These are companies that in the Valley are referred to as "lifestyle businesses" in a derogatory fashion, as they'll never be "IPO" money. Yet, they have happy customers, happy employees, and generate a profit.
Yeah, I actually run a lifestyle business myself, and have done so for the past 18 years. I make a decent living (albeit much less than I'd earn working for a SV startup or Google), have a virtually stress-fee life, live in paradise, and can set my own work schedule. I don't have any employees at the moment, but when I did employ someone I gave him the same work conditions that I set for myself (i.e. work whenever you want, and take time off whenever you feel like it).
Before I started working on my business full-time I earned about 5x what I make now (and that was over 15 years ago), but I'm much happier now.
> These are companies that in the Valley are referred to as "lifestyle businesses" in a derogatory fashion, as they'll never be "IPO" money.
What's funny is that small and mid-size businesses that Silicon Valley looks down on can generate IPO money.
Founders, senior management and investors can make vast fortunes when companies go public, but "IPO money" for rank-and-file employees is typically in the six and seven figures, and that's in best case scenarios.
A lot of small businesses generate net profits of six and seven figures annually. My SO's uncle, for instance, makes over a million dollars a year running a services business. So every year, he's banking more than many employees will make in one-off IPO windfalls. There are tons of business owners like him in this country.
Personally, I don't want IPO money and all the headaches that come with it. I'd rather have more time, good people and freedom than money. That's why I was asking for examples of such cities/companies.
