For states to succeed in today's global marketplace, they have to look beyond just keeping taxes low and competing for jobs regionally.
In Tennessee, we put as much effort into ensuring our state continues to have an attractive business climate as we do economic development recruiting. By constantly working to make the state's business climate better, we are working toward long-term economic competitiveness as well as short-term economic wins.
Tennessee is the best state for business because we pair our business community's proven track record of scaled growth and innovation with an approach by the public sector to constantly upgrade our business climate.
(Read more: Top US states for new manufacturing jobs)
Government gets too much credit—good and bad—for the economy. After all, government does not create jobs. It is the people who are willing to take risks and invest capital that are the real job creators in America, building their businesses one decision and investment at a time.
Here are five things about Tennessee that make us the best state in the country for business: