why is north texas void of small business (Houston, Dallas: transplants, for sale)

[Dallas retail updater]

Originally Posted by jgn2013

Dallas proper has a ton of small businesses. Most people that move here don't really explore "Dallas" but instead "DFW" as if DFW = Dallas.

Dallas has always had a ton of corporations. At one time it had over 10,000. The best investment for little people like me is a small business. Open up a restaurant or a small shop. In my opinion, putting money in a bank nowadays is stupid. If you really want to invest, buy a pair of scissors to cut up all your credit cards. That way you will save at least eighteen percent on everything you don't buy. It would be wise to open a dummy bank account in case you get robbed with a debit card that you never use. Then keep all your money in a safe at home. You can even buy yourself your own ATM if you like. This way no one should ever hack your identity unless you are really stupid.

My economy is based on the price of a pound of golden apples. Any time golden apples doubles in price, the money I have in a savings account will lose half its value (because of inflation). Therefore, I try to spend it all as fast as posslble. If possible, try to make as little money as possible.

Merry Christmas.

[TXNGL]

Originally Posted by pepper131

I'm going to an indie record store this weekend. Inside Dolly Python. Going there is an adventure and an education. I always pick up an LP for my son at Christmas.

Dolly Python is fun!

[KerrTown]

The University of Houston has a Small Business Development Center in which you could walk in for advice. That probably helped tilt Houston's numbers higher than Dallas.

Having a main university for the metro area would be a start. Establishing an Entrepreneurship department in the College of Business is another step going forward.

[DTXman34]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

The University of Houston has a Small Business Development Center in which you could walk in for advice. That probably helped tilt Houston's numbers higher than Dallas.

Having a main university for the metro area would be a start. Establishing an Entrepreneurship department in the College of Business is another step going forward.

I wouldn't say Dallas is lacking small businesses nor do I necessarily agree with the OP. But you're right that Dallas does need a main university for the city. I could careless about the suburbs or Fort Worth. No offense to any of them, but they're irrelevant (and in some cases harmful) to the vitality of Dallas. The area near Downtown Dallas would be perfect for a University. The creative scene is MUCH stronger and more active in central Dallas than any of the suburbs.. The infrastructure -- medical system, walkability, transportation, etc. is far superior in Central Dallas than anywhere in Collin County. Family-centric suburbia (e.g. Plano, Frisco, etc.) is not the place for a major university. Dallas needs to put Dallas first in order to succeed. When they tear down I-345, maybe they can build a university there.

[TheOverdog]

Family-centric suburbia (e.g. Plano, Frisco, etc.) is not the place for a major university.

Unfortunately the only place Dallas is really working to put together a major university is at UT-Dallas in Richardson, and UT Arlington. The Dallas campus is not on the same growth track as either of these campuses are, and SMU is pinned in and I doubt it has any plans to seriously grow.

UT-Richardson will be plus 10,000 students or so in the next decade.

[DTXman34]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

Unfortunately the only place Dallas is really working to put together a major university is at UT-Dallas in Richardson, and UT Arlington. The Dallas campus is not on the same growth track as either of these campuses are, and SMU is pinned in and I doubt it has any plans to seriously grow.

UT-Richardson will be plus 10,000 students or so in the next decade.

Good luck trying to do that at a bunch of commuter schools.

[Soonhun]

Originally Posted by DTXman34

I wouldn't say Dallas is lacking small businesses nor do I necessarily agree with the OP. But you're right that Dallas does need a main university for the city. I could careless about the suburbs or Fort Worth. No offense to any of them, but they're irrelevant (and in some cases harmful) to the vitality of Dallas. The area near Downtown Dallas would be perfect for a University. The creative scene is MUCH stronger and more active in central Dallas than any of the suburbs.. The infrastructure -- medical system, walkability, transportation, etc. is far superior in Central Dallas than anywhere in Collin County. Family-centric suburbia (e.g. Plano, Frisco, etc.) is not the place for a major university. Dallas needs to put Dallas first in order to succeed. When they tear down I-345, maybe they can build a university there.

Central Dallas has no more a better creative scene than other parts of the metro.

[tcualum]

It's rather late to build a major public university in Dallas. Dallas should have done it a lot sooner. The city should have pushed for UTD to be in Dallas. It's Dallas's fault.

As for an Entrepreneurship Department at a major university, TCU has the Neely Entrepreneurship Center at it's business school and SMU has the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship.

[frisco19542]

Plenty of schools around the DFW area. The quality of them various a lot some are obviously better then other and they all reflect the local area. The truth is SMU, TCU and you could include baylor here are all ok. The rest of them are not as good. UT Dallas is a 3rd or 4th rate school at best. There school is horrendously bad based on graduates I seen from there.

You do not live in Dallas to go to school though. There is a lack of creativity in Dallas and that is why you do not see great school or a lot of small businesses that are great

For instance Larry shoes was a great small shoe store chain. Nothing ever replaced it though. I am sure they overspent but the real truth is they expanded too much in the area because there was not enough demand. People here rather shop Macy's Neiman Marcus or Dillards for their shoes.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by frisco19542

Plenty of schools around the DFW area. The quality of them various a lot some are obviously better then other and they all reflect the local area. The truth is SMU, TCU and you could include baylor here are all ok. The rest of them are not as good. UT Dallas is a 3rd or 4th rate school at best. There school is horrendously bad based on graduates I seen from there.

You do not live in Dallas to go to school though. There is a lack of creativity in Dallas and that is why you do not see great school or a lot of small businesses that are great

For instance Larry shoes was a great small shoe store chain. Nothing ever replaced it though. I am sure they overspent but the real truth is they expanded too much in the area because there was not enough demand. People here rather shop Macy's Neiman Marcus or Dillards for their shoes.

Are you for real? UTD is a Carnegie R1 intensive research university that will likely be Texas' next AAU member - that means among all schools offering a full suite of graduate degrees UTD is in the top 110 or so - in no universe is that second rate let alone 3rd or 4th. Given that the school is not even 50 years old its rise has been meteoric. Among all sorts of other interesting academic tid bits UTD and TAMS, and TAMS is different breed of cat altogether, are the only schools that regularly send pre-heath students into UTSW's MD program early.

I get that you prefaced your point as based on your experience/feelings but your experience strains all creditability.

So far as Larry's shoes, I'm a big guy with 11.5 EE feet and very high arches, at one time Larry's was a great choice as they stocked odd sizes or would order them with no grief. Later though the value proposition of Larry's went to zero. The selection was worse, prices worse, service way worse.