- Texas is an economic leader in the United States, with businesses in a dizzying array of fields, including the petrochemical, aerospace, agriculture and computer industries. Someone wishing to start a business in Texas needs to know that there is no required business license, per se. Instead, permits and licenses are handled by a variety of agencies and are issued depending on what services your business will be providing. Texas collects a variety of taxes, fees and assessments but is one of seven states that does not have a personal income tax.
- Being business friendly, Texas is home to NASA, Dell Computers, Texas Instruments and Lockheed Martin. Texas has low taxes, affordable housing and a large population. It is projected to have economic growth that will exceed the U.S. average. Several programs exist in Texas to encourage businesses to relocate there, including the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. The larger cities, such as Dallas and Houston, have light-rail systems as part of their transit programs to help people get around efficiently.
- Most state and local parks in Texas offer a staggering number of outdoor opportunities. Fishing, hiking, hunting, birding and fossil hunting are just a few of the activities available. Hunting and fishing in Texas require licenses, which are available from many local shops. Information on limits, seasons and areas are also available from these shops, as well as online resources. Plenty of swimming and boating is available in pools, lakes, rivers and the Gulf of Mexico. Some parks allow horseback riding along guided and unguided trails.
- Historical sites abound for history buffs. Evidence of dinosaurs and other fossils can be seen in Dinosaur Valley State Park, including several sets of dinosaur tracks that are some of the best preserved in the world. Several sites are home to pictographs (rock painting). Military history buffs will find great places to visit, including the Alamo, the San Jacinto battleground and the restored Battleship Texas. For those wishing to live in history, there are several living history sites where reenactments take place year-round.
- Texas is an active place for amateur and professional sports. Professional teams include the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans in football, the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks in basketball, the Dallas Stars in hockey and the Texas Rangers in baseball. For fans of college sports, Texas is home to the Aggies and Longhorns. Livestock and rodeos show are popular in the state, with several major events each year. Texas also has state lottery drawings and scratch-off games.
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