Houston Business Community

[Natchu]

In recent years, there has been a spurt of business in the city of Houston. The years 2003-2004 have been particularly remarkable for the Houstonians. The increase in the number of businesses in Houston is found to be nearly 3-8 % between 2000-2004. The year 2004 saw the number of new businesses rise to 187,726 from 180,594 in 2000.



Houston has been known since time immemorial, of its entrepreneur-friendly environment and a ‘can-do' spirit. The region has always been attracting business ventures from across the world. The key factors that contribute to this are the welcoming atmosphere, a low cost of living and the ease of doing business here.



Some other facts that make Houston a venture capitalist's paradise are:

• The Houston region is home to more than 85,000 small businesses. [/*]
• Houston's dynamic economy, well-developed information technology sector, talented workforce, business-friendly environment, low costs of living and ease of doing business make it a natural magnet for entrepreneurs. [/*]
• Houston is ranked #2 on the Milken Institute's 2003 Best-Performing Cities Index. [/*]
• Site Selection magazine ranked the Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land metro area in the top 10 of Metro Areas for Investment in its March, 2004 issue [/*]
• Houston has the lowest cost of living among the country's 24 largest metropolitan areas( ACCRA Cost of Living Index for the first quarter of 2005) [/*]
• Houston has one of the lowest per-family tax burdens of any major U.S. city as there is no state personal income or state property taxes,[/*]

In order to promote the business community of Houston, The Greater Houston Partnership was formed. The partnership is a joint effort comprising of hundred's of business luminaries from different walks of life. Some of the cherished members of the community are Chip Carlisle, Chairman, John Hofmeister, Vice-Chairman, Jeff Mosley, President. The honorable board members include Drew Alexander, Howard T.Ayers, Mike Ballases, Richard W.Weekley and many more.



For more info, login to http://www.houston.org/boardMembers/...p?bioID=130379