TECHNOLOGY
When Richard Miles moved to Jackson in 2019 , the serial entrepreneur with Bay Area roots was travel- weary and looking to be part of a community .
“ The foothills are a damned attractive destination ,” Miles says . “ You can swap an overpriced house in Palo Alto and buy a much better spot with a much better view . You don ’ t worry about parking , you don ’ t worry about traffic . There was a huge earthquake in employment ( during ) the pandemic . People realized , ‘ I don ’ t want to do that anymore . I don ’ t want to sit in my car for 20 hours a week to have a 50-hour-a-week job where I ’ m not appreciated enough . I ’ m a much better mom or dad — why do I have to go back ?’”
Happily settled in Amador County , Miles first tried buying a local business but had no luck , and he ultimately pursued a “ nagging idea ” that would become CLOSEM . The startup is a “ simple yet powerful ” contact management system with email , texting and voice messaging capabilities , as well as built-in marketing message templates . The system allows clients to combine these mediums into an ongoing campaign that Miles says can yield four times the response of emailing alone .
Miles recognizes that the pandemic has changed the way society works and altered how people approach their careers — seeking balance and comfort where they may have previously sought prestige ; trading the stimulation of a high-octane workplace for the freedom to eat , sleep and exist whenever , wherever .
This is especially true within the technology industry , where the required tools are a laptop and a Wi-Fi password . If the trend toward remote work was inevitable , the pandemic only expedited it ; and the migration of techies to the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California , where the Bay Area dollar stretches like traffic-free miles on a rustic highway , was a predictable outcome . There isn ’ t yet any data to prove this massive industrial shift , but those who have been watching most ardently — real estate agents and business councils — attest that it ’ s happening .
Gil Mathew is the executive director of Nevada County Economic Resource
“ It ’ s all about balance in the community . Tech is not the answer for everything . The goal is not to be like Silicon Valley .”
KRISTIN YORK Vice president , Sierra Business Council
Council . Part of his job is to attract new businesses to the community of fewer than 100,000 , and tech startups are a primary focus . Tech startups are desirable additions to rural counties in part because they have the potential to pay better than most jobs in the Employment Development Department ’ s Eastern Sierra Region , where the fastest-growing occupations are within the medical , veterinary and interpreter fields . In Amador County , one of the least populated and lowest paid counties in the Capital Region , the leading industries cater to retail , educational and health services , government and tourism .
In these small communities , it is rare to have growth potential outside of the home turf , and that is exactly what tech companies have to offer . On top of that , the technology industry is “ clean ,” Mathew says . It ’ s relatively low impact on pre-existing infrastructure and can be seamlessly incorporated into a tranquil setting .
“ It ’ s all about balance in the community . Tech is not the answer for everything ,” says Kristin York , vice president of the Sierra Business Council , which is based in Truckee . “ The goal is not to be like Silicon Valley . At the end of the day , those ( rural ) communities want the people who work there and the youth who grow up to have the opportunity , if they choose , to go to college and come back with a decent job or stay in the community and thrive .”
As the definition of “ tech company ” grows increasingly vague and most mom-andpop shops rely on some kind of computer software , rural counties must sprint ahead of the curve or be left in the dark age of yesteryear . Small communities are no longer competing against urban giants but with each other in selling the sweetest setting for work-life balance . While Sierra foothill counties have the enviable perks of proximity to Bay Area tech centers , limitless outdoor pursuits and manageable housing prices , they also present obstacles to starting a technology-reliant enterprise . That hasn ’ t stopped some tech pioneers from doing it anyway .
Lost connections
Despite its pandemic-time launch , CLOSEM already serves nearly 1,000 customers globally , and its employee ranks will be growing , hopefully , in the coming months . Specifically , Miles needs a part-time administrative assistant . Due to the remote nature of
42 comstocksmag . com | December 2021