Last month I moderated a panel featuring local entrepreneurs who chose to base their businesses in Greater Philadelphia. Why did they pick this area to call home? What attracts people to a place?
The event, entitled “Voices of the Creative Economy: Why Does Place Matter to Creative Businesses?,” was part of a half-day forum presented by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC).
According to a 2010 Knight Foundation report, Soul of the Community, Philadelphians feel that aesthetics (including art), social offerings, openness and education are all motivations to choose the city. For the panelists, accessibility, affordability and proximity to other major cities ranked high on the list — and they also had ideas on how to make the business climate even more hospitable.
Bill Covaleski, co-founder of Victory Brewing Company, emphasized that access to quality ingredients (water, hops, malt, yeast) was key when he decided to locate his business in Downingtown, Pa., just 14 miles from the headwaters of the Brandywine Creek in a former Pepperidge Farm Factory. Their second campus will be situated 17 miles from the creek in Parkesburg, Pa.
Seun Olubodun, founder and creative mastermind of the clothing company Duke and Winston, didn't expect Philadelphia to foster his business in the same way New York City could. But turns out the “big fish, small pond” factor worked in his favor. With a bit of digging, he discovered that his manufacturing needs could be met locally and that talent could be found via partnerships with institutions like University of the Arts.
Page Neal is one half of Bario-Neal, makers of beautiful handcrafted, ethically-sourced jewelry. She and partner Anna Bario launched their operation out of a studio on Spring Garden Street before moving to a storefront in Bella Vista. They do business well beyond the boundaries of Philadelphia. As they expand, they are weighing the cost of manufacturing their work here. The city's tax structure can be a barrier for businesses, especially small-to-mid-sized companies experiencing rapid growth.
Robert Cheetham, founder and CEO of Azavea, a Loft District-based B-Corporation (B-Corp happens to be based in Wayne, Pa.) that builds civic software for geographic data analysis, can relate to the tax pain, but his passion for the city outweighs that inconvenience. He spends a lot of his time recruiting national and international talent to work at his firm and encouraging them to relocate here.
It's clear that there's growing creative energy in Philadelphia: The city is being recognized nationally for our start-ups and recently experienced its first population bump in 50 years. But we need to continue to compete aggressively with other major cities. We have great assets but we need to make it easier for businesses to flourish here. Supporting those entrepreneurs will create jobs and bring talented folks to Philadelphia.
MICHELLE FREEMAN is publisher of sister publication Flying Kite and founder of Philadelphia-based Witty Gritty Marketing and Events. Send feedback here.