Huntsville, Alabama does it again!!!!! We made the Top 10 of Entrepreneur Magazine's
Innovation Nation
50 cities and 10 lifestyles energizing businesses of all shapes and sizes
By Jason Ankeny | Entrepreneur Magazine - August 2010
Whatever your entrepreneurial aspirations, there's a city to match your needs, accelerate your company's growth and improve your quality of life. Which is the one for you? Entrepreneur identifies 50 cities and 10 lifestyles energizing businesses of all shapes and sizes.
Even in harsh economic times, America is still the land of opportunity, especially for entrepreneurs with the vision, ambition and flexibility to follow that opportunity wherever it may lead. In an increasingly connected world, no longer are businesses or their owners tethered to one spot on the map: Whether you're sizing up a regional opportunity, looking for a change of scenery or simply desiring a certain lifestyle, there's a location and culture that's perfect for you.
The challenge is identifying which spot is the best fit. Entrepreneur selected 10 contemporary American lifestyles and 50 related cities to complement all kinds of business types. Whether you're looking for tropical breezes, crisp mountain air, crowded city streets or wide, open spaces, they're all here.
Our methodology is as far-ranging as the list itself, incorporating statistical data, lifestyle studies and empirical research. Some choices may seem to be no-brainers, others may surprise you, and still others may have you reconsidering segments of the U.S. in a whole new light. That's the essence of American business: The only constant is change....
10. Small Towns, Big Opportunities
Small ponds where your business can be a big fish
Huntsville, Ala.
Headquarters of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and adjacent to the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Huntsville is known as a thriving aerospace and military technology center. The nonprofit Huntsville Association of Small Businesses in Advanced Technology pledges to expand the horizons of local startups, by promoting contracts with local federal agencies and facilitating the exchange of information between member firms.
Tech launching pad: Cummings Research Park is the second-largest research park in the U.S., housing 285 firms across 175 buildings.
Population: 176,645
Median resident age: 36.7 years
Median housing price: $145,800
Related Destinations
Sioux Falls, S.D.
The self-appointed Best Little City in America is the preeminent metropolis in a state with the country's lowest sales tax rate (just 4 percent) and no corporate income tax.
Fargo, N.D.
Fargo's Renaissance Zone effort promises tax breaks and other incentives to commercial tenants who lease space in the city's historic downtown.
Bowling Green, Ky.
The Kentucky Transpark is tailored for high-tech firms, featuring educational and research centers along with trails for biking and hiking.
Charlottesville, Va.
The Batten Institute at the University of Virginia's Darden business school offers incubator space and assistance to grad students starting businesses.
9.4 percent: The boost in Huntsville small-business growth between 2004 and 2007--nearly twice the 5 percent national average for midsized metro areas.
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