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Sarasota has turned around its reputation for being a tough place to do business, at least according to one new report.
The city is ranked the No. 1 friendliest city in Florida for small businesses in a survey compiled by local commerce firm Thumbtack.com. The study, according to a release, asked respondents to rate their state and city governments in more than a dozen business-related metrics. This is the first year Sarasota is on the list.
Sarasota, with an overall B+ grade, outperformed eight other Florida cities in, including Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami. Tampa had a C+ score, while the only other Gulf Coast city on the list, Cape
Coral, also had a C+, up from a C- in 2014, the report shows. Some of the key Sarasota findings include:
The B+ for overall small business friendliness placed Sarasota 28 out of 95 cities nationwide;
Sarasota's best scores were an A+ for tax regulations, as well as an A for overall government friendliness.
The worst scores for Sarasota were C grades for training and networking programs, in addition to zoning regulations.
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