Wednesday, May 30, 2018

The cities that get most of the U.S. start-up business money


So here's a big issue in our 2018 economy.  The computer/internet/tech world has built some hugely profitable companies over the last few decades.  Along the same timeline, most of our Industrial Age factories closed down due to new technology and jobs going to factories in countries where workers are way cheaper.  So we have tens of millions of former middle class people who don't have good paying jobs, and a new, much smaller group of high tech workers making tons of dough. 

All across the United States, the cities that lost their big employers have been trying to get new businesses to move in and put their people to work making good money again.  But you need lots of people with the right skills, businesses who want to set up in your area, or investors who will put up their money to get new tech companies started.  These investors are called Venture Capitalists.  Watch the video above for a quick but good introduction to how venture capital works. 

Here's the big problem, in this well illustrated article by Richard Florida and Citylab, we find out that 70% of the Venture Capital money invested goes to just five big metro areas; San Francisco, San Jose, New York City, L.A. and Boston.  Most established tech companies, most of the good tech people, and the vast majority of the new money to start companies, all go to a few regions.  The rest of the country struggles to figure out what to do in this crazy time, and how to get 21st century businesses and good paying jobs in their area.  There aren't any really good solutions that work over wide areas at the moment.  For the United States to build a thriving Middle Class again, we need to figure this out.  Most of small town, small city, and rural America is struggling with this issue.  That's why I spend a lot of time learning and thinking about it.

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