- Survey of Illinois business owners.
- Illinoisans’ top trait: “A work culture shaped by scale and discipline”.
- Infographic included.
Despite economic uncertainty, inflation jitters, and a business landscape that seems to change by the quarter, one defining trait continues to anchor American enterprise: resilience. In the U.S., failure has long been treated less as a career-ending stain and more as part of the learning curve – a cultural quirk that has quietly shaped generations of entrepreneurs. Even Henry J. Heinz famously saw his first company collapse in the 1870s before rebuilding what would become one of America’s most iconic brands.
To understand how that mindset shows up today at a local level, MarketBeat, a financial media company, surveyed 3,002 business owners asking a simple question:
What are the traits you genuinely love about doing business in your state?
The answers reveal a patchwork of values — shaped by history, geography, and local temperament – that together form the backbone of Illinois business culture. The top 5 were:
#1 A work culture shaped by scale and discipline
Illinois businesses are used to operating at size. There’s comfort with structure, process, and accountability, especially in industries tied to manufacturing, logistics, and finance.
#2 A deep and varied talent pool
From skilled trades to professional services, Illinois offers access to experienced workers across many sectors.
#3 A pragmatic approach to problem-solving
Illinois tends to favor solutions over slogans. Business culture here is grounded in making systems work efficiently rather than chasing hype.
#4 Access to major markets and infrastructure
With Chicago as a hub, businesses benefit from deep transportation networks, financial services, and national connectivity.
#5 Resilience built through economic cycles
Having weathered decades of industrial change, Illinois businesses are accustomed to adapting, restructuring, and staying steady through shifts.
Infographic showing the most popular business traits in each state
What the wider survey reveals
Zooming out, the broader data shows clear patterns in how Illinois business owners think about culture, risk, and opportunity.
When asked which single word best captures their state’s business culture, “hard-working” dominated (30%), followed by:
- Traditional (16%)
- Entrepreneurial (18%)
- Community-driven (10%)
- Competitive (10%)
Despite constant talk of disruption, only 8% selected “innovative” as the defining trait – suggesting reliability still outweighs novelty for many owners.
Relationships remain central to commerce. Nearly all respondents said personal relationships matter where they do business, with:
- 28% saying relationships are essential
- 40% calling them somewhat important
- Just 4% dismiss their importance entirely
Talent availability, often framed as a national crisis, showed a more balanced picture:
- 60% said finding good talent is easy or very easy
- 14% still find it difficult
When it comes to choosing where to operate, one factor towered above the rest: trust. More than half of respondents (56%) said honesty and trust in business relationships matter more than incentives, regulation, or even access to customers.
Failure, too, is viewed with nuance rather than fear:
- 40% see failure as a necessary step toward success
- 32% accept it, but prefer to minimize it
- Only 4% view failure as a sign of poor decision-making
And while regulation remains divisive, business owners showed a clear preference for clarity over ideology:
- 34% want clear, predictable rules
- 38% favor strong regulation for fairness
- 28% prefer minimal regulation to encourage growth
Finally, when recommending a place to start or grow a business, respondents were pragmatic:
- 44% prioritize cost and financial incentives
- 26% look to quality of life
- 14% point to culture and mindset
“National headlines often frame American business as one monolithic culture,” says Matt Paulson, founder of MarketBeat. “But when you look state by state, you see something much more interesting – business cultures shaped by local values, history, and relationships. What unites them isn’t a single ideology, but a shared belief that resilience, trust, and persistence still matter.”
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