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They say the three keys to business success are, "Location, location, location." Atlanta, Georgia has been showing up on a lot of "Top 10" lists lately, for entrepreneurship, lifestyle, growth, etc. Annual data from the US Census bureau shows that it is certainly one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country. I decided to take action and travel to Atlanta myself to get a first-hand glimpse of the city and the surrounding areas. I've just completed four days there and my impressions are very favorable.
There are a number of neighborhoods like Decatur, Virginia Highlands, and, yes, even the downtown district where shops and restaurants are convenient to the walking public. This feature appeals to me as a businessman because it fosters that viral, word-of-mouth buzz that's just harder to attract if you're located in a strip mall. However, strip malls have their place too. In the numerous and prospering suburban communities along what's being called the "I-85 Corridor" to northwest of the city, I observed a great deal of business demand in the form of full shopping center parking lots and decent waiting lines in front of midrange to upscale restaurants.
While in Atlanta, I scored a meeting with the Vice President of Economic Development at the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and he supplied me with key information on everything from business licensing to demographic trends to commercial real estate resources.
All in all, a successful trip - I came away with a great picture of what Atlanta can offer in terms of retail business demand and growth trends. Incidentally, the people of the city were friendly and helpful, regardless of which neighborhood I visited. Whether or not Atlanta is my future destination remains to be seen. There are a couple of other promising metro markets I plan on visiting before making my decision.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Cutting the Employment Cord
Yesterday was my last official day at EA Orlando, two weeks after I gave them notice. There was nothing wrong with the company or the position. It's just that I felt like I was going to burst unless I put myself "out there" and took a chance at creating a business of my own. I am fortunate to have money saved up so I could live on it for a few years (with a fairly tight budget) if I needed to.
I'm doing research on a handful of opportunities, all of them original business ideas. One of them is to emulate Fred DeLuca's (the founder of Subway Sandwiches) success by starting a fast food concept that can be refined into a system at one store, expanded locally, and later developed into a franchise opportunity. Another idea is to take my considerable expertise and create a new technology product or service - this would take more time but would have the potential for a much bigger payoff. You know me, I want it all - perhaps I can start the fast food shop, get it rolling with a good management team and then focus on developing the technology product.
Every job I've ever worked has been trouble simply because when I see ways for a company's processes to be improved I don't keep my mouth shut. On the contrary, I've been the epitome of the boy who called out, "The Emperor is naked!" It is only fair to the fine men and women who have had the challenge of trying to manage me that I remove myself from the employee pool and take a shot at being the Emperor. Interestingly - my way has worked out well when I've worked at startup companies where it's fine to chit-chat with the President and the Chief Technology Officer. I guess I just don't "get" turf wars and office politics - it all seems like a bunch of unnecessary friction that slows down the process of innovation and continuous improvement. I understand that there are many people who do "get" these things and who are willing to work around them in exchange for stable employment. I am very glad for such people - after all, my future companies are going to need managers and employees too.
In a way, it all boils down to this: Although I have finally come to accept that I cannot escape structure, I don't have to spend my life struggling against somebody else's structure. I have the option of creating my own structure - one that pleases me, one that I can live with and thrive in.
I'm doing research on a handful of opportunities, all of them original business ideas. One of them is to emulate Fred DeLuca's (the founder of Subway Sandwiches) success by starting a fast food concept that can be refined into a system at one store, expanded locally, and later developed into a franchise opportunity. Another idea is to take my considerable expertise and create a new technology product or service - this would take more time but would have the potential for a much bigger payoff. You know me, I want it all - perhaps I can start the fast food shop, get it rolling with a good management team and then focus on developing the technology product.
Every job I've ever worked has been trouble simply because when I see ways for a company's processes to be improved I don't keep my mouth shut. On the contrary, I've been the epitome of the boy who called out, "The Emperor is naked!" It is only fair to the fine men and women who have had the challenge of trying to manage me that I remove myself from the employee pool and take a shot at being the Emperor. Interestingly - my way has worked out well when I've worked at startup companies where it's fine to chit-chat with the President and the Chief Technology Officer. I guess I just don't "get" turf wars and office politics - it all seems like a bunch of unnecessary friction that slows down the process of innovation and continuous improvement. I understand that there are many people who do "get" these things and who are willing to work around them in exchange for stable employment. I am very glad for such people - after all, my future companies are going to need managers and employees too.
In a way, it all boils down to this: Although I have finally come to accept that I cannot escape structure, I don't have to spend my life struggling against somebody else's structure. I have the option of creating my own structure - one that pleases me, one that I can live with and thrive in.
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