Colorado is the ninth-best state in the nation in terms of "policy friendliness" to entrepreneurs, according to the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council.

Attributes helping Colorado get to No. 9 were no death tax, fairly low corporate income and capital gains taxes, low consumption-based taxes, low unemployment taxes and low workers' compensation costs.

Elements working against Colorado were the imposition of individual alternative tax, high property taxes, high number of health insurance mandates and a high minimum wage.
The organization's ranking — found in its "U.S. Business Policy Index 2012: Ranking the States on Policy Measures and Costs Impacting Small Business and Entrepreneurship" — are based on each state's tax, regulatory and government spending measures.

South Dakota was ranked as the most favorable state, while California was the least-favorable.