Features
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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.
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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.
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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!”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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The Bright Side of High Employee Turnover
January 31, 2014
Are you worried about losing key employees this year? A Right Management study says 83 percent of employees definitely plan to look for jobs this year, while 12 percent say they might and just 5 percent have no plans to look for new jobs. This is bad news for your business, right? Maybe not.
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What is Strategy?
January 30, 2014
Despite all the consultants in the world wanting you to believe that you could never comprehend strategy at "their level", strategy is quite simple. Strategy is simply a plan to get from point A (where you are at today) to point B (where you want to be at a future date). Curt Fowler shares how all of us use strategy each and every day, even for the simplest of things.
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What Do Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans Look Like?
January 29, 2014
Hidden among the large amount of data released regularly by the Federal Reserve is some valuable information about the terms of Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed loans.
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14 Unorthodox Tips for Becoming Successful in Business
January 28, 2014
It’s no secret that you don’t become successful in business by doing the same thing the others guys are doing. Being able to take calculated risks is all part of the fun of being a small business owner — and understanding how to differentiate your business from the rest is a special skill most entrepreneurs spend their careers honing.That’s why we asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question: “What is your most unorthodox tip for becoming successful in business?” Here’s what YEC community members had to say.
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Small Business Optimism: Status Quo or Cautious Optimism?
January 27, 2014
Small business owners tend to be optimistic by nature. You have to be, if you want to overcome the obstacles of running a business. Still, the economy has been pretty rough since 2008. Are there signs of improvement? If I had to sum it up based on two small business optimism surveys, I’d say it’s “status quo” or perhaps “cautious optimism.”
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Why You Should Consider Building Business Credit
January 24, 2014
Building business credit is both highly misunderstood and becoming more and more important all the time for business owners. I have heard some people say that building business credit doesn’t matter. I say, then why are a lot of business credit reports being pulled if business credit doesn’t matter?
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Huckaby: “We are Making the Right Decisions for Students & the State”
January 23, 2014
The need to help more students afford and earn a degree is driving key and fundamental changes in the University System of Georgia, said Chancellor Hank Huckaby in remarks to the Georgia General Assembly’s Joint Appropriations Committee.
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Georgia Ports Authority Has Banner Year in 2013, Looks to Top It in 2014
January 22, 2014
When success is part of your DNA, it can become tempting to rest on your laurels and keep doing more of the same. Or, your company can keep your foot on the gas and strive for more. Georgia Ports Authority certainly falls into the latter category, partly because the whole state—heck, the whole country—is watching.
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Cabela's Announces Opening Date for Augusta Store
January 21, 2014
Cabela’s Incorporated, the World’s Foremost Outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, will officially open the doors to its Augusta, Ga., Cabela’s Outpost store at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 20. The store will employ approximately 90 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees.
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Should You Consider an Accountability Partner?
January 17, 2014
When people, especially salespeople, are left to their own devices, they lack consistency and succumb to their own emotional performance roller coaster, operating more by default than by design. Hence, consider bringing in an accountability partner.
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No Sign of Real Recovery in Small Business Numbers
January 15, 2014
Small-business optimism ended the year slightly up from November at 93.9, but below the previous 3 mid-year readings of over 94 and 6 points below the pre-recession average, according to the National Federation of Independent Business’ (NFIB’s) latest index. On the positive front, reports of capital spending rose significantly in December, increasing by 9 points from November and job creation among NFIB firms was the best since February 2006.
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Greater Augusta Leaders Want Local Innovators to Seek Top 40 Honor
January 14, 2014
Local Leaders are urging companies from across the Greater Augusta Area to apply for consideration for “The 2014 Top 40/Top 10 Innovative Companies in Georgia" presented by The Technology Association of Georgia.