1.

There are a lot of metrics that would be important to evaluate a state's potential for
starting a new business. Some important ones would be the number of people with
college degrees, the unemployment rate, and the median income in the area. Other things
to consider would be how much money is flowing through local businesses, whether
there are other small businesses already in the area, and what media and government
policies are unique to this area. If you want to start a business where you live, it's good to
find out what it has going for it before you move there.
2. Many reasons contribute to the states in the lower 10 positions. For example, is it because
of the population? The seasons? The economy? The political climate? The food? All of
these are correct. Some people look at it from a political perspective and say that the
states that are in last place do not have Democratic or Republican majorities. However,
they fail to realize that these states have more Independent voters than any other state.
This is why they struggle so much. While some might say that the economy is a factor, I
would argue that the economy plays a role but is only one-third of the reason why. These
factors are all interconnected and affect each other on a constant basis. One factor will
usually lead to another factor which will cause another factor to happen, and so on and so
forth until you find yourself asking: "What caused this?"