Is Charlotte a Great City for Entrepreneurs?

It’s a fascinating study in contradictions: on one hand, Charlotte enjoys a favorable reputation nationally as a place for launching new businesses. Out-of-towners routinely sing Charlotte’s praises as a kind of start-up nirvana, citing its young and educated workforce, muscular business center, and generally warm climate. “Charlotte has all the amenities of a metro hub with the flavor of a small Southern town,” gushed CNNMoney.com, which last year ranked the city 7th among large metro areas on its annual list of Best Places to Launch.

Yet my own talks with local entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, and business experts suggest otherwise. As the head of one of Charlotte’s small business advocacy groups told me recently: “When it comes to supporting entrepreneurs, there’s been a lot of lip service in this town for years. This is a fairly risk-averse environment.” Another entrepreneur and angel investor who has successfully launched firms in entertainment, technology, and real estate put it another way: “This city lacks a critical mass of risk capital. You get a lot of people who talk and do nothing. I get a lot of pats on the back.”

I’d love to include more local entrepreneurs - as well as those who make their living investing in start-ups – in my column. Last Sunday (Jan. 17) , I wrote about a laid-off Wachovia exec who launched a local solar energy firm called Greenfield Power. What’s been your experience as an entrepreneur in Charlotte? Have you gotten the support you’ve needed for success? What other people, companies, and investors should I be writing about? I look forward to hearing from you!