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My suggestion would be to at least visit Miami, where you said there's a need for your biz, before settling into Atlanta, where there doesn't seem to be much work.
You can love an area, but if you can't find work there, that's stressful in itself. If you're already awake all night worrying about money, then living in a city where you don't see as much need for your services isn't going to help. If we could all live where we loved, without thought for finances, a good portion of the population would live in Santa Barbara, San Diego, HI, Aspen, Vale... we need to consider work & money, too. Sometimes you have to live where your work is available. That differs for everyone.
You might end up loving Miami as much as or more than Atlanta. Bonus is, like in Boston, you've also got the ocean. It's a 9-hr drive from Atlanta.
If you don't like Miami, you can then decide if you should give it a go in Atlanta or return to Boston. And, btw, no decision is wrong, ultimately. You're not signing anything longer than a 1-yr lease. Should things not work out in any of those places, in 1-yr, you can try another. But, since you said work was dwindling in Boston & you'd like to try something new, you've already left, so try something new at least for 1-yr.
Were I you, I'd head to Miami, figure out if you could work/live there & then decide if you should stay for 1-yr or move on. It seems easier to try to set up shop in a city where you know there's need for your biz (Miami). Succeeding there might also bolster your love of the area.
My suggestion would be to at least visit Miami, where you said there's a need for your biz, before settling into Atlanta, where there doesn't seem to be much work.
You can love an area, but if you can't find work there, that's stressful in itself. If you're already awake all night worrying about money, then living in a city where you don't see as much need for your services isn't going to help. If we could all live where we loved, without thought for finances, a good portion of the population would live in Santa Barbara, San Diego, HI, Aspen, Vale... we need to consider work & money, too. Sometimes you have to live where your work is available. That differs for everyone.
You might end up loving Miami as much as or more than Atlanta. Bonus is, like in Boston, you've also got the ocean. It's a 9-hr drive from Atlanta.
If you don't like Miami, you can then decide if you should give it a go in Atlanta or return to Boston. And, btw, no decision is wrong, ultimately. You're not signing anything longer than a 1-yr lease. Should things not work out in any of those places, in 1-yr, you can try another. But, since you said work was dwindling in Boston & you'd like to try something new, you've already left, so try something new at least for 1-yr.
Were I you, I'd head to Miami, figure out if you could work/live there & then decide if you should stay for 1-yr or move on. It seems easier to try to set up shop in a city where you know there's need for your biz (Miami). Succeeding there might also bolster your love of the area.
Good luck to you!
I have a feeling he likes Atlanta so much because he has friends and family there. Miami that will not be the case. Miami is for rich people too, very high COL. Unless you're willing to live in a ghetto area you need to plunk down major bucks to live there.
It would help if we had some idea of the business, maybe we could come up with ideas he hasn't thought of.
I have a feeling he likes Atlanta so much because he has friends and family there. Miami that will not be the case. Miami is for rich people too, very high COL. Unless you're willing to live in a ghetto area you need to plunk down major bucks to live there.
It would help if we had some idea of the business, maybe we could come up with ideas he hasn't thought of.
Hey OCN... Maybe, but he can let us know. You need major bucks to live in Boston & Atlanta, too. All major cities are expensive.
He also said he has only 1 sibling in Boston, but he left that city behind. I believe he said he has 1 friend in Miami. I've moved many times (lived in 11 states) & never knew anyone anywhere... it can be done & I would have loved the good luck of 1 friend in my new city.
And, it depends on where one lives in the city. I'm amused that he's finding Atlanta friendly. Maybe that's due to knowing others there, so he's saying his friends are friendly, lol. I lived there for 3-1/2 yrs & found the opposite... coincidentally, I came from Boston, too. Atlanta was much harder for me to make friends than cold, socially distant Boston & I was in my late 20s-early 30s at the time, so far more sociable.
And, if he could afford Boston, neither city has a higher COL. I live in Tampa & have only lived in major cities, so I'm aware of COL, but I have an reasonably affordable apt in a safe, wealthy 'hood, so it's a matter of a list of individual pros-cons & searching. I wouldn't rule out a city without seeing it, especially since he says Miami's a good place for work & was initially headed there.
I've left cities I loved cuz I couldn't earn a decent living and/or find a job & have lived in those I didn't care for cuz my work was there.
I agree, knowing which biz might help, but since he's now said he's reconsidering returning to Boston, since his sister is there but his biz wasn't doing as well (the reason he left), then it seems social aspects are more important, so you may be right... Atlanta might be it. But, since it's only a 9-hr drive to Miami, he could work there & regularly visit his family/friends in Atlanta, too.
I don't like to talk about the OP like he's not here... I guess we'll just need to wait for clarification. Thanks for your input.
Hey OCN... Maybe, but he can let us know. You need major bucks to live in Boston & Atlanta, too. All major cities are expensive.
He also said he has only 1 sibling in Boston, but he left that city behind. I believe he said he has 1 friend in Miami. I've moved many times (lived in 11 states) & never knew anyone anywhere... it can be done & I would have loved the good luck of 1 friend in my new city.
And, it depends on where one lives in the city. I'm amused that he's finding Atlanta friendly. Maybe that's due to knowing others there, so he's saying his friends are friendly, lol. I lived there for 3-1/2 yrs & found the opposite... coincidentally, I came from Boston, too. Atlanta was much harder for me to make friends than cold, socially distant Boston & I was in my late 20s-early 30s at the time, so far more sociable.
And, if he could afford Boston, neither city has a higher COL. I live in Tampa & have only lived in major cities, so I'm aware of COL, but I have an reasonably affordable apt in a safe, wealthy 'hood, so it's a matter of a list of individual pros-cons & searching. I wouldn't rule out a city without seeing it, especially since he says Miami's a good place for work & was initially headed there.
I've left cities I loved cuz I couldn't earn a decent living and/or find a job & have lived in those I didn't care for cuz my work was there.
I agree, knowing which biz might help, but since he's now said he's reconsidering returning to Boston, since his sister is there but his biz wasn't doing as well (the reason he left), then it seems social aspects are more important, so you may be right... Atlanta might be it. But, since it's only a 9-hr drive to Miami, he could work there & regularly visit his family/friends in Atlanta, too.
I don't like to talk about the OP like he's not here... I guess we'll just need to wait for clarification. Thanks for your input.
Hi there! Thanks so much for your helpful comments, along with everyone else here. You are maybe the only person so far who has been pro Miami.
In Boston I had my own business working with dogs. For about 8 years I ran a mid day doggie hiking group and had many loyal clients, who I still keep in touch with since I left. I also did dog boarding in my home. There is a lot of demand in Boston for dog walkers, as people have small yards, they don't talk to their neighbors and they have a lot of disposable income.
As mentioned in my post, I have a health issue that is permanent and that prevents me from working a "normal" employee type job. In fact I started my dog business as a side gig when I was too ill to work 8 years ago. I just wanted something low stress that would get me out of the house. It took off right away and I did very well. If it wasn't for the pandemic, I might have gotten to six figures last year. My biz was not operating at that level when I left bc of Covid, but I was still doing fine. I didn't want to leave Boston bc of work.
Yes Boston's cost of living for sure is higher than Miami, and way higher than ATL. ATL seems cheap in comparison. That's funny that you have experienced Boston as friendlier than ATL. I think the South is known for its friendly culture. And Boston is notorious for its unfriendliness! I am glad though that when you were there you were able to find friends. That is no easy feat there!
>I've left cities I loved cuz I couldn't earn a decent living and/or find a job & have lived in those I didn't care for cuz my work was there.
Thank you for pointing this out. It's a very good reminder. For me the question has been whether there is enough demand in ATL for what I do. I can modify my business to meet the market but not radically. It doesn't seem at this point like the demand is there based on my research. The culture in the South around pet care is generally very different than an urban big city like Boston.
I've been in ATL for too many weeks now and have depleted my funds enough that starting up in Miami prob isn't feasible. Startup costs there are higher because of COL. In Boston I have many connections as I have spent half my life there. If I go back I will be working and generating income quickly.
For this reason I have decided to head back up north to good old Boston. I am not thrilled about it, and would rather move on to Miami. I absolutely love hot summer weather and all the bright colors you see in warm climates. Sigh. Boston is the safe practical choice at this stage, even though it's not really where I want to be. I'd rather ATL or Miami. But as other posters have pointed out, financial safety is HUGE and when you don't have that, nothing else matters. You are basically in survival mode.
I appreciate very much everyone's thoughtful comments and insights.
With no planning at all you wandered down to Atlanta and now don't want to get a job so you can stay there?
As a Floridian let me say this is so typical LOL.
EDIT: And whatever this business of yours is, trust me there are 20 more just like it in Miami, more established and more hustling and successful ahead of you AND bilingual.
Are you bilingual and willing to operate your business in Spanish? AND meet the LOW PRICES that the service industry has down there? A dog groomer in Jacksonville can demand $50.00 and the same job in Miami you pay $20.
With no planning at all you wandered down to Atlanta and now don't want to get a job so you can stay there?
As a Floridian let me say this is so typical LOL.
EDIT: And whatever this business of yours is, trust me there are 20 more just like it in Miami, more established and more hustling and successful ahead of you AND bilingual.
Are you bilingual and willing to operate your business in Spanish? AND meet the LOW PRICES that the service industry has down there? A dog groomer in Jacksonville can demand $50.00 and the same job in Miami you pay $20.
Don't go to Florida.
Haha I'm a grown up. I would never up and move on a whim, nor would I not want to work.
Thanks for your insights on the Florida market. I built a thriving business in Boston, another big wealthy city. There are plenty of people there, as in Miami, who try to build a business by undercutting everyone else. I think in general you get what you pay for. For this reason I would never hire someone who only charges $20 to groom your pet. Thanks for the warm welcome to Florida though.
Last edited by Mcginty74; 05-30-2021 at 03:44 PM..
In early April 2021 I left my home of the past 20+ years (Boston) with the intention of driving down the coast and starting life over in Miami. I wanted to move for several reasons, the main one being that the pandemic changed everything. I lived alone in Boston, which is a standoffish unfriendly town in normal times, but during Covid this became extreme. The forced isolation and lack of meaningful contact with others was brutal at times (I was literally touched by another person less than 5 times in the span of a year).
I am a sunny warm climate person 100%, and I like big cosmopolitan cities, so I settled on Miami as my destination. Along the way I stopped in my home state of Georgia to visit family members in Atlanta and some old friends. That was 7 weeks ago and I am still here!
After all that extreme isolation of the past year, I found that being in a friendly sunny city like Atlanta, with a caring support network, was HUGE. Boston can be a lonely place in general, and it's tough to make friends. People are very guarded. Having strangers look me in the eye and smile or wave was like medicine for the soul. I decided to stay and try and make it work in Atlanta.
I had a small successful neighborhood business in Boston and I did very well. I had plans to recreate my biz in Miami, and now in Atlanta. Since I decided to stay however, I've been finding that there may not be enough demand for my service in Atlanta, and building the business might take too long. I am absolutely terrified of running out of money. Like it keeps me awake at night.
I'm now at a crossroads. I have enough money to stay in Atlanta through the summer, but will need to be generating a solid income by September. Because of my doubts about the market here, I am petrified that this will not be enough time and I will go broke. But I do like Atlanta very much. I was raised in Georgia and it feels like home. It feels like I belong, in a way I never felt in two decades in Boston.
Besides making it work in Atlanta, I can pack up and continue on to Miami, my original plan. I only know one person in Miami whose just been an online friend. It's also more expensive to find an apartment and get started, and my funds have already been depleted by being here in Atlanta the past 7 weeks. But for sure Miami has demand for what I do.
I also have the option of turning around and going back to Boston, where I could start up my biz again and where it's comfortable and familiar. I miss certain parts of my life there and going back wouldn't be the end of the world. My only sibling is there. Boston represents financial security.
Basically money worries are gumming up the wheels of my plans, and I am stuck. I have never been so confused over a life decision. Days tick by with my mind swinging like a pendulum.
I would like to stay in Atlanta, but I can't decide if the financial risk involved is worth it. I have a health issue that unfortunately prevents me from working a regular job as an employee, and I should probably be on disability of some kind, but don't want to go there unless it's absolutely necessary. What I do for work is the one thing I've found that is rewarding and that compensates me well. Just mentioning this to say that getting another job isn't an option.
Could really use some advice.
I have no input on which city you should choose but a major thought that popped out at me is that during covid everything looked different for all of us, even those who were doing their level best to ignore it. Now that things have lightened up and we’re emerging again out into the world, everything looks different again and it strikes me that it’s not the best time to make a permanent decision about anything. (Sez me who moved to another state and bought a house during covid)
Why not just head on down to Miami and check it out and talk to people to get a feel for how your business would fit in to a place like that? Or it may be that neither Atlanta nor Miami would be the best place and you could look further afield, like Nashville or St. Louis. Both are friendly cities and in StL at least I’m pretty sure your business could work.
Ooh ooh, just had another thought...unless you’re tied to the cities emotionally, I think your business could work in an area like I’m in where there is a lot of tourism. People like to bring their dogs when on a car trip but then they may not be able to take them safely to the places they want to visit, like a winery, but there are miles and miles of hiking trails around here.
I'm completely incapable of making major life decisions so I mostly avoid doing so and, when I'm finally forced to, 9 times of out 10 it ends up being the WRONG decision. So following...
Hi there! Thanks so much for your helpful comments, along with everyone else here. You are maybe the only person so far who has been pro Miami.
In Boston I had my own business working with dogs. For about 8 years I ran a mid day doggie hiking group and had many loyal clients, who I still keep in touch with since I left. I also did dog boarding in my home. There is a lot of demand in Boston for dog walkers, as people have small yards, they don't talk to their neighbors and they have a lot of disposable income.
As mentioned in my post, I have a health issue that is permanent and that prevents me from working a "normal" employee type job. In fact I started my dog business as a side gig when I was too ill to work 8 years ago. I just wanted something low stress that would get me out of the house. It took off right away and I did very well. If it wasn't for the pandemic, I might have gotten to six figures last year. My biz was not operating at that level when I left bc of Covid, but I was still doing fine. I didn't want to leave Boston bc of work.
Hey, McG. Good that most of the posts have been of help to you. So glad you made a decision so quickly. The hardest part of decision making is that seemingly endless period of indecision... sometimes too many choices is as confusing as not having enough choices.
Although, I'm sorry to hear of your health annoyances, I greatly admire your ability to begin a solo biz & succeed. I'm in awe of people who can do so... there are a number of creative things I can do, if only I knew how to market myself. I don't... I've tried & failed several times. Someone who can do it all is amazing.
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The culture in the South around pet care is generally very different than an urban big city like Boston.
Yes. When I lived in Atlanta & NC, I noticed that many homeowners viewed dogs as outdoor animals, rather than indoor companions & pets. They'd keep them off-leash in large yards, so they had plenty of room to exercise & move around, but regardless of weather (thunder, rain, cold, snow), they remained outdoors in their small, wooden, unheated/uncooled houses. The people I knew tended to view dogs as working animals... they were watchdogs, they'd bring them fishing or hunting, then spend all their time & sleep outdoors. Different ways of life.
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I've been in ATL for too many weeks now and have depleted my funds enough that starting up in Miami prob isn't feasible. Startup costs there are higher because of COL. In Boston I have many connections as I have spent half my life there. If I go back I will be working and generating income quickly.
For this reason I have decided to head back up north to good old Boston. I am not thrilled about it, and would rather move on to Miami. I absolutely love hot summer weather and all the bright colors you see in warm climates. Sigh. Boston is the safe practical choice at this stage, even though it's not really where I want to be. I'd rather ATL or Miami. But as other posters have pointed out, financial safety is HUGE and when you don't have that, nothing else matters. You are basically in survival mode.
You may already be on your way back, but, since you're this far, is it worth it to just visit Miami for a day or 2 to see if you like the vibe? This way, if you don't, you can return to Boston & cross it off your list for good & get it out of your mind. If you do like it, when you return to Boston you can spend some spare time researching how you'd make it work there, in the event you'd like to return 1-2 yrs down the line. Then perhaps you could sell your biz back in Boston & open up another in Miami. Just a thought.
I'm sure you made the best decision, so I wish you luck with your health, getting settled & ramping up your biz again. Have a safe trip back... good time to go, summer. And, watch those wicked haahd turns.
Safe home, then...
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