Location, location, location! As my colleague explains in his post, the approach to select a corporate site should be articulated. Let’s focus on the Southeast for example.
After defining the target markets, the marketing mix, the partner or target profile, along with other appropriate criteria for the operation like sourcing, financing and funding needs, economical impact and organizational implication, etc., the entrepreneur might have a good idea about the right place for successfully growing a venture.
Other factors that might play a role include infrastructure, access to talented resources, cost of living, economic growth rate, local market size, taxes, economic incentives, schools, prospective partner location, the cost of doing business relative to the U.S. average, and the time difference between the location and the home country.
An article written in French by journalist Jean-Pierre Gonguet describes the Southeast‘s vision and the strategy for becoming a global logistic platform and high-tech hub. “Atlanta veut se mettre à l’air et a l’eau.” Read more in La Tribune (If you do not read French and want more information, let’s have a conversation.) Gonguet was part of the delegation from France during the France-Atlanta 3rd edition last November.
Without being specific on a business model, focusing only on the economic environment makes sense. The Southeast—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee— is the leading market for population and economic growth in the U.S.
The Southeast:
- 7th largest economy (GDP) in the world at $3.15 trillion,
- home of 70 million people (+8 million in the last 10 years),
- Atlanta airport is ranked # 1 in world in passenger volume and has 19 cargo-only carriers,
- headquarters for 12 Fortune 500 and 15 Fortune 1000 in Metro Atlanta,
- More than 80% of U.S. consumers can be reached from Atlanta in two flight hours or two truckload delivery days,
- 40% of North American manufacturing and distribution locations are located within 800 kilometers of Atlanta,
- Atlanta ranks # 2 among America’s most wired cities.
“Source: KPMG’S 2010 Competitive Alternatives Study, Guide to international Business Location”
Despite the statistics, the best business location for a business model might be in San Francisco or in the Mid-West. This is perfectly fine! In other words, the best location for establishing a new venture is a complex decision indeed but key to successful operations.