According to Hanley, who also attends Alliance of Angel events, the local angel community in Seattle is very accessible, and many of them are more than happy to meet with you and discuss ideas, or at least take a phone call. Even if you're not sure you want to take investment capital, Hanley says it can be valuable just to connect with some angels in the local community. Besides getting involved with Alliance of Angels, another good way to get familiar with Seattle's angel community is to talk to other companies that have angel investors and ask them about their experience. "Talk about your business and see if there is someone that another entrepreneur would recommend talking with," says Hanley.
Hops & Chops – A small group of Seattle entrepreneurs that gets together for weekly happy hours to socialize, provide peer support, and just talk shop.
Northwest Entrepreneur Network – A group dedicated to helping entrepreneurs in the Northwest connect with each other, and provide them with the resources needed to succeed. In addition to an abundance of seminars that offer coaching and mentorship, the NWEN also has some popular social gatherings to get entrepreneurs together on a regular basis. Their Breakfast Buzz and Pub nights are held monthly at various locations in and around the Seattle area.
Zino Society – A membership-based organization designed to connect investors with entrepreneurs seeking funding. Their regular networking events often involve wine tasting and socializing with restaurateurs, and brings together roundtables of some of the most sought-after investors in the Seattle area.
Something else to keep in mind: While there are many advantages to the closeness of the Seattle entrepreneurial community, Hanley also cautions against companies becoming too regionally focused. "It's not like being in New York," says Hanley. "It's important to remember that the size of the Seattle market is finite." Therefore, if you're looking to grow your business beyond the Seattle area – and most start-ups eventually do – don't limit yourself to only making connections in the city.
It's a good idea to use entrepreneurs in the community as a launching pad to get to know other contacts or VCs in cities around the country.
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Starting a Business in Seattle: Get to Know the Offerings of Each Neighborhood
Another way to become engrained in the Seattle entrepreneurial community is to choose a neighborhood location for your business that's made up of other link-minded companies. While geographically the city may not be that expansive, there are plenty of unique neighborhoods that offer something for everyone.
Best, who chose the neighborhood of Belltown as the site for Mercent, says the most important factor for him in picking a location was access to talent. "Belltown is a popular community with the types of employees that we're looking to attract. They're tech savvy, early-stage software engineers and project managers that have the right academic credentials," says Best. The neighborhood also has a trendy feel and is in close proximity to downtown, both pluses in Best's mind.
Two other neighborhoods in particular, Fremont and Pioneer Square, tend to attract quite a few startups. Fremont, which is where Google and Adobe have their Seattle offices, is well located across from the Space Needle and Lake Union. The area is a little bit eclectic, but has seen a lot of growth in the past few years. It is also home to a flourishing artist community. Pioneer Square, which is on the southern edge of downtown Seattle, is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Seattle. Because rent is typically more affordable in this area, it can be a great place for a small start-up to get its bearings, and to find a cool loft space that fosters employee interaction. The neighborhood is also a hub of sorts in relation to the rest of the city. All the train and bus routes terminate in Pioneer Square.
"Go around to different neighborhoods and find the one that's right for you," says Hanley, whose Banyan Branch office is located in Fremont. There are also options for start-ups that aren't quite ready to commit to an office space, or don't need to because they are operating on a project basis and growing or shrinking their staff frequently. One of Banyan Branch's clients has space for his company at a shared workspace called StartPad. The company owns space in a building downtown and you can rent a given number of desks on a month-to-month basis.
Often getting out in the neighborhood and interacting with other businesses can fuel growth, too. With Seattle being a coffee-focused town, there's an abundance of coffee shops around Seattle that double as conference spaces for many agile start-ups. Best says he often holds team meetings at a coffee shop down the street from Mercent's offices, as a break from being inside the building, and as a way for his employees to get to know the neighborhood they work in and build a comfort level there.
