There are few places better to do business in than Atlanta, Georgia…which is a major I'm here. Favorable climate, migration of talent from many areas of the country, a convenient international airport, and friendly people all contribute to make this metropolitan area fertile for good business.
And the numbers show. Even during a slow national period, the Atlanta economy has been strong. The personal income growth continues to be higher than the national average. And this attracts people from all around the country…Atlanta adds 100 thousand people to the population every year.
A few years ago, I looked into some others areas around the country.. most notably similar-sized metropolitan areas of Washington, DC and San Diego, CA. But the cost of living in those two places was about 50% higher than Atlanta. Comparing other cities to Atlanta in terms of cost just isn't a fair fight...after all, KPMG named Atlanta as the 'Least Costly Large City for Business' last year.
So what are the unique opportunities and challenges of doing business in Atlanta? I’ve already mentioned one opportunity… that the cost of living is lower here. Another is that there are few industries not accounted for…that is, you find every major industry segment here.
Some challenges include some that are prevalent in a number of major metropolitan areas such as traffic and sprawl. I’ve heard from several people over the years the opinion that the general population and marketplace in Atlanta favors a persistent yet polite and passive approach over, say, an aggressive style you might find in New York or the northeast. I’m curious as to what you think.
If all true above, then we can start with a very general presupposition about effectively marketing in Atlanta–that it is a good place for entrepreneurs in just about any industry and that the most effective way of finding business may be to pick a geographic area and consistently and passively market to them. Your thoughts?
I’m curious to hear your observations on doing business in Atlanta.
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