Monday, December 4, 2017

This City Is Promoting 'Beach Lifestyle' as the Ultimate Startup Perk

By: Lisa Abeyta

If your magical winter wonderland has turned into mounds of sludgy, gray snow, you may be wondering how Bing Crosby could ever record a song asking for more cold weather.

You may have also started to wonder if you have what it takes to spend another winter shoveling sidewalks or spending 10 minutes bundling up just to walk outside. If you're ready to give it up and head to a warmer climate, one city is ready to roll out the welcome mat for you.

The City of Carlsbad Economic Development Division in Southern California is taking advantage of one of their best assets--lifestyle--and turning it into a mantra for attracting new companies and talent to the area: Life in Action.

While Carlsbad may be slightly less famous when it comes to vacation destinations than nearby neighbor, San Diego, it's a top pick for surfers, skaters, and, of course, Lego-lovers who flock to the family theme park Legoland. Famed skater Tony Hawk, who was born in Carlsbad, also spearheaded development of the first skate park ever built in the U.S.

The city is also home to seven exquisite miles of shoreline and some of the most popular locations for surfers and campers.

But the city is far more than a tourist attraction.

"Between our concentration of action sports companies and global leaders in technology, Carlsbad's Life in Action campaign introduces people to the most exciting sectors in our city and the business culture of encouraging an active lifestyle," said Christie Marcella, Economic Development Manager for the City of Carlsbad. "The climate, physical environment, and community here are the foundation for inspiring entrepreneurs and businesses."

Carlsbad's efforts to attract new companies and talent seems to be working. 63 startups were launched between 2014 and 2015--an impressive number given that the city's entire population is slightly above 112,000 people, making it similar in size to other U.S. cities, like Cambridge, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, and Westminster, Colorado - a suburb of Denver, and Fargo, North Dakota.

Last spring, I had the chance to visit with other startup founders in the region, and discovered a common thread among them: That it wasn't necessary to sacrifice having a life to grow a business.

Some of the region's better known companies have obvious ties to the outdoor lifestyle.

The headquarters of the outdoor lifestyle clothing company, prAna Living, boasts an outdoor climbing area while the nearly beach-front campus of GoPro, a global digital imaging company, includes large indoor areas for collaborative viewing, outdoor showers and stalls to store surf boards, bikes and other recreational gear.

Read More >> https://www.inc.com/lisa-abeyta/ditching-the-snow-shovel-for-a-surf-board-how-one-city-blends-beach-and-busine.html

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