Nice easy hike around Boulder.

March28

This weekend I went on a easy hike called Meyers Homstead Trail, or the Meyers Gulch Trail. It was a relatively flat hike with a wide path and the out and back added up to a total of 5.5 miles. Beautiful pine forest, old barn, etc. Highly recommend! Good one for kids too I think.

If you want something more challenging, Walker Ranch is right around the corner which is an 8 mile loop with some climbs and beautiful walks along the river. I see people fly fishing out there quite often.

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Business startup rates vs closures.

March2

Given the publicity and prestige given to startups and business owners you would think that the USA is in the middle of a huge entrepreneurship boom. The opposite is true, we are seeing some really worrisome numbers emerging around business startup rates (this is something I’ve been reading about through 2015 and 2016 and it has me concerned, still doing a lot of research).

4 scary facts!

1. The number of businesses being started has fallen for decades. For the first time in 2008 the number of businesses closing was greater than those being started. Why is this worrisome? New companies are the ones that create 95% of new jobs. Existing companies create very close to 0 jobs when you total it up. The number of employees at new companies versus established has dropped from around 3.8% to 2%.

Click to enlarge:

2. Between 2010 and 2014 only 104,600 firms were created. Between 1983 to 1987 ~500,000 were. We are in a downward trend and the question is why. Demographics? Internet? Changing employment needs or habits? What?

3. The number of metro areas with more business startups than closures has shrunk consistently over the last 40 years. Prior to 2008 80% of metro areas had positive rates, in 2009 that was only 11%. Even after the recovery from the recession only 60% have positive business startup rates (2014).

Click to enlarge:

4. Over time it also appears that much smaller number of metro areas are the ones responsible for the bulk of new firms and subsequent employement growth.

In 1983 to 1987 29 metro areas were responsible for 50% of new firms in the USA.

In 1992 to 1996 30 metro areas were responsible for 50% of new firms in the USA.

In 2002 to 2006 14 metro areas were responsible for 50% of new firms in the USA.

In 2010 to 1014 5 metro areas were responsible for 50% of new firms in the USA.

Given Americans relocate for jobs 50% less than a decade ago that means that the bulk of these advancements are happening in just 5 metro areas. You don’t even want to see the stats outside of metro areas as small town america’s business start rates are hurting really bad.

I highly recommend you read the full report that Economic Innovation Group put out. There have also been a lot of stories in the WSJ and similar over the last couple years. Thanks to EIG for some of the screen grabs I added to this post, really impressed with them spotting this trend and starting to bring attention to it.

PS. Apologies for spelling/grammer, super late when I wrote this.

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This is bwb’s personal blog, so he can share his thoughts with the world, however scary or silly they might be. Plus family and friends can track what I am up to, and where I am in the world.

I am pretty simple. I love Mangos. I love the ocean (although mostly at sunset, as I’m a ginger). I love to travel, eat exotic food, do long bike rides, read, and use my imagination. At some point, I decided it was better to be a pirate captain than an admiral. I am a globalist and see the entire world as my responsibility and playground. And I am married to an amazing woman who makes life even more fun :)! And we are now the proud parents of Calico Jack :).


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