Nashville is a popular tourist destination that attracts visitors from all over the world. It is a prime U.S. destination for people when they start their next business because of its rich musical history and growing reputation as a center for technology and business.
Company owners and entrepreneurs have been swarming to Nashville for years to get a piece of the city’s thriving economy, and now, that excitement has turned into another accolade for the fast-growing Southern metropolis. In fact, according to Inc., which assessed the nation’s top 50 metro areas to determine which cities are booming the most, Nashville garnered the fourth best spot in the country to start a business.
Here are some reasons why Nashville could be the appropriate location for you if you’re thinking about launching a business:
#1 – The Business Climate Is Great
Nashville’s economy has been diversifying over the past several years. At the same time, healthcare is still one of our largest employers, financial services, higher education, and tourism play essential roles in our community’s success. New businesses have plenty of opportunities to multiply in many different directions with very little competition from larger established companies with more expenses to pass on to customers. Starting a new company here is like starting a small business anywhere else.
#2 – Nashville Has All the Amenities You Could Want
The people who live in this city are transplanted from all over the country and around the world. This means that we have access to great products, services, and ideas from just about anywhere. Startup costs tend not to be as high here since you don’t need to build an entire infrastructure of support and community before your company can get going. Jobs can be found with some of our larger companies while still allowing some time for work on your startup venture after hours and weekends.
Thanks to Jumpstart Foundry, HCA, and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, there is also a wide variety of support available for Nashville startups.
#3 – The People Are Friendly, Smart, and Hard-Working
Nashville is a great place to be involved with your community. Compared to other large cities, the interaction between neighbors is pretty high since most people are either transplants or have moved here from another state for work. It is also known as one of the most generous states in terms of charitable contributions. Because of this, communities are built around helping each other out wherever possible. This allows new businesses to get up and running more quickly because they don’t need to fight against others for resources. Getting access to capital, employees, or another support is often easier here than in other places.
#4 – The Weather Is Nice
This one may seem trivial, but it does play an essential role in starting a company. Summers are mild, while winters are milder than in other parts of the country. People love to get outdoors here, which means that restaurants, bars, and coffee shops do great business throughout the year due to limited competition from other forms of entertainment.
It’s also nice to not have to bundle up when you go outside, which saves money on office space heating/cooling bills, among other things. For more information, you can check out Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Health Index. You’ll notice that Nashville ranks near the top regarding people who feel their quality of life is high.
#5 – The Transit System Is Finally Getting It Together
One of Nashville’s most significant challenges in the past has been its limited transit system. While it hasn’t caught up to many other ‘bigger’ cities, the new Music City Star express train that recently went into service makes getting out of town for meetings, training, and conferences much easier. The place also has Lyft, Uber, Zipcar, Mast Bike Share, Car2Go, limos/party buses, and cabs at your disposal when you want to get around town quickly. With so many new apartments expected to open over several years, transit is bound to improve.
#6 – There Are So Many Options for Office Space And Meeting Rooms
This is one of the things that you should like about Nashville. There are so many options when it comes to office space for new startups. You can get creative by renting out an apartment or house for your business, or you can use one of the new co-working spaces now popping up downtown and in other neighborhoods around the city.
The Music City Center now has an excellent selection of meeting rooms available both during off-peak hours and on nights and weekends for those who need a break from working from home. If you’d instead take advantage of being close to all those great 400+ restaurants, then you’re lucky since just about any office space you can find in this town is within walking distance to one.
#7 – There Are More Than Enough Resources to Help You Get Started
The Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Jumpstart Foundry, and other organizations do an excellent job helping new entrepreneurs get started by providing everything from mentoring to training programs, startup weekend events, and more. In addition, the Nashville Chamber of Commerce is always present to help visitors with anything from finding a hotel room to negotiating a lease on commercial property. And don’t forget about Google’s 42Floors startup platform that allows anyone with an account to post listings for free.
Final Words
Nashville has a great business climate for startups and those exploring expansions for their already established businesses. Recent economic growth and the many advantages listed above have allowed Nashville to become recognized as one of America’s top startup cities.
Give it a chance to prove itself by visiting for a few days next time you’re thinking about starting a new company or want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city lifestyle. You may just find yourself settling in when it comes to choosing where you’d like your company to call home.