Google AVL – A Business Perspective

This post is ripped directly and whole-heartedly from googleavl.com – Kudos to author Clark Mackey of Sparkdog for putting virtual pen to paper.

You are who you hang out with.

The first time I heard that line, I was in junior high.  It was a warning from an adult and sure, it’s a cliche, but I think this idea – that the quality of your peers rubs off on you – has a corollary for doing business:

The city you live in can accelerate, or limit, your potential.

Consider this quote from a Business Insider article:

“Does the city you live in really matter?

While you have a lot of good choices for where to build your company, don’t let anybody fool you into thinking that location doesn’t matter; in fact, it does. Here’s why:

• Different locations have different entrepreneurial support communities...
• Talent pools around location…
• In-person meetings are just as important as they were five years ago…”

Here’s how it matters for Asheville:

1. Asheville’s got talent.  We’d like bandwidth to match.  By selecting Asheville, Google will be partnering with a town full of kindred spirits who would like to push the technology envelope and make the world a better place.
2. As a business owner, fiber for Asheville means our city will be attracting more technology talent in the future.  Already I can bump into local business owners, web designers, network security experts, PHP programmers, and starry eyed dreamers while waiting for a lunch table at Early Girl.  Let’s kick that up a notch.

I’d like you to do two things.

1. If you own or work at a business that depends on Internet access, programming talent, or entrepreneurial spirit, please leave a comment below.  Consider mentioning how Asheville, as a community, is related to your success.

If you haven’t nominated Asheville yet, please do so.  When the fiber network is built, you’ll benefit directly with better, faster Internet access and indirectly with even better talent to hire as your business grows.