So what can the City of San Antonio do to help entrepreneurs create new high tech companies in the city? 1200 WOAI news reports that was the focus of a day long event sponsored by small business and tech leaders.
Andrew Trickett, co-founder of the successful San Antonio start up 'Merge VR,' says the city should establish a grant program to help those who have an idea that they want to bring to life with basic necessities, like food and rent."They need to prove themselves, its not a grant forever, to live on," he said. "It is just to help you get started and know your basics will be taken care of."Trickett says he has seen great ideas 'fizzle out' when the entrepreneur had to get a full time job just to pay the bills."We want them to go pursue a start up rather than just pursue a job," he said. "This is something the city is going to have to think through."Trickett said San Antonio and Bexar County are too focused on incentives like tax breaks, but they don't do much good to help a 'garage company' get a jump start.Entrepreneurs at the conference said the existance of such a fund, which could be a loan or a competitive grant, would also help attract entrepreneurs to the city, making San Antonio a strong 'incubator' for future start ups.