State of the market - how Atlanta is forging ahead in 2013
It was opportune that I met with Jennifer Guarton from Atlanta Business Chronicle last week because without her, I would not have been sitting at this morning's 2013 Eggs and Issues Breakfast.
My belief is that you cannot market to a market you don't understand. While marketers tend to understand the psychology of why people buy, they can often be caught out by glazing over the state of the economy and not understanding both Government influence and Economic conditions in regions in which they market.
My belief is that you cannot market to a market you don't understand. While marketers tend to understand the psychology of why people buy, they can often be caught out by glazing over the state of the economy and not understanding both Government influence and Economic conditions in regions in which they market.
Listening to Senator Hardie Davis provide an invocation for Georgia's Chamber of Commerce breakfast, set the scene on what was to come.
I listened to Steve Green, 2013 Chair, Georgia Chamber, welcome the 2500 guests.
I was overwhelmed with admiration as Mayor Kasim Reed passionately talked on business in Georgia. "You can't hate business and love jobs - they go hand in hand" he said.
When talking of the trying economic times, he said "when you are swimming across a strong river, you don't stop in the middle. You push through and you get your self to the other side."
You could see how this message resonated with everyone in the room. There were others: U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, Speaker David Ralston, Governor Nathan Deal and Chris Clark, President and CEO, Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
I learnt that GA Chamber of Commerce has grown 500% through its introduction of a designated group for small business. Georgia's future lies in a number of things, but namely no State can go past health and education. On both fronts, there was a lot to be said. The State of Georgia sees education as being critical to the future of Georgia spending more than any other state in the US.
Another factor that was close to my heart is the fact that there is a lack of venture capital funding in Georgia. When businesses receive VC, they move their headquarters to be closer to the company that is funding them. Namely, they move to Boston.
Georgia is such an exciting State to be in. It has so much to offer in terms of opportunity for small businesses. Whether the Government or infrastracture is conducive to high growth companies, I am not completely sure. However, I do know that Deloitte, who is by far the most impressive of the Big Accounting Firms, has 1600 employees or more here and that says a lot.
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