A New York-based outfit dubbed Fit Small Business begs to differ. Danielle Chemtob reports for the Triangle Business Journal.

Entrepreneurs and business owners need look no further than the Tar Heel state to set up shop — North Carolina came out on top in a new study of the best states to start a business.

The study, conducted by Fit Small Business, cited the state’s labor market and taxes as driving an ideal environment for business owners. Fit Small Business, out of New York City, says it provides research to help small business owners make wiser decisions.

The researchers used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Kauffman Foundation and the Small Business Administration to rank states on seven categories — access to capital, startup activity, taxes, cost-of-living, labor market, quality of life and cost of starting a business.

The study took corporate, individual income, unemployment insurance, property and sales taxes into account, ranking North Carolina 11th nationally for tax rates. At 3 percent, North Carolina’s corporate tax rate is the lowest of any state levying a corporate tax, according to the Tax Foundation, and is set to be reduced to 2.5 percent beginning in 2019 after to the North Carolina General Assembly’s latest budget.

Perhaps these entrepreneurs know the same facts peer-reviewed academic journal articles have highlighted.