I saw this same report about JC and Newark on News 12 NJ, so the mayor should stop trying to regulate any new business downtown. As it is more people shop online and not a brick and mortar store.

Did they take into account corruption of city and state agencies and the amount of paperwork, bureaucracy, and permits/fees necessary?

(From Wallethub.com)

"In order to help aspiring entrepreneurs ? from restaurant owners to high-tech movers and shakers ? maximize their chances for long-term prosperity, WalletHub analyzed the relative start-up opportunities that exist in the 150 most populated U.S. cities. We did so using 13 unique metrics, ranging from 5-year survival rate and the affordability of office space to the educational attainment of the local labor force. Our findings, as well as expert commentary and a detailed methodology, can be found below."

http://wallethub.com/edu/best-cities-to-start-a-business/2281/

Top 4
1 Shreveport, LA
2 Tulsa, OK
3 Springfield, MO
4 Chattanooga, TN

Bottom 4
147 Yonkers, NY
148 Garden Grove, CA
149 Jersey City, NJ
150 Newark, NJ

Jersey City was highlighted for its most expensive office space and its lowest employee availability (employee availability is number of job openings minus number of unemployed residents). Newark had one of the least educated employee rates.