Hey all: I'm moving from southern Ontario to either the east or west coast in a few months, just haven't decided which yet. My g/f is in tourism & travel so we'll need to be near a port city, and it'll have to be one or the other. I'm planning to start a small software company (5-10 people) to create facebook apps, web apps, iphone & android apps, as well as contract work on desktop apps.

I've heard a lot of reports of rampant layoffs in B.C. (since November 2009), and was thinking that it might be easier to find qualified individuals on the west coast from this perspective. However, rent costs will be higher, and there will be much greater competition from other small shops out west. It'd be easier to freelance in my space time (lol?) if I get desperate for cash, and I'm thinking my g/f would probably make more out west (jobs tend to adjust salaries in relation to cost of living- although this may be offset by the unemployment numbers out of vancouver recently).

The east coast (Halifax) is a much smaller city, and offers significantly cheaper office space and rent for housing / apartments. Plus, the tech scene out there seems to be growing rather than contracting (no big layoffs so far, some game studios, and more people are moving there from Ontario and Quebec to take advantage of the changes out that way). However, there will be less companies offering work, and it will be harder to attract talent, (but easier to retain talent).

Does anyone have any ideas I haven't thought of yet? What would you do if you were in my shoes? I'm thoroughly excited about moving, I just don't want to make a bad choice as I only have enough savings to bootstrap the business and rent a home for awhile. Business loans not out of the question, would rather just play it by ear than jumping into debt right away.