February 2014 Features

  • The Benefits of Giving Your Staff a Raise

    February 28, 2014

    Are you trying to keep your key employees happy by offering them perks like work-at-home days, cross-training and flexible hours? That’s great and I encourage you to keep offering those extras, but a new study shows that they may not be enough to retain workers.

  • The Tax Price of Success

    February 27, 2014

    It’s commonly understood that the better you do in business, the more taxes you’ll pay. As Scottish whiskey distiller, Thomas Robert Dewar, said: “Nothing hurts more than having to pay an income tax, unless it is not having to pay an income tax.”

  • Language of Leadership: Constructive Versus Destructive

    February 26, 2014

    While many people are given the title of leader, a lot of them don’t elicit results because they don’t communicate in a way that inspires action and results. Having studied leaders for several years there are three distinct behaviors that I see real, impactful leaders engage in.

  • Eco-Energy Announces New Distribution Facility in Augusta

    February 25, 2014

    The Augusta Economic Development Authority announced that Eco-Energy, a leading biofuel marketer and logistics company in North America, will build a new biofuel blending facility on Dixon Airline Road in Augusta.

  • Augusta Renewable Energy to Invest $20M in New Augusta Facility

    February 24, 2014

    Augusta Renewable Energy LLC, a division of First Generation Energy, and the Augusta Economic Development Authority announced that the company will build its first Georgia anaerobic digestion facility in Augusta, creating 10 new jobs and investing $20 million.

  • Be The Best “Business Of One” You Can Be

    February 21, 2014

    Having your own business is still one of the most dreamed about career goals most people have, but one of the hardest to sustain. The entrepreneurial mindset is characterized by initiative, adventure, risk and perseverance. Taking leadership of your company if you do own it and ownership of your career if you run it are “musts” in today’s competitive business world.

  • What to Expect & Not to Expect From a Business Mentor

    February 20, 2014

    Businesses that receive mentoring are 20% more likely to grow than businesses that don’t, according to research from the UPS Store. Business mentors are usually more experienced business owners or industry professionals who can provide advice and guidance.

  • Mass Media Marketing Thinks Big

    February 19, 2014

    Mass Media Marketing, based in Augusta, Georgia, is a full-service marketing agency that lives by the credo, “When a little portion of advertising success is not enough…Think Big!”

  • Georgia Experiences Fourth Record Year in International Trade

    February 18, 2014

    Georgia experienced its fourth record year in a row for international trade, exceeding last year’s milestones in both imports and exports. The total value of goods exported from Georgia totaled $37.6 billion, the most the state has ever exported within a single year.

  • SBA Nominee Talks Marketing to Banks, Businesses at Confirmation Hearing

    February 14, 2014

    If finally confirmed, the newly nominated chief of the U.S. Small Business Administration promised to do more to promote the agency’s services. Maria Contreras-Sweet said at her confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship that more must be done to brand the SBA.

  • The Gift of Margin - 3 Ways to Get You Some

    February 13, 2014

    Margin in life is truly a gift and most of us have so little these days. Margin in our calendar gives us time to listen to a friend. Margin in our finances allows us to help a friend, or help ourselves. It is also keeps us out of debt and reduces stress.

  • Yet Another Delay for Obamacare, Until January 2016

    February 12, 2014

    We’re at the point where we’ll soon need a spreadsheet to keep track of all the changes to Obamacare. On Monday the Obama Administration once again delayed a provision of the Affordable Care Act.

  • Buying is a Sensual Activity

    February 11, 2014

    I once heard Ken Blanchard (the One Minute Manager author) tell a story about Sheldon Bowles, a Canadian entrepreneur who decided to go against the self service gas trend back in 1970 by creating a full service franchise in western Canada called Domo Gas.

  • Your Employees Are Your Most Valuable Recruiting Tools

    February 10, 2014

    The most obvious and glaring trend for recruiting is the use of social media for outreach to active and passive candidates. Most recruiters, staffing firms and other companies will tell you that their job opportunities need to be readily available, easily accessible and mobile friendly. One vital asset that recruiters often overlook are the people sitting right around them in the office. Current employees can provide valuable help in the recruiting process.

  • Small Businesses Once Again Create More Jobs Than Big Businesses

    February 07, 2014

    Small businesses created almost double the new jobs in January 2014, compared with large businesses. And when you add growth among medium-sized businesses to the employment growth in small businesses, the numbers swamp the job growth of large corporations.

  • UGA Study Finds Volunteering Increases Workers’ Job Performance

    February 05, 2014

    Volunteerism is on the rise in the U.S., with more than a quarter of Americans engaging in charitable work. But how do all the hours spent working for free affect workers’ on-the-job performance?

  • Georgia Manufacturing Activity Drops for Second Consecutive Month

    February 04, 2014

    Georgia manufacturing activity dropped slightly for January, while the nation experienced a greater decline for the same month, closing the gap between manufacturing activity in the state and the nation.

  • Fewer Small Businesses Paying Late in 2013

    February 03, 2014

    Small businesses were prompter at paying their loans and bills in 2013 than in 2012, data from several sources reveals. Moody’s Analytics and Experian reported substantial declines in both 30 and 90 day small business credit delinquency rates during the past year, part of an improving trend since the summer of 2011 when those rates peaked.