Starting a business is terrifying. There is excitement. There is risk. There is the steady hum of an existential crisis asking if you really know what you are doing. I know the feeling well. But here in the Upper Cumberland, when you start a business, it comes with some very real advantages that make the leap a little less dramatic.
Small businesses are everywhere in Tennessee. Almost every business in the state falls into that category and they employ a huge portion of our workforce. That means when you start a business here, you are not odd. You are part of what keeps the lights on in our communities. I like that. It makes you sound important. Go ahead and say it out loud. Entrepreneur. See. Feels good already.
There are financial advantages too. Tennessee does not tax personal income on wages and salaries. That leaves more money for payroll, marketing, product development, or if you are like my kids, fast food. The state also has one of the lowest tax burdens in the country, so you get to keep more of what you earn rather than writing checks to the government and hoping they spend it wisely.
The Upper Cumberland itself is a pretty smart place to start. Our cost of living is reasonable. Rent is cheaper (for the time being) than Nashville. Everything is cheaper than Nashville, actually. You can start small, learn as you go, and give your idea time to become something real. It is like a business incubator but with hiking trails.
Support is not hard to find either. The entrepreneurial ecosystem in our region keeps growing. You have The Biz Foundry helping founders get started, access to coaching and funding tools, and a community that actually cares if you succeed. Try telling your big city customers that you are a brand new business and see how much enthusiasm you get. When you start a business in the Upper Cumberland, people will literally bring you a box of Ralph’s donuts when you open.
At The Biz Foundry, we spend our days sitting knee to knee with folks who are dreaming about something more, sketching out napkin-ideas that turn into real companies. I also teach a class called Start Up: Business Bootcamp. It breaks down the entire process of “how to start a business” into steps that make sense and don’t require a dictionary or a therapist (just kidding, you’ll still need a therapist). We have new sessions coming up soon. If you want in, I’ll save a seat with your name on it. Unless your name is hard to spell, then I will just say I forgot to write it and act like I know how to spell it.
I have a son, Andrew. He will head to Tennessee Tech in 2026 to study engineering. I secretly (and now publicly) hope he becomes an entrepreneur. Engineering is cool. Engineering something that becomes a company is cooler. If he reads this someday, I expect him to roll his eyes and pretend he had no idea he influenced this blog. That is fine. I will know.
Here is what I tell him. Ideas are everywhere. Good ideas usually come from solving real problems for real people. And in the Upper Cumberland, we have more than enough people and problems to keep entrepreneurs busy for a lifetime.
If you have a dream about starting a business in the Upper Cumberland, this region gives you room to try. You can live well. You can grow slowly. You can fail without being crushed. And when things start to work, you will find customers who are excited to see one of their own succeed. You do not have to move away to create a future. You can build one right here at home. And if you ever need someone to sit with you, talk through the idea, make a sarcastic remark or two, and then help you take the next step, I am right down the street at The Biz Foundry.
-Luke
