I'm learning web development and interested in starting my own consulting business and working for myself. I currently live 20 miles outside Dallas TX. I have no friends or family ties keeping me here. I could leave tomorrow and I would feel fine. I don't know if I should start my consulting service here or move to a mega-city like LA or San Francisco or Silicon Valley area. I'm confident I will start to get some success in a few years because I'm driven and I'm offering a business service that businesses need and I'll get better at it as time goes by. But I dont know if I would be better staying where I am because the cost of living is so much easier, but the people here aren't as driven as you find in the larger cities. When I go to business meetings people don't seem as motivated or sharp as they do in bigger cities. Maybe when living expenses are high it drives people to work harder. I'm just wondering what are the pros and cons of starting a business in a small town vs a large city. ps - Im not interested in moving to Austin at all. I'd rather either Stay in Dallas for low cost of living or move to West Coast for nicer weather and higher potential rewards for hard work.
Some good answers already.
I have just taken the same step. I was living in London for most of the last 11 years, where I needed to be for regular work / contracting.
But when it came to setting up my own company, I was getting nowhere due to the cost of living, and kept getting tempted back into the contracting market to give my finances a boost so that I could then step back out to give my business a go.
But as a result I never got traction.
A few factors finally collided and came to a head, and decision was made to uproot. I decided to combine family considerations with the business ones; move north where I have family, get away from the London rat-race (I don't need that anymore), and start the business properly, from home, in a new, quiet area.
And.. bingo. Best thing I've ever done.
So I echo one of the above comments - think about your life and where you really want to be. But I would say very much think about living costs. You're going to need time to get traction with your business; the lower your living costs whilst you're doing this, so much the better.
Ideally you want at least 2-3 years of keeping your costs down, so you can keep as much money in the business as possible.
If you can combine your preferred location with the best location for your business (those costs being a factor), then hopefully you'll know where to be.
Answered 8 years ago
Access 20,000+ Startup Experts, 650+ masterclass videos, 1,000+ in-depth guides, and all the software tools you need to launch and grow quickly.
Already a member? Sign in