Palo Alto Tutors Come To You

In 1938, in a little garage on Addison Avenue in Palo Alto, California, Bill Hewlett and David Packard formed a partnership that became Hewlett-Packard Company, giving Silicon Valley its start. The Dean of Engineering at Stanford University at the time, Frederick Terman, had been suggesting to faculty and graduates that they establish electronic businesses nearby and develop a high-tech region rather than leave California, and Hewlett and Packard are considered the first two Stanford engineering students to take his advice. Luckily, others followed. As a result, many large companies—household names like Google, Facebook, and PayPal—were started in Palo Alto. The city does a lot of things right to attract successful companies in all stages and today is home to 7,000 companies, including Houzz, VMware, Skype, and Tesla. In fact, the city still serves as a focal point for new businesses in Silicon Valley. What is it about Palo Alto that companies find so attractive?

Stanford University
Tops on the list is Stanford University. The private university provides a steady source of research and talent to feed local business success. Many high school students in the region engage in rigorous tutoring in Palo Alto to earn admission to this dream school to many.

Municipality
Since 1896, Palo Alto has owned and operated its own gas, electric, sewer, water, garbage, and storm drainage services, offering them to its residents, including businesses, at very competitive rates. In addition, Palo Alto has installed a thirty-one-mile dark-fiber infrastructure for ultra-fast internet access.

A Prime Office Park
Palo Alto is home to a very special office park—the Stanford Research Park (SRP). The park was created in 1951 through a partnership between the city and Stanford. The 700-acre site houses over 150 companies. Here, brilliant minds come together to solve problems and collaborate. Transportation needs are well thought out, and workers can take their pick of bus service, Caltrain, or mass transit.

StartX
Stanford’s business incubator, StartX, was established in 2011 and has already launched over 250 start-up companies. The educational non-profit charges no fees and takes no equity in the companies it helps launch.

Venture Capitalists
A few miles away, on Sand Hill Road, about twenty venture capital firms keep a watchful eye on SRP and its investment opportunities. In 2015, $27.3 billion was invested in 1,333 transactions by Silicon Valley venture capitalists.

Demographics
Palo Alto has a culturally diverse population of about 66,000. Drawn to the myriad of high-tech companies and Stanford University, its residents are some of the highest educated in the country.

Retail
During the day, Palo Alto’s population roughly doubles in size. Those commuters tend to have high household incomes, and they frequent Palo Alto’s restaurants, stores, and coffee shops, making for a thriving economy.

Palo Alto offers a stimulating business community that draws the brightest of the brightest. It also provides many non-business-related amenities to tech families, such as parks, open space, and supremely qualified Palo Alto tutors.