Category Archives: Marketing

Southpoint Media to Open Second Location in Augusta

Posted on by
Reply

Southpoint Media announces the opening of its new Augusta location. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held Thursday, June 6th at 11 a.m. at historic Enterprise Mill, 1450 Greene Street, Suite 80, Augusta, Georgia 30901.

Southpoint Media is a web design firm founded in 2004 by Brad Morrison, a technology entrepreneur with more than 15 years experience in the industry. This new office will be Southpoint Media’s second location, and is their first outside of the firm’s Savannah home on Broughton Street.
“Augusta is an emerging high-tech hub and we wanted to be here,” said Morrison. “We see a lot of energy and talent in Augusta, and see a tremendous opportunity to help small business owners promote and grow their companies.”

Southpoint Media specializes in building websites for small and medium-sized businesses, using the WordPress content management system.
“WordPress lets us build sites that are customized for each client, but which are affordable to develop, and can be launched quickly,” Morrison added. “We understand the needs of small businesses, and how important it is for them to have reliable tools and people they can talk to for support.”

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at the Enterprise Mill, an historical residential and office complex located alongside the Augusta Canal. Built in 1848 and restored in the 1990s, the Enterprise Mill is home to a number of professional and high tech businesses. “We think this is the perfect location for our new office, right in the center of Augusta’s redevelopment,” said Morrison.

Southpoint Media is a leading web design and development company with offices in Savannah and Augusta, Georgia. Founded in 2004, Southpoint Media employs ten talented employees and serves over 500 businesses and non-profits across the Southeast.

www.southpointmedia.com

 

AUGUSTA ECONOMIC COMMENTARY

Posted on by
Reply

COURTESY: GRU AUGUSTA HULL COLLEGE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

In November, the Augusta Leading Economic Index (LEI) decreased 0.2% from October. The index is up 4.1% from November 2012.

Locally, housing permits issued in the Augusta MSA increased 17% from October and initial claims for unemployment insurance were down 13 percent. The variables that negatively impacted the index were the Dow Jones Industrial Average and job openings. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there were 2.8% fewer job openings in the South in November than in October.

Employment continues to grow in the Augusta MSA. In November there were 3,000 more jobs than in May (which was the lowest level of employment since January 2002). The chart below indicates which sectors of the local economy are increasing employment. I have color coded the chart – green for increasing employment, orange for no change, and red for decreasing employment – so a glance can give a quick indication of the state of the labor market. More green is better! A closer inspection of the numbers reveals more detail on the local economy. Except for the first row, all the data are not seasonally adjusted, so the monthly changes indicate some seasonal patterns in employment. For example, retail employment increased by 4.6% in November as stores geared up for the Christmas shopping season. However, retail employment was lower in 2012 than 2011, reflecting the longer term trend of more online shopping and less in bricks and mortar stores.

Augusta Leading Economic Index (Augusta LEI) is a monthly composite index that combines several national, regional and local indicators into a single variable. Leading indexes combine variables that change before business cycle variables such as employment changes. Leading indexes may, therefore, indicate changes that could occur in the economy. Leading indexes are not forecasts or predictions about the future, but may signify future economic activity.

The Augusta LEI may, therefore, provide local decision makers with timely information about future business cycle patterns in the Augusta area. The Augusta LEI uses economic indicators for the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes six counties (i.e., Burke, Columbia, McDuffie, and Richmond counties in Georgia, and Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina).

The index also includes regional and national indicators to reflect that national trends affect the local economy. The index is constructed in the same way that the Conference Board constructs the Leading Economic Index for the United States.

EXPECTATIONS FOR FISCAL 2013

Posted on by
Reply

The fiscal 2013 preliminary budget projects a $4 million shortfall, equal to approximately 3% of budgeted spending. Management has therefore included a $4 million fund balance appropriation to address the funding gap. The budget gap stems from employee pay increases, unfunded and

mandated judicial positions, and the loss of one-time revenue sources such as land sales. The 2% employee pay increase (approximately $750 salary increase per employee) is the first raise in three years. The proposed salary increase will impact the general fund by approximately $750,000 when

including benefits associated. Officials are expecting a 1 mill increase in the ad valorem rate (generating $4 million) to offset these recurring expenditures. Although the imbalance is a moderate

concern, Fitch believes that management has the ability to correct the gap moving forward. Historical trends have shown that the government typically does not use the full amount. Management expects to maintain compliance with its financial policies by preserving unassigned fund balance levels in the range of 20% of general fund spending.

FRANCHISE WORKSHOP TO BE OFFERED IN AUGUSTA, GA

Posted on by
Reply

With the recent opening of Steak N Shake in Augusta, there is a lot of buzz in franchises for this market. The Cleveland Group, Certified Public Accountants & Business Advisors is hosting an exclusive franchise workshop on Friday, October 26th from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Join The Cleveland Group, CPAs & franchise expert, Anna Wilds, to learn how to leverage your skills and strengths to make the money you want.

HOUSTON NO. 2 FOR JOBS ADDED LAST YEAR, AUGUSTA IS LAST!

Posted on by
Reply

Houston Business Journal by Olivia Pulsinelli, Web producer

Houston remains a leading metropolitan area for job growth, a report from The Business Journals’ On Numbers shows.

Of the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas, Houston ranks No. 2 for the number of jobs added between March 2011 and March 2012, On Numbers’ analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows.

The Houston area added 82,300 jobs during the year. The area ranked second only to New York City, which added 112,500 jobs.

When ranked by percent change, Houston is No. 6, with a 3.21 percent increase. Stockton, Calif., had the largest percent change, increasing 5.1 percent.

Augusta, Ga., experienced the largest decline in raw numbers, a decrease of 5,900 jobs, and percentages, dropping 2.8 percent. Including Augusta, only 13 markets lost jobs during the year, and one was unchanged.

Last week, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Houston’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.5 percent in April, below Texas’ 6.9 percent rate and well below the U.S. rate of 8 percent.