What You Need To Know Before You Move To Silicon Valley

We often hear that Silicon Valley is the best place to build your business. As the home of companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook, it seems like anything that happens in the world of technology has ties to this California community. But that doesn’t mean that packing your business up and moving it to Northern California is the right move for you. Before hiring a moving company, consider:

Living here is expensive

Because the area has been in such high demand for such an extended period of time, the cost of living in Silicon Valley is substantially higher than in other parts of the United States. Even modest homes start at half a million dollars, and renting a one-bedroom apartment can cost as much as $3500 a month.

Because the cost of living is so high, companies need to pay more to their workers if they want to remain viable, which will cut into their reserved capital much more quickly.

Talent is expensive

The cost of living drives up wages in Silicon Valley, but there’s more to the math than that. If every start-up has moved to Silicon Valley because they believe they can find the very best talent there, it follows that the talented people in Silicon Valley expect to be paid top dollar for their expertise. For a start-up that has not already received major attention from a venture capital firm, it can be difficult to put together a package that will make people notice. If you’re trying to entice talent away from other firms, your job is even harder.

For a start-up that has not already received major attention from a venture capital firm, it can be difficult to put together a package that will make people notice. If you’re trying to entice talent away from other firms, your job is even harder.

Very distinct business culture

Silicon Valley has a very distinct business culture. It’s California, so everyone appears relaxed and calm on the surface, but underneath that chill exterior, they are often working themselves to distraction, trying to survive the first few years of struggle at the start-up about which they are passionate. At Stanford University, the image of a duck is sometimes used to describe this culture. Everything is smooth and graceful on the surface, but under the water, the duck is paddling as hard as it can.

At Stanford University, the image of a duck is sometimes used to describe this culture. Everything is smooth and graceful on the surface, but under the water, the duck is paddling as hard as it can.

Silicon Valley is no longer the center of everything tech

Even just a few years ago, it might have been more difficult to get a tech start-up off the ground anywhere other than Silicon Valley. Organizations and investors in the area were well-trained to understand the needs of tech startups, and funding was difficult to locate outside that small group of insiders.

In more recent years, however, a number of cities have become well-known for their tech incubation. The research firm SmartAsset determined that Omaha was the best city for tech workers, with Colorado Springs, Dallas, and Charlotte in close competition.

And if we agree that the primary obstacle to a new company is infrastructure, the significant advances of the Internet and cloud computing in the last five years mean that you can hire a team that never actually sits down in an office together, but works through chat, messaging, and video conferencing in order to create an amazing product together.

And if we agree that the primary obstacle to a new company is infrastructure, the significant advances of the Internet and cloud computing in the last five years mean that you can hire a team that never actually sits down in an office together, but works through chat, messaging, and video conferencing in order to create an amazing product together.

And if we agree that the primary obstacle to a new company is infrastructure, the significant advances of the Internet and cloud computing in the last five years mean that you can hire a team that never actually sits down in an office together, but works through chat, messaging, and video conferencing in order to create an amazing product together.

The improvements in crowdfunding through sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo mean that tech companies no longer need to rely on venture capitalists and angel investors to get their funding rounds settled. By going directly to investors, companies are able to raise the money they need by trading on future projects, and they are able to right-size their fundraising.

Venture capitalists are increasingly searching for unicorns, companies that will be valued at more than a billion dollars in just a few years.

Outside of Silicon Valley, there has been more of a focus on bootstrapping and lean startups, with CEOs willing to move a little more slowly to build a company that will be more viable over the long term. People are more willing to do the work themselves for a little while

People are more willing to do the work themselves for a little while longer so that they have the time and the opportunity to find the right person for the job and the company.

If you’re quite sure that Silicon Valley is the only place your company will ever succeed – you need that huge venture capital funding, or can’t work with anyone other than the very best for this project – then go to Silicon Valley. Go with plenty of cash in the bank so that you won’t have to leave after a month with your tail between your legs.

But if you look at your business and think there’s no particular reason for heading to California other than that’s where you always pictured yourself being, consider staying where you are while you build your business. If nothing else, having a small, running operation before you seek venture capital funding will help you show investors that you have a viable business model that you are looking to scale, rather than just an idea you want to be paid for.