Why startups & freelancers should consider Adelaide
When people think about Adelaide they don’t think about technology. In fact it is actually quite the opposite as we may or may not be known for forgetting how to switch on the lights from time to time but, and it’s a BIG but, in my opinion there are amazing benefits for choosing Adelaide as home base as both a freelancer and a startup.
This article was on my to do list like plenty of other things but was inspired by an opinion piece today by journalist Rex Jory who wrote that Adelaide needs ideas, initiative, innovation and courage to get out of doldrums of which I agree completely.
Have I peaked your interest? Well, give me a moment and hopefully I will have you thinking that Adelaide with just over one million people just might work for you.
Liveability!
Adelaide is renowned for it’s lifestyle, wineries, sport, and entertainment. It hosts great events like Adelaide Fringe, stunning wine regions like the Barossa Valley & McLaren Vale, Australian Football and Cricket to nearly sold out crowds (capacity of 50,000) at Adelaide Oval, to local and international artists like Human Nature, Adele, Bruce Springsteen, and Guns and Roses to name just a few appearing this year.
My friends at NomadList give Adelaide a pretty decent rating of 7.8/10 across a number of variables including cost of living, traffic, friendliness, lifestyle, safety, plus many many more.
If we just dig deeper on that little thing (we hate) called cost of living things get even more interesting. According to CoreLogic renting is a whole lot cheaper and renting in Adelaide is the cheapest of all other capital cities (excluding Hobart which in my opinion doesn’t count) with median weekly rents at $364 per week ($1,456 p/m).
Not only is Adelaide nearly 50% cheaper than Sydney but you get a lot more space for your dollar!
And if you think Adelaide is cheap for your staff wait till you see the commercial office options available as Adelaide’s office vacancy rates are the highest since 1999!
There is an abundance of CBD co-working spaces (I’m writing this from Wotso), offices, and even entire buildings that are screaming for offers.
On this point alone you (and your startup) could save thousands and give you just the boost that your runway desperately needs.
Talent and Local Support
- Talented locals — On moving to Adelaide a lot of things surprised me but one of the biggest was the local pool of talent that this regional city provides. Adelaide is filled with some amazing tech and non-tech people with CV’s to match all at a fraction of the price of the east coast. Win win.
- Students everywhere — Another major opportunity is the number of students that are at one of the cities 4 universities all itching for experience and jobs after graduation.
- Local Support — There are a number of organisations both government and non-profit that are here and ready to support startups in Adelaide including Entrepreneur Story, INNOVYZ, Venturedorm, South Australian Commercialisation Fund, and Renew Adelaide.
Connectivity
Adelaide Airport isn’t perfect but can get you to the east or west coast pretty quickly for meetings with regular flights to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth all under 3 hours flight time.
In addition to domestic travel it is serviced by a number of international airlines including Air New Zealand, Cathy Pacific, China Southern, Emirates, Malaysia, Qatar, and Singapore meaning that Asia and the Middle East are only hours away or to get you to your onward journey.
Final Thoughts
Technology and startups could be the answer it just has to be considered as a viable option.
Adelaide has the culture, people, and lifestyle but is certainly no Austin yet (even though I just found out that they are sister cities). The city needs to find it’s next big thing to replace dying and outdated industries and create real opportunities, jobs, and growth not just for those here now and their children but also those that choose to come into the future.
