One Glaring SEDA Error!

SEDA has been around for decades, and many think the Shoals Economic Development Authority has outlived its usefulness. Some merely think the organization shoots too low in its recruiting targets. No matter all the problems that may or may not affect SEDA, things are certainly coming to a head rapidly. The Lauderdale County Commission has made what appears to be a hollow threat to leave the organization. Should Lauderdale actually follow through?

There are probably 30 days of blogs that could be written on this subject, and we're sure we will be returning to it shortly, but for now we have one strong criticism. We will assume that those in charge are experts in many fields and do a great job, but after looking at the organization's website, we couldn't help but notice what we consider to be a huge mistake in marketing. 

Let's imagine that a new company is making uber waves in X-ray technology. We're talking new paradigm type innovations, and this company is looking for a home in which to flourish. It will be the biggest thing in the country since Amazon, and it's up to one or two individuals to make a list of prospective cities that might be just perfect for the company.

There are 50 states, and assuming these states have an average of 10 recruitment entities each, the new company would have an initial list of 500 sites at which to look. It might be easy to eliminate some which weren't near a major transportation artery or which were deemed undesirable due to extreme weather conditions, but what about the rest? Perhaps that leaves 400 areas in the U.S. that this new company would need to assess.

What does this new company see when it looks at the SEDA site?

It's hard not to miss the word "Targets" in the top menu. Click on the drop down icon and you'll see "Automotive Suppliers" and "Computer Software Designers." This would be fine if these two endeavors were the only ones we wished to reach. Except, these two are not the only ones...and we've just lost the huge new X-ray manufacturer. We were eliminated before the company execs could even look the site over properly.

However, if automotive suppliers and software designers are the only two industries the Shoals is seeking out, so be it. Then do we really need SEDA to help with this limited recruiting?

You Wouldn't Want to Locate in the Shoals by Any Strange Chance, Would You?