Recent national rankings tout Chattanooga’s economic successes, recognizing the Scenic City for its affordability, overall community well-being and as a top location for women-owned businesses. Here at the Chattanooga Chamber, we can confirm the hype. Chattanooga is perfect for business—literally. Just ask West Star Aviation and VaynerMedia; both businesses recently expanded their operations to Chattanooga. Or, ask the countless startups and entrepreneurs that have flocked here in recent years. If, for some reason, you need more convincing, check out five reasons why you should relocate your business (and yourself) to Chattanooga:
We offer endless resources for businesses and entrepreneurs.
Existing businesses looking to expand to Chattanooga can work with us to receive assistance with incentives, programs, tax credits, employee recruitment, utility technical services, local business climate issues and land/building database. Those looking to start a business can seek guidance from multiple sources:
- Venture incubator Lamp Post Group provides both capital and mentorship to growing startups.
- The INCubator, the largest business incubator in the state of Tennessee and the third largest in America, has graduated more than 500 small businesses into the community.
- The Company Lab (Co.Lab), a nonprofit startup accelerator, supports entrepreneurial growth. Each year, the Co.Lab sponsors GigTank, America’s first accelerator focused on seed stage startups in the 3D printing and smart grid industry. GigTank recently expanded its existing summer-long program to be year-long, offering more opportunities for entrepreneurs with new focuses in software-defined networking and health care.
We’re a collaborative community.
Here in Chattanooga, we work together to make things happen. In fact, a recent study by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation cited our history of public-private partnerships and collaborations as a major contributor to our recent economic successes. We took our dream of becoming the best mid-sized city in America and formed a culture of cooperation to make it happen, transforming Chattanooga into a national model for other mid-sized cities. From the Chattanooga Chamber to TechTown and the CO.Lab, Chattanoogans constantly join forces to boost entrepreneurs and local businesses.
We are the Gig City.
Before Google Fiber, there was the Gig City. Six years ago, Chattanooga became the first city in the country to introduce a metro-wide smart grid and gigabit internet network, when our municipal utility EPB began offering the fastest internet in the country to our companies and residents. Recently, EPB rolled out 10 gigabit internet service, available for every home and business in Chattanooga. The Gig’s fast speeds continue to lure tech startups to Chattanooga, including 3D printing companies that utilize the network for large file uploads and downloads.
Doing business here doesn’t break the bank.
With inexpensive office space and utilities—plus the least expensive gigabit-per-second Internet hookup in the country—Chattanooga makes doing business affordable. In fact, a recent ranking by SmartAsset found the estimated first-year costs for running a business in Chattanooga are about half of that in Silicon Valley.
We work hard and play hard.
Chattanooga offers a low cost of living in exchange for a high quality of life. Named OUTSIDE Magazine’s Best Town Ever in 2015 and 2011, Chattanooga boasts a range of outdoor offerings, from mountain fuels our startup scene, spurring companies like The Crash Pad, a unique hostel that caters to adventurous travelers in the region. With an average median home price of only $138,000, Chattanooga offers the amenities of a bigger city, like cool coffeehouses, restaurants and breweries.
Interested in relocating or expanding your business to Chattanooga? Contact Steve Hiatt, Director of Existing Business Development, at [email protected].
