Yes, I know, most IT companies want to be in the Valley, that is, Silicon Valley. I would however suggest you seriously consider Atlanta as an alternative. If you are definitely the next Google, then yes, you have to be in the Valley. Ask Vinny and Yola :-). Most IT companies, however, don’t have to be in the Valley.Here are a few reasons to set up your US HQ in Atlanta:
- Atlanta has one of the best airports in the world with direct flights (on Delta) to Jo’burg.
- Very low cost of living compared to most large US city, especially San Francisco.
- Great time zone overlap with South Africa.
- Great IT community: Techlinks, TAG, GATech, and atdc.
- HQ for many Fortune 500 companies including: Coca-Cola, Home Depot, UPS, and Aflac.
This presentation by the Metro Atlanta Chamber gives many more reasons to consider Atlanta as your US HQ.Lance Weatherby had this to say about Atlanta replacing Silicon Valley.I’ve lived in Atlanta (actually in Kennesaw, a town North of Atlanta) for almost 12 years since moving to Atlanta in 1998.
