Features

• Ag Exports Highlight Inaugural International Agribusiness Conference

  October 11, 2013

  Two Georgia leaders are encouraging the exportation of agricultural products to foreign countries. At an International Agribusiness Conference and Expo in Savannah the last week of September, hosted by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Georgia Southern’s Division of Continuing Education, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and Agricultural Commissioner Gary Black encouraged approximately 200 attendees to explore global markets for their commodities.

• Doug Robinson on Transforming Customer Complaints into New Sales

  October 10, 2013

  Having been married for over 35 years, I live by the mantra that “I don’t want to be right, I want to be happy.” And I know that when my honey isn’t happy, nobody is happy! In sales, being right and wrong gets trumped by something else; it’s the perception of the customer that matters most. Keeping the customer satisfied and happy is paramount.

• 14 Ways to Boost Employee Morale

  October 09, 2013

  We’ve all been there: A project or task doesn’t go the way you thought it would. This can affect not only the business result, but also employee morale. So how do you pick up the pieces? We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question to find out how they recover from a company mistake: “How do you boost employee morale when a project or task isn’t going according to plan?” Here’s what YEC community members had to say.

• Georgia Manufacturing Activity Registers its First Increase in Six Months

  October 07, 2013

  Georgia’s manufacturing experienced a slight increase – the first increase in six months – due to strong gains in employment, production and supplier delivery time, according to the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) released by Kennesaw State University’s Econometric Center in the Michael J. Coles College of Business.

• How Common are Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans?

  October 04, 2013

  Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed loans get a lot of attention in Washington. President Obama, for instance, believes that “the SBA should be provided additional resources to assist small businesses in acquiring capital necessary to start, continue, or expand operations”, the Congressional Research Service reports.

• Small Business Employment in Recessions and Expansions

  October 02, 2013

  Small business employment has grown more slowly than big business employment since the end of the Great Recession. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Conventional wisdom is that small business employment declines more in economic downturns, but rises more in economic expansions. Small companies, the argument goes, are more nimble, making their employment decisions more responsive to economic conditions.

• 3 Questions for You to Ask Yourself About Employee Health Care

  September 30, 2013

  Small businesses face important decisions about employee benefits, and as deadlines for Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements draw near, timing is of the essence. You should consider the following three questions to make more informed decisions for your workforce.

• If You Want Entrepreneurial Success, Learn to Embrace Failure

  September 24, 2013

  First off, let me tell you this: I fail – a lot… and I’m ready for more failures. Before you say, “Are you out of your mind,” let me explain a bit. I hate the feeling of failure. Nobody likes to fail. But I learned during my entrepreneurial career that if you want to achieve entrepreneurial success, you need failures. You need to fail and the more you fail, the closer you are to your goal.

• Couples in Business: You and Your Partner, Inc.

  September 23, 2013

  After firing my husband, Joe, at least three times from our family-owned communications and production company because we absolutely could not work together, I was anxious to read a new, self-published book by therapists, Miriam Hawley and Jeffrey McIntyre. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based couple interviewed about 45 couples in business together to collect anecdotes and strategies for You & Your Partner, Inc.: Entrepreneurial Couples Succeeding in Business, Life and Love.

• 70% of Small Business B2B Websites Lack A Call to Action

  September 20, 2013

  Does your home page on your website have a call to action? In other words, does your website home page attempt to get the visitor to do something — besides simply read and leave?

• Are Americans Becoming Interested in Entrepreneurship Again?

  September 17, 2013

  The recently released Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), a nationally representative survey of American adults, reveals that the fraction of Americans who intend to start a business rose to 12.5 percent in 2012 — a substantial increase from the 8.3 percent recorded in 2008.

• State of Georgia Ports: GPA Adds Cargo, Customers in FY2013

  September 16, 2013

  In his State of the Port address, Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz reported record cargo volumes, an influx of new business, and more than 1 million square feet of distribution center space leased or developed.

• GDECD Commissioner Chris Cummiskey Leaving Post to Join Southern Power

  September 13, 2013

  Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that he has nominated U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson’s chief of staff, Chris Carr, to succeed Chris Cummiskey as the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Cummiskey will join Southern Co. as chief commercial officer of Southern Power.

• Doug Robinson: Great Salespeople Aren’t Born…They’re Good Storytellers

  September 11, 2013

  When your employees sell your products and services, do they jump into a presentation of nuts and bolts to explain how it works, or do they tell success stories?

• Commentary: Georgia's Senate Race: Who'll Win?

  September 06, 2013

  Who’s going to win? It doesn’t matter the race really. The question is almost the political equivalent of commenting on the weather. It is an entry into picking the brains of other politicos to compare notes and strategies for an upcoming campaign season. And yet, for this election cycle in Georgia, it is the wrong question at this time.

• Georgia Manufacturing Activity Drops for 5th Consecutive Month

  September 05, 2013

  Georgia’s manufacturing experienced a drop in August, resulting in the fifth consecutive month of decline, according to the Purchasing Managers Index released today by Kennesaw State University’s Econometric Center in the Michael J. Coles College of Business.

• Artesian Contracting Supports Georgia's Military Bases

  September 04, 2013

  For the past 25 years, Artesian Contracting has renovated, remediated and improved base facilities at military installations across Georgia. The firm is based in Albany near the Marine Corps Logistics Base and also has satellite offices at Moody AFB and Robins AFB. Approximately 80 percent of the firm's work is in Georgia and government projects represent about 75 percent of its completed projects.

• Learn How To Acquire New Businesses: Review of Successful Acquisitions

  September 03, 2013

  Business acquisitions are announced in the Wall Street Journal almost everyday and are glamourized in movies such as Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street.” But most small business are not public. So most owners only have imagined what an acquisition process entails — or they just have cliched Gordon Gekko quotes to go on.

• Big Business Tactics Your Businesses Can Use

  August 30, 2013

  Don’t buy into the idea that as a small business, you’re limited to your personal capabilities. Software is getting more affordable. And DIY is “in” right now in a major way. The lines blur between “big” and “small” business when it comes to tools and techniques like these.

• 49% of Workers Do Not Negotiate Job Offers

  August 29, 2013

  A failure to negotiate a job offer means many workers are leaving money on the table. A new CareerBuilder survey finds that even though 45 percent of employers are willing – and expect – to negotiate salaries for initial job offers, almost half (49 percent) of workers accept the first offer given to them.

• 3 Things Small Businesses Can Learn From Google Product Failures

  August 28, 2013

  People tend to give Google a hard time for trying out so many different products – many of which eventually go to the chopping block. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is famous for saying “We celebrate our failures.” We discuss three reasons why your small business should celebrate them too.

• Are You a Dreamer or Are You a Visionary?

  August 26, 2013

  Dreaming is fun because a dream can be anything. There are no rules, no approvals necessary and no one you have to impress or satisfy. You can turn off the safeties, play in traffic, and generally indulge in anything you want. Businesses are built on dreams.

• What You Need to Know About Business Licenses and Permits

  August 20, 2013

  If you’re launching a business, you’ve probably already looked into the option of incorporating or forming an LLC for your new company. This act registers your business with the state, and you should be all set to legally operate your business, right? Not so fast. Incorporating or forming an LLC creates a legal entity for your business, but there are most likely other permits and licenses that you’ll need to obtain.

• Georgia Currently 23rd in the Nation for Solar Power

  August 16, 2013

  Today, Environment Georgia Research & Policy Center released Lighting the Way, a new report highlighting a solar energy boom across the country. The report outlines the twelve states that have made a considerable contribution to the nation’s rise in solar power. Georgia, however, missed the cut and ranks 23rd in the nation for per capita solar installations. But, Georgia should not be written off yet, in the past year the Georgia Public Service Commission has voted to expand Georgia’s solar market by over 700 MW.

• First Community Corporation and Savannah River Financial Corporation to Merge

  August 15, 2013

  First Community Corporation, the holding company of First Community Bank, and Savannah River Financial Corporation (SRFC), the holding company of Savannah River Banking Company, jointly announced today the signing of a definitive merger agreement, under which First Community has agreed to acquire Savannah River in a cash and stock transaction with a total current value of approximately $33.6 million or approximately $11.00 per share.

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