparts to encourage others to start a new business.
• The top ranking states overall were Utah, Alabama, New Hampshire, Idaho, and Texas.  The lowest rated were Illinois, California, Hawaii, Maine and, in last place, Rhode Island.
• Among major cities nationwide, the Norfolk-Virginia Beach metro earned an A+ as the #2 city for small business. Richmond also fared well with a B+ overall grade. Washington DC and Baltimore received a 'B' and a 'C' grade, respectively.
• Virginia's lowest mark was an A- for its zoning regulations.

"It is critical to the economic health of every city and state to create an entrepreneur-friendly environment," said Dane Stangler, director of Research and Policy at the Kauffman Foundation.  "Policymakers put themselves in the best position to encourage sustainable growth and long-term prosperity by listening to the voices of small business owners themselves."

The full survey results can be seen HERE and include full sets of rankings, easily searchable quotes from Virginia small businesses, regional comparisons within states, and Census data comparing Virginia's key demographics against those of other states. 

LOOK3, the Charlottesville Festival of the Photograph, will once again take place on the Downtown Mall from June 11th to June 15th. The Festival will kick off at the Paramount Theater on June 12th at 7:30pm with the event's hallmark TREES Talk exhibit, which will feature wildlife photographer, Tim Laman's photographs of Papua New Guinea's birds of paradise. As part of the exhibit, majestic images from nature are suspended on banners high in the trees along Charlottesville's outdoor pedestrian mall. The TREES exhibition is ecologically centered to promote environmental awareness and conservation.

Other Festival features include: SHOTS and WORKS, an evening of projections in the nTelos Wireless Pavilion; Insight Artists, a 3-night event hosting artist who have helped define the art of picture-making; and the 69th annual Pictures of the Year International awards exhibit.

For more information about the Festival, please CLICK HERE.