A new report highlighted how time-honored small businesses may no longer thrive in modern California as they once did. California is well known for being one of the country's most expensive states, whether for small businesses or residents, especially after the coronavirus pandemic. A Los Angeles Times story Monday discussed the struggles of small business owner Karen Kropp and her Book Rack bookstore as it prepares to close. (Getty Images)Kropp’s friend Peter Tran, who volunteered on occasion at the bookstore, lamented its coming closure as "The end of the chapter." "My salary increases were not outpacing my rental increases," she told the LA Times.