Fayetteville - Good for Small Business? (Springdale, Benton: lawyers, home, employment)

[aaauger]

Fayetteville seems to have a lot of the things we value: nature, temperate weather with seasons, friendly folks with good values. At this point, we'd appreciate some first-hand insight into the environment for small business. Specifically:

- Is government hands-off or even supportive?
- How heavy is the tax burden (both personal and business)?
- How expensive is the unskilled labor force and how dependable?

We own a small growing manufacturing business (7 employees right now). We're looking for an affordable medium-size city with opportunity to buy a little land within about a 30 minute commute so our 7 year old can grow up in a smaller community. Are we on the right track with Fayetteville?

Any and all input is welcome. Thanks much, Lisa, Austin, TX

[Stormcrow73]

HMMMMM, pretty good questions and I wish I could answer them with something fairly definitive and not guestimates. I think unskilled labor there will be less than you probably pay in Austin but skilled machinists and the like are not very common and are pretty well paid relatively speaking. The city is fairly supportive of business both big and small but manufacturing isn't overly in demand by the city brass. They're really pushing high-tech and knowledge based business. If you were hiring UA engineering or science grads you'd be given a golden ticket.

[Sam I Am]

Or lawyers. My lord, don't forget the lawyers...

[Stormcrow73]

There may be a lot of lawyers but I don't the city or state gives their firms free rides on taxes and matching grant funds like they do tech companies.

OT!!! Give me a welcome back! We're back home in AR finally!

[Sam I Am]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow73

There may be a lot of lawyers but I don't the city or state gives their firms free rides on taxes and matching grant funds like they do tech companies.

OT!!! Give me a welcome back! We're back home in AR finally!

Well, welcome back! So how were things......wherever you were at?

I was teasing about the attorneys...just that UA turns out a ton of them and AR is a lousy place to try to make big bucks if you're a new lawyer...just a little wee joke...

[boulder]

aaauger - you may be on the right track in looking at Fayetteville. Of course, if you are looking at areas within 30 minutes of Fayetteville then that opens the door to many more options.

City government in Fayetteville will want to know everything your doing, why your doing it, how noisy is it, and what it smells like. they will even regulate what your building looks like and what kind of sign you install ... all reasons the residents of Fayetteville love living here.

If your looking to relocate you may chose to live in Fayetteville but locate your business in Springdale or Siloam Springs. Not that I would want to discourage you from locating your business in Fayetteville, but because these other towns may offer more economic incentives and industrial space options than Fayetteville since they both have built their towns around the "business friendly" mentality.

Good luck with relocating your business.

[Stormcrow73]

Originally Posted by Sam I Am

Well, welcome back! So how were things......wherever you were at?

I was teasing about the attorneys...just that UA turns out a ton of them and AR is a lousy place to try to make big bucks if you're a new lawyer...just a little wee joke...

We were in exile in Maryland. Things were ok there but it's not AR.... And for all the people who think schools here in AR are so behind, my son was in advanced placement math in one of the better school districts there and is behind here in AR.... Now..back to your regularly scheduled thread...

[aaauger]

Thanks everyone for your responses.

Boulder - Especial thanks for the idea of locating the business in a smaller community nearby. For whatever reason, I tend to think in opposite terms: living in the country, commuting into a larger community.

We build mausoleums, mainly work with metal and stone, no hazardous processes, evolving into line work. We need a large warehouse, 3 phase power. We've always trained unskilled labor, look for aptitude, attitude and longevity. Even with good wages, that's hard to find in Austin - not sure exactly why. We're looking for a community that values residence and commerce equally. What we offer in return is a stable and growing source of employment and tax contribution.

[Stormcrow73]

Maybe check out Farmington. It's right next to Fayetteville and does have some industrial space. Not at lot but it might be big enough for you. I think they'd probably welcome you with open arms.

[kathrynmham]

Hi Lisa:
I am from Texas, as well. Moved from Austin to Houston and then here to Bentonville, which is just north of Fayetteville. My husband worked as a Director of a Manufacturing Company in Fayetteville and he was continually frustrated by the city and how impossible it was to move forward on an expansion project they were trying to do. Finally, they began doing research for cities that would offer incentives to bring in new jobs and would welcome them. They found open arms and a lot of key incentives and tax breaks in Broken Arrow, OK and Wichita, KS. You might consider other areas if you seek a city government that is welcoming to new businesses. Coming from Austin, you're going to be quite familiar with the style gov't that is here in Fayetteville. Same mindset, just a smaller scale. Fayetteville is a wonderful city and if you are generally happy in Austin, you'll love Fayetteville. What I suppose I am saying is that Fayetteville is a fantastic place to live as a family, but it is not a very good place for business. KWIM? There are just too many other cities that are willing to offer tax breaks, incentives, and even to give you bonuses to come. Fayetteville is not one of them. Oh, and be prepared for the state income tax, as well. Texas doesn't have one and Arkansas does. It makes a difference, too. We didn't think we'd mind it, but after our tax return and the personal property taxes on our cars and so on, we're already looking to move somewhere else. (And probably will at the start of next year.)
It's hard because it's so beautiful here. My family is in Eureka Springs and the people are so kind up here. Very nice place to live in a lot of ways. But if you are interested in making a good living and making smart financial decisions, this is not the place.
Good luck to you and I hope that helps! There are some excellent replies in this thread, so I think you're getting some good info here.
Sincerely,
Kathryn