August 2014 Features

  • Private Giving to CSU Sets Another Record, Reaching $12.7 Million

    August 29, 2014

    Alumni and friends again demonstrated their support in record numbers for Columbus State University, giving about $12.7 million in 2013-14 to fund projects, programs and people throughout CSU.

  • BCBS of Georgia Breaks Ground on Columbus Office Building

    August 28, 2014

    Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia broke ground on its new office in Columbus Wednesday, a 235,000-square-foot, three-story building that will house approximately 1,500 employees. The facility will be BCBSGa’s main hub for servicing its nearly 3 million members.

  • AT&T Has Big Impact on Columbus Region

    August 27, 2014

    AT&T has invested almost $5 billion dollars in the state of Georgia over the last three years, and over $21 million in Columbus, Georgia, alone during that time. These funds have helped enhance the AT&T wireless network and grow their fiber cable capabilities to meet the ever-increasing demand for wireless services, according to Terry Smith, Regional Director of External Affairs.

  • How to Stop Corporations from Fleeing U.S. Tax Laws

    August 26, 2014

    Recently, there has been a surge of corporate expatriation transactions in which a U.S.-resident multinational corporation combines with a smaller foreign business to become a foreign-based company. Examples include Mylan Laboratories (MYL), Medtronic (MDT), and AbbVie (AABV).

  • What Makes a Small Business Influencer? Experts Weigh In

    August 25, 2014

    What makes an influencer? Specifically, who influences the small business community? It turns out, on one level that’s an easy answer. But on another level, it is much more nuanced and hard to define. That’s according to several people we reached out to, for their definitions. See if you agree with these seven experts.

  • Venture Capitalists Now Search Crowdfunding Sites for Opportunities

    August 22, 2014

    When crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo began taking off, some thought they would make venture capitalists obsolete. That has not been the case so far. And crowdfunding sites have actually served as an opportunity for professional investors to easily find new startups to fund.

  • Q&A with Gretchen Corbin, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Community Affairs

    August 21, 2014

    On August 1st, Commissioner Corbin celebrated her 1-year anniversary of being at the helm of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. While she feels that a lot was accomplished in her first year, she has no plans of slowing down and is dedicated to making an even bigger splash—with the help of her great team—in year two. We chatted with Ms. Corbin about adjusting to her role and what else she has up her sleeve for Georgia’s economic development.

  • 2014 Blanchard Leadership Forum Kicks Off Next Week

    August 20, 2014

    A lineup of nationally prominent entrepreneurs and leaders come to Columbus next week to show how they have seized their own opportunities and turned them into tremendous success stories. It’s all part of Columbus State University’s Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum 2014, starting Monday evening the Columbus Iron Works and Trade Center.

  • 3 Different Types of Bonus Programs for Your Employees

    August 19, 2014

    Bonus programs are on the rise, a survey by WorldatWork reports. All types of bonus programs - including referral, spot and signing – have risen from 2010 (the last time the survey was conducted). Signing bonuses hit an all-time high of 74 percent, while spot bonuses were used by 60 percent of companies—more than in 2010, 2008 or 2005.

  • Synovus Expands Branding Campaign

    August 18, 2014

    Synovus announced the expansion of its first brand campaign, “the bank of here,” to 16 additional markets across the Southeast. The campaign highlights Synovus’ strong community ties and ability to connect with customers through personal relationships – strengths validated in research with 6,000 customers and prospects – combined with the capabilities of a larger bank.

  • 8 Business Expenses You Should Stop Paying For?

    August 15, 2014

    In the excitement of starting up, it can be tempting to invest in things you don’t really need. When was the last time you took a step back, examined your business expenses and figured out where your money could best be used? We asked eight entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneurs - “What’s one business expense that your company decided to stop paying for recently and why?”

  • Pellicano Construction Continues Georgia Expansion

    August 14, 2014

    Pellicano Construction recently opened its fourth office location in Macon on June 2nd. Currently, Pellicano is managing projects across the Southeastern and Midwestern United States to a broad base of clients in the retail, hospitality, healthcare, industrial, corporate commercial, restaurant, entertainment, automotive, assisted living, and faith-based market segments.

  • Georgians, Some Unconventional Health Advice: Maybe You Need a Vacation

    August 13, 2014

    Is a vacation good for your mental health? And if so, is that a good enough reason to take one? Most people enjoy out-of-town excursions. Lots of people take them annually. But as another summer begins to fade, many workers may be wondering if a vacation is worth the trouble and expense — especially in a time of high gas prices and airfares.

  • AT&T U-verse Arrives in Chattahoochee Valley Area

    August 12, 2014

    Chattahoochee Valley area residents now have a new choice for their television and high speed Internet services. AT&T is launching U-verse TV, AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet and AT&T U-verse Voice in the area, including Columbus, Auburn and Opelika.

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley Installs New Board Members

    August 08, 2014

    The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley recently held its annual board meeting at the Columbus Country Club on July 17th. During the meeting, BGCCV installed three new Board members: Fred Maglione, President of Omega Financial; Matthew Mansfield, Senior Manager of Regulatory Compliance at Aflac; and Eric Tikkanen, Market President with BB&T.

  • 8 Things to Ask Your Employees Before They Leave for Vacation

    August 07, 2014

    Summer vacations are a great time for employees to relax and recharge. However, it does leave your team in the office short staffed. Luckily, with the right systems in place your office can continue to run just as smoothly in their absence.

  • CSU Graduate Business Students Collaborate with Microsoft on Project

    August 06, 2014

    A graduate class at Columbus State University’s Turner College of Business recently wrapped up a real-world, hands-on project that had MBA students testing mobile applications for Microsoft.

  • UGA SBDC in Columbus Focuses on the Why

    August 05, 2014

    The idea that business leaders can better succeed by communicating why they are in business caught the attention of Mark Lupo, Area Director for the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Columbus.

  • Time of Change and Crisis in the Hospital World

    August 04, 2014

    The financial turmoil rocking Georgia’s hospitals shows no signs of fading. Just this past week, Emory-Adventist Hospital announced it would close by the end of October. By doing so, the Smyrna hospital would become the fifth Georgia hospital to close within the past two years. And unlike the previous four, it is in the affluent Atlanta suburbs, not a struggling rural area.

  • 4 Ways To Boost Traffic To Your Tradeshow Booth

    August 01, 2014

    You have to do something special to stand out from the competition at tradeshow booth. From the decision on upgrading your old display to hand-picking the best relationship oriented sales people to man your show booth. There are so many options to improve your visibility at your next show exhibition. We look at four tips to boost traffic at your tradeshow booth to get more customers and expand your brand identity.