Minimal income tax. Low-cost of living. The two things that every fresh-faced entrepreneur wants to hear.
Furnished, business ready office suites at cheap and reasonable rates? Sounds too good to be true! Not in Oklahoma City! To say business is booming in Oklahoma City would be a drastic understatement. Status reports that there are more than 100 new small startups cropping up every month in The Cinderella City. With only 4.4% unemployment, ranked as number 4 on Forbes’ “Manufacturing Boomtown” list, listed as no.1 for economic strength in The Business Journal’s list, and no.1 in CNN’s book of “Most Business-Friendly Cities”, what is stopping anyone from moving to Oklahoma City? According to CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, Roy Williams, people are drawn to OKC for a variety of strongreasons. “It’s relatively easy to start up a business here. The revelatory environment, the access to capitol and the technical assistance. Small business development assistance – those type of infrastructure capacity and resource are here.” He says.
Oklahoma City is rich with culture – after you’ve landed in Will Rogers Airport, it may be difficult to believe you’re truly in The Midwest. Jazz and blues bars line downtown’s art-deco stylized streets. The Oklahoma City Museum of Art contains the most comprehensive collection of Dale Chihuly art work, including his 55-foot tall glass sculpture. From the deadCENTER Film Festival, to the abundance of American Indian organizations and shops (Oklahoma has 38 sovereign tribes), to the Bricktown Water Taxis, and across the way to Prosperity Junction, a 14,000 square foot replica of a 20th century cattle town – there is no shortage of fun and excitement in Oklahoma City.
Renting and owning real estate is a breeze in OKC. The city has some of the most affordable luxury apartments in the country. Executive suites start at $400 and many feature a variety of amenities – including but not limited to phone answering reception, office machines, internet, and cleaning services. Due to its low cost of living, Oklahoma City is also one of the country’s biggest hubs for recent graduates. For those who fear Oklahoma’s obesity rates, take a look at Mayor Mick Cornett’s “This City is Going on a Diet” project. In 2007, Cornett “challenged” the city to collectively lose 1,000,000 pounds. With nearly 50,000 participants and 8 years later, the city reached its goal. During the challenge, the city built new sidewalks and added 100 miles of bike trails to encourage citizens to be more physically active in their daily life.
