We’re start-up capital
SHOW US THE LIGHTS Statistics show Coast has most entrepreneurs
THE Gold Coast has twice the rate of trademark applications as the rest of Australia and business growth outstrips the nation’s average, data shows.
Federal Coalition Smart Cities national statistics out today confirm the Coast is the small business start-up capital.
The number of city businesses started in the past year as a percentage of total registered businesses is 17 per cent. It is the highest in the country, outstripping a nationwide av- erage of 13.9 per cent. Gold Coast-Tweed has the most trademark applications per 100,000 people at 409, more than double an average of 185.5 across Australia.
Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall said it would bolster the city’s formidable reputation as an entrepreneur hub: “The formal acknowledgment of that should start a tidal wave of interest and grow those numbers even further.
“If you have a start-up and are looking for an area to inspire you, this is the place.”
Entrepreneur Dave Nelson who had successful business ideas – “healthy” Vodka Plus and Japanese pizza restaurant Sash – while on the Coast said the atmosphere was perfect to spark innovation.
“There are two sides to it – you can go down the road of drinking too much and surfing all day or having the clearest head because you’re not stuck in traffic, get to spend time walking the beach in between phone calls and are tapping into the good vibrations.”
Gold Coast-based Anonyome co-founder Paul Jensen, a former IBM staffer whose company specialises in online privacy and security innovation, said he started Anonyome on the Coast because it had the best lifestyle in Australia.
“In the tech industry people want to work where they want to live. We have a lot of people approaching us wanting to come from Sydney and Melbourne purely for the lifestyle.”
Mayor Tom Tate said the “have-a-go spirit” pioneered by SeaWorld founder the late Keith Williams and late exmayor Sir Bruce Small resonated in the city DNA.
“The Federal data today is encouraging on two fronts: it underscores business confidence is strong on the Gold Coast, and it shows entrepreneurs have a positive outlook on basing their business here.”
The Health and Knowledge precinct near Griffith University and hospitals at Parklands would supercharge interest in medical research, robotics, sports science and 3D printing.
Study Gold Coast was also crucial for driving partnership between tertiary students and business creation, he said.
“Our economy is becoming stronger given the growing number of tertiary students living and studying here,” Cr Tate said.