Colorado is consistently ranked high on quality of life lists. Last month, we took a look at some Colorado cities that were featured on the Best Small Cities to live lists. But Colorado isn’t just a great place to live; it’s also a great place to work.
Colorado has been able to attract several large companies including Vestas, DaVita, and ConocoPhillips. In fact, 43 headquarters have moved to Colorado since 2003.
Colorado is a “Top 3 State for Business”
In the middle of nationwide job losses, Colorado ranked Number 3 overall on CNBC’s Top States for Businesses list. Colorado ranked second place in the Quality of Life list, which is no surprise to anyone that lives here. On the Business Friendliness list, Colorado came in at 4th place.
What makes Colorado business-friendly? For one thing, it is one of the fastest-growing Clean Tech states, a growing industry. We are attracting venture capital in the industry. Some experts say that Boulder is in the position to become the Silicon Valley of Clean Tech. This could lead to more jobs in Colorado in the future.
Colorado has a unique corporate culture.
Boulder has also earned a reputation for its unique business culture that focuses on its employees well being. Things like break rooms equipped with football tables and free employee bus passes are the norm in Boulder.
We may also see more aggressive work to attract and retain businesses in Colorado from both our government and private sector. After the loss of several big headquarters to other states, groups that work to make Colorado more “business-friendly” are under pressure to make some changes in the right direction.
Colorado offers potential job growth and a high quality of life.
If you are considering a move to Colorado, put “job growth” and “business opportunities” in the “pros” list along with “quality of life.” Some experts even say that Colorado will be one of the 5 states critical to pulling the nation out of recession.
