Why Entrepreneurs Choose Atlanta

Continuing with yesterday’s post on Why Not More Startup Success Stories, I was asked the question earlier today “Why do entrepreneurs choose Atlanta to build their startup?” The unwritten part of the question is why do they choose Atlanta as opposed to the main place people think of when they think tech startups. Good question.

Thinking about the most successful entrepreneurs I know, I’d bucket them into these four categories:

• Selected Atlanta Based on Business Potential – A combination of quality talent, excellent lifestyle, low cost of living, and “can do” attitude make Atlanta a great place to build a company. I fall into this bucket and proactively chose Atlanta as I believed (correctly) it to be a strong spot to grow a software company.
• Biggest Customer in Atlanta – With so many large companies headquartered in Atlanta, there’s tremendous buying power. A number of startups have relocated to Atlanta to be near their largest customer.
• Raised in Atlanta – Family always has been, and always will be, a major force in choosing a location. Many successful entrepreneurs were raised in the Metro Atlanta region of six million people.
• Relocated to Atlanta Via Previous Company – A number of talented people moved to Atlanta for a job and started their entrepreneurial journey after they called the city home. This is a very common route.

Whether it’s happenstance or a concerted decision to choose Atlanta for business reasons, there’s a mid-sized entrepreneurial community here that’s growing fast. Now, we need to spread the story and let others know to ChooseATL.

What else? What are some other reasons entrepreneurs start their company in Atlanta?