Miami Matters: 5Q Part 2 – ScrapBlog

This is part 2 in the series of posts on Miami from an entrepreneur’s point of view.The following are the responses submitted by Carlos Garcia, CEO of Scrapblog.

1. What do you see as the primary benefits to doing business in Miami?

Miami is booming. You can see it in the skyline. According to Wired Magazine, Miami is going from a few skyscrapers to over 50 by 2012. How many of those buildings will host Web startups? It¹s great to be part of acommunity that is growing at that rate.If you are a parent, Miami has great schools and lots of outdoor activities to enjoy with the family. If you are single, Miami is supposed to be a party town (just don¹t ask me to where to go).

2. What downsides/obstacles have you encountered as a businessman in Miami?

Nothing major. Recruiting is still more difficult than in cities like San Francisco or even Austin. However, as the community continues to grow and connect it has become more viable to find great people. There are great Web professionals in Miami, it is just a matter of doing lots networking to find them.

3. How has being in Miami affected your company’s short term and long term strategies?

Well, I end up traveling a lot to the West Coast and up north. The main reason I travel is for conferences. Also, there are very few local VCs focusing on consumer Internet. However, East Coast VCs from Boston and New York are starting to spend more time in Miami.

4. Where do you see the most growth in Miami over the next 5 years? 10?

Hopefully, Web and Tech startups, but I am sure that real estate will continue to dominate for a while.

5. What would you like to see in Miami in relations to the web and business?

There¹s lots of momentum in the Miami Web community. I would like to see that continue. I would also like to see more local starups leveraging from the diversity that we have here in Miami, not only in relation to Latin America but with Europe as well.