Why Santa Barbara is Great for Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs are always looking for the best place to kick off their business. Fortunately, California has several great cities to do so. Let us take a very close look at five reasons why Santa Barbara is great for entrepreneurs and startups.
Community
To start things off, Santa Barbara has a fantastic community for businesses; people are amicable and polite overall. When you’re working on a startup that hasn’t yet found success, this sort of patience is very welcoming. Also, the workforce is so diverse here. There are many college graduates and young adults looking for their first job; as an entrepreneur, you can easily reach out to them with an offer. People are curious by nature. Within a couple of months since moving in, you’ll find that citizens will already be reaching out to you for your services.
Resources
Santa Barbara has numerous resources that are great for startups. There are at least four low-cost incubator spaces with meeting areas and office amenities. Several organizations provide startup assistance, including the Small Business Development Center, Startup SB, 1 Million Cups, Women’s Economic Ventures, and SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives). If that’s not enough, there are no less than a dozen business associations in Santa Barbara. There’s even addiction help for entrepreneurs in Santa Barbara. Mental and physical health is vital to the workplace, and you will be pleased to know that this is a priority in the city.
Cost
Santa Barbara is relatively cheap compared to the rest of California. Although rent and the cost of living is still pretty high, it’s more affordable than you might think. As the owner of a startup, you don’t want to be spending money on expenses that you can avoid. In Santa Barbara, you won’t completely break your budget over essential utilities like water and electricity. As mentioned above, there are shared workspaces in the area, such as Workzones and The Sandbox; you don’t have to rent a permanent office space during the first year (but you don’t have to work out of your garage, either). It’s entirely up to you on how much you want to spend. As an entrepreneur, you’ll likely take an economically savvy route.
Location
Santa Barbara has an excellent location for entrepreneurs. It’s on the coast, and it features beautiful views in a peaceful town. At the same time, you’re only a short drive away from Los Angeles. While it’s closer to Los Angeles than the bay area, it’s still closer to Silicon Valley than LA is. Many other startups that are ideal for collaboration are located in the area. They can also attest to the productivity of Santa Barbara and the sheer number of resources in the community.
Weather
Last but not least, Santa Barbara’s weather is fair throughout the year. On the one hand, this doesn’t matter too much if you’re planning to be indoors all day. At the same time, community events are crucial to success as a startup. When you can engage with the community, you can make your name known and get the word out. In Santa Barbara, you can host fundraisers and publicity events, no matter the season. It can also have a genuine impact on the happiness of your employees. Overall, warm temperatures and clear skies lead to a productive work environment that is great for entrepreneurship.
In conclusion, these are a couple of reasons why Santa Barbara is great for entrepreneurs and startups. Entrepreneurs can take advantage of all the resources in the area to their fullest. In Santa Barbara, your startup is sure to find a good amount of success.