The keys to fostering new businesses are economic conditions, start-up activity, physical beauty of the location, and cultural amenities such as museums and universities, according to Fortune Small Business Magazine. At least that’s what was reported in today’s (3/31/08) StarTribune BusinessInsider.
Three Minnesota cities made the top 100 list, Minneapolis (23rd), Rochester (53rd), and St. Cloud (75th). Minneapolis was recognized for its “active recruitment of small businesses, the University of Minnesota and other Twin Cities colleges, its lakes and its arts community”, Rochester is “touted as a center for information technology and medical research”, and St. Cloud is “advantageously positioned along major highways and rail lines, which is good for manufacturing and wholesale distribution”.
In my opinion, Northfield (on an admittedly smaller scale) has many of these advantages. Perhaps by leveraging our strengths, adjusting to our weaknesses, and focusing our recruitment targets to match our portfolio of offerings, we might further stimulate our start-up activity.
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