Charlottesville: The Best Place to Do Business

Despite the diminished economy, the Charlottesville-Albemarle area’s natural beauty, dedication to the preservation of its rich history, and cultural amenities are attracting an influx of new residents, continuously stimulating the local market. Because of stable employment opportunities provided by the University of Virginia and Charlottesville residents’ dedication to keeping their business in the local sector, entrepreneurs are able to maintain successful small businesses in the area.Those hoping to move to Charlottesville for the natural beauty and high quality of life find justification in Charlottesville’s bustling economy. The community is ready and willing to support new, local businesses, especially when the alternative is an impersonal chain store.

Benefits of choosing Charlottesville as the site of a new business are endless: with nearby UVA, well-educated Darden School of Business students are eager for experience; those new to entrepreneurship can get any education they need on starting a new business from the Kauffman Foundation; and newcomers can network with highly successful investors and entrepreneurs living and communing in the area.

The Charlottesville-Albemarle area offers an enviable level of sincerity and commitment to conservation and the support of local business that has been recognized by countless national organizations.

Charlottesville boasts a high level of education-higher than education levels in the rest of the Commonwealth. Forbes Magazine said about Charlottesville: “It’s said that the greatest gathering of human knowledge in the White House occurred when Thomas Jefferson dined alone. The educated are still drawn to Charlottesville, Va., near Jefferson’s home of Monticello. Those college degrees are concentrated at the school that Jefferson founded-the University of Virginia.”

Forbes Magazine also called Charlottesville the 9th Best Small Market for Business in 2008 and the 11th Best Town to Find a Job in 2009. Charlottesville’s recognition doesn’t end here, though. Charlottesville was called:

• 18th Best City for Living and Launching a Business (Fortune and Money Magazines, 2008)
• 12th Best Small Places for Business and Career (Forbes/Milken Institute, 2001)
• 22nd Best Small Places to Do Business (Forbes Magazine)
• Best Workplace for Commuters (US Department of Transportation, 2006)

Money Magazine said of the cities they chose for their list of best places to start a business: “growing economies, affordable workers, stable housing markets, low crime — these metro areas have all the features entrepreneurs need to thrive.” In 2005, Business Journals put Charlottesville on a list of Best Places to Work, and the city scored the top spot on Southern Business and Development Magazine’s 2005 list of “Really Cool Small Southern Markets”.

For 2009, for the 30th consecutive year, Charlottesville was awarded the GFOA Certificate of Achievement Reporting. Charlottesville was also given a AAA Bond Rating by Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s 2009; Moody’s has ranked City AAA since 1973.

The winery business has been booming in and around Charlottesville. For a list of many of the popular wineries check out CharlottesvilleWineries.com. New wineries seem to be popping up all the time in this area as well as all over Virginia.