Philadelphia

Philly: The Incredible Shrinking City?

posted July 11, 2008 by B. Frank  |  Comments (0)

Continuing a long-running downward trend, Philadelphia lost more residents between 2000 and 2007 than any U.S. city except hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, newly released estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show.

Population in the city decreased from 1,517,550 to 1,449,634 in the seven years, a loss of nearly 68,000 people, according to Greg Harper, a demographer for the bureau.

That drop of 4.5 percent represents the largest percentage loss in population of a top-25 U.S. city between 2000 and 2007, figures show.

Philadelphia’s population peaked at 2,071,605 in 1950, and has dwindled ever since. The city’s current population is the lowest since the start of the 20th century, when the number of residents increased from 1.3 million in 1900 to 1.6 million in 1920, figures show.” - courtesy of the Philadelphia Inquirer

You know what a Phillypreneur thinks during times like these? That’s right, CHEAP PROPERTY! Now is the time to grab up as much property as possible before this half century depopulation trend completely turns (with economic and environmental incentives driving people back into the city, it’s already starting!). Get a piece of the action now before it’s too late.

b-frank Entrepreneur, Statesman, diplomat, educator, inventor, author, printer, philosopher, scientist, shopkeeper, musician, economist, public servant and American hero.
Posted in Boot Strappers Delight, Philadelphia  |  Comments (0)

Scientology Centers aside, Hollywood is good to Philly(preneurs).

posted July 3, 2008 by B. Frank  |  Comments (0)

Philadelphia goes all Hollywood

There haven’t been any sightings of Tom Kat wearing Ryan Howard jerseys, but that doesn’t mean Philly hasn’t gotten all uppity and gone Hollywood. Ever since the PA lawmakers signed into effect Act 55 of 2007, Creativity in Focus, a plethora of Hollywood Production Studios have descended on Philly and the surrounding burbs, including M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Happening,” “The Lovely Bones,” staring Mark Wahlberg, “Happy Tears,” staring Demi Moore and Parker Posey, “The Dream of the Romans,” staring Lauren Graham and Jeff Daniels, and “Transformers II” with Hollywood ‘It boy’ Shea Leboeuf.

According to the PA Department of Community and Economic Development reports, the tax credit has resulted in more than $300 million in direct economic activity in Pennsylvania, which has created an estimated 4,355 jobs and generated nearly $20 million of new tax revenue.

Here’s exactly what the tax credit provides:

Effective July 1, 2007, Pennsylvania provides a 25% Film Production Tax Credit for film production expenses incurred in the Commonwealth. The transferable tax credit is available for feature films, TV shows and series, and commercials intended for a national audience. In order to qualify for the tax credit, 60 percent of the total production expenses must be incurred in Pennsylvania. No more than $75 million per year can be awarded” - courtesy of Greater Philadelphia Film Office

The best part: The budget for the tax credit was renewed for 2009! Score.

Note to Phillypreneurs:
If you want in on the cash cow of major motion picture production, there are a lot of opportunities for the industrious. A need for traditional services like craft services (catering on set) , courier services, location scouting and lodging management all come with the big budget caravan. Considering how huge these film budgets are and that they will pay almost anything to keep they’re high-end cast and crew happy, there are plenty of more entrepreneurial opportunities.

More about the PA Film Production Tax Incentive:
Innovation Philadelphia
Greater Philadelphia Film

b-frank Entrepreneur, Statesman, diplomat, educator, inventor, author, printer, philosopher, scientist, shopkeeper, musician, economist, public servant and American hero.
Posted in Philadelphia  |  Comments (0)

Want to expand your customer base in Philly? Think International

posted June 3, 2008 by B. Frank  |  Comments (0)

The United States Department of Commerce Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) announced on Friday that Philadelphia hosted a record-breaking 550,000 international visitors in 2007, an increase of more than 100,000 from the previous year. Philadelphia is one of only two cities that reached a record level of international visitors in 2007. Seventy-five percent of the new visitation was driven by a sharp increase in the number of travelers from the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (PCVB) primary target markets of the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.

Read more about the land mark achievement.

b-frank Entrepreneur, Statesman, diplomat, educator, inventor, author, printer, philosopher, scientist, shopkeeper, musician, economist, public servant and American hero.
Posted in Philadelphia  |  Comments (0)

Philadelphia City Council Public Hearing on the Creative Economy

posted May 5, 2008 by David Speers  |  Comments (0)

Join Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown and Councilman W. Wilson Goode, Jr. for a City Council public hearing on Philadelphia’s non-profit and for-profit Creative Economy and how it impacts entrepreneurism, business development and the attraction and retention of young, educated professionals.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Philadelphia City Hall, Room 400

The hearing will explore methods and strategies for how the City of Philadelphia can enhance the development of the creative industries and attract the young professional talent that will fuel Philadelphia’s economic growth. For more information, call (215) 686-3438.

david Dave Speers is an online marketing consultant and blogger that has worked with a wide variety of Philadelphia Start-Ups . Dave spends most his time annoying really smart people at Indy Hall co-working collaborative.
Posted in Philadelphia  |  Comments (0)

What Everybody Ought to Know About Philly

posted January 3, 2007 by David Speers  |  Comments (0)

Philadelphia has long been the home of innovation in America. While Philadelphia is known for being the first capital of the United States, it is the home of many firsts in the US. Here is a list of national firsts that have happened right here in Philly:

david Dave Speers is an online marketing consultant and blogger that has worked with a wide variety of Philadelphia Start-Ups . Dave spends most his time annoying really smart people at Indy Hall co-working collaborative.
Posted in Philadelphia  |  Comments (0)