NORTHEAST GEORGIA BLOG

2010 is going to be a banner year for both northeast Georgia AND the Northeast Georgia Blog.  We have committments and partnerships with some very interesting and entertaining individuals and organizations and our content should be better than ever.

We have mixed feelings this year about economic conditions.  On the one hand we feel that there is more opportunity out there than ever before, while on the other hand we see too many companies not adapting to the changing processes and technologies.  They remain committed to old-style business ideas and their demise is all but inevitable.

I believe that the “bad economy” isn’t to blame in many situations.  We know of a company right now that is closing this week – at one time this company did about $5 million in annual sales with about 25 employees.  They now sit idle most of the time with 8 employees.  Bad economy?  Maybe – but – this company 1) Has no website.  2) Has no blog.  3) Doesn’t use social media.  4) Continues to use the Yellow Pages.  5) Has no search marketing strategy.  They dug their own grave.

I hope more companies become smart and begin making that transformation into the 21st century.

Housing? Wow.  I just don’t know what’s going to happen with the housing market.  One part of me thinks we’ve not seen the worst – another part of me thinks that here in northeast Georgia we have some advantages over the rest of the country – lower prices, higher demand, and an enviable lifestyle.  I’m going to be optimistic and say that our area will see some positive numbers this year while many areas of the country will continue to suffer.

Financial markets? Flip a coin.  I suspect if I could predict this with any degree of accuracy I wouldn’t be writing this blog.  I’d be writing a blog for the Wall Street Journal.  Nevertheless – I feel good about the financial markets.  I look for a slow and steady rate of growth for stocks during 2010.  There will be good news during the year – we have elections coming up – bad news will be spun to sound fairly decent – and we all know how emotional the stock market is…

Unemployment? It comes down slightly but stays higher than we would like.  Here in northeast Georgia we will see better numbers than much of the country – a faster recovery.  The bad news:  companies have figured out that they can get by quite well on their existing workforce and many will never again make the mistake of being too fat.  They will utilize technology where available and continue to be stingy when it comes to labor costs.

Health care? No major bill.  If something does pass it will be nothing compared to what the democrats wanted and started with.  Cap n Trade – not a chance.

Foreign policy is the big variable in all of this.  Will there be a major terrorist attack somewhere?  An attack at the right time and place could really eliminate any economic recovery and prolong high unemployment numbers.  Let’s try to remain confident that the White House and our allies are diligent and won’t let something like this happen between our borders.

Finally – will Tiger Woods play in a PGA tournament this year?  No.

Happy New Year!

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