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Month: June 2016

How can Mobile help small businesses?

  • June 21st, 2016

MOBILE, AL (WALA) –
FOX10 News is committed to tracking the growth of our local economy.

The City of Mobile has started a new program where Mayor Sandy Stimpson will meet with small business owners to discuss the challenges they face.

Small business owners and others attended a Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce event Tuesday morning listening to the latest developments at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley.

Mayor Stimpson has announced he would like to meet with small business owners in a new initiative called Meet Mobile.

The purpose?

Laura Byrne with the City of Mobile said it’s to “find the best way to address their needs. Every small business owner has different needs, different challenges that they face every day, and we have that conversation to figure out what those are and how we can better serve them as a city.”

What would small business owners say to Mayor Stimpson?

David Calametti, who owns Alabama Coasting, said, “It’s difficult to build in this town. It’s difficult to understand what the rules are because they seem to often change when you’re opening a new restaurant or new business

The owner of Elegant Knights Limo and Party Bus and says she would discuss transportation issues.

Mary Taylor said that would be “getting around and to have more exposure.”

But not everyone has a laundry list of issues.

Sam St. John with Logical Computer Solutions said, “Things have been really going great for us. As you know, the City of Mobile is growing rapidly.”

Glenda Snodgrass with the The Net Effect said, “I think we’re definitely going in the right direction. Things are looking up.”

Byrne says there’s already been good response to the program and meeting schedules are being drawn up.

For the original article, click here.

Alabama 20th Best for Business, CEOs say

  • June 16th, 2016

Out-of-state perception of workforce quality and living environment shows room for improvement.

More than 500 CEOs across the country took part in Chief Executive magazine’s annual “Best and Worst States for Business” survey, and Alabama ranked just above the middle of the pack at No. 20. However, there were discrepancies between out-of-state CEOs and those who operate businesses located in Alabama.

Across the board, the CEOs surveyed had a generally positive view of the state’s business-friendliness, but non-Alabama CEOs tended to have a less positive impression of the workforce and living environment. Forrest Wright, president of the Economic Development Authority for the Shoals area, told the Associated Press this was a common perception that recruiters fight to overcome in discussions and that some parts of the state do better than others. But when prospective industries listen to presentations about Alabama’s business climate with an open mind, he said, it’s easier to show them that the state is a good place to locate a company.

The survey focused on three factors—taxes and regulation, workforce quality, and living environment—all of which incorporated several variables:

  • Taxes and regulation included state income tax, corporate tax rates, perceived attitude government has toward business, employment rates, environmental compliance regulations, and tax incentives.
  • Workforce quality included employee-management relationships, work ethic, education level, wage rates, and availability of workers with specialized experience and education.
  • Living environment included crime rate, quality of education and healthcare, cost of real estate, transportation access, and arts and cultural institutions.

Alabama ranked No. 17 in taxes and regulation, No. 33 in workforce quality, and No. 33 in living environment. Its overall No. 20 ranking was up from last year’s ranking of No. 24, but down from No. 17 in 2014 and No. 16 in 2013.

Click here for the original article.