Features
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UGA, DOJ to Study How Much Consumers Will Pay for Internet
November 01, 2013
Researchers from the University of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Justice were awarded $530,000 over three years by the National Science Foundation and CableLabs to study demand for residential Internet service.
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How to Cut Down on Your Startup Costs
October 29, 2013
A snazzy office, the latest equipment, smart employees and the option to complete a project on your time, and perhaps at the beach – many new entrepreneurs dream big when they plan their first venture. The only problem is that a new business is much more about hard work, sincere efforts and reduction of costs than the way they picture it.
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Benefits of Having a Small Business Mentor
October 28, 2013
As a business owner or entrepreneur, you have a lot on your plate. And whether you’re busy trying to establish your business or developing a growth strategy for your existing operation, it can be valuable to get an expert opinion from a mentor.
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How Health Care Reform Changes Impact the Small Business Owner
October 25, 2013
As an employer, you may find yourself thinking that you have yet to address health care reform requirements for your business. Some of you may be asking: Why should I rush to meet guidelines and deadlines that seem to be constantly changing and being pushed back? Well I have an answer — you should take action for your employees.
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Big Questions Every Business Plan Should Answer
October 24, 2013
Every small business needs a business plan. It’s an essential document that’s not just for start-ups and expansions – because a great business plan can serve as a road map for your company and help you make the right adjustments when things go wrong. Your business plan should be a living, breathing portfolio that evolves along with your company.
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5 Tips for Competing as a Little Guy in a Big, Busy Space
October 22, 2013
Chances are, if you and your company are doing something right, you’ve attracted the attention of a giant. That could mean you’ve spent years perfecting your product or service only for Google, Amazon or Microsoft to step in and launch their take on your idea. Then other companies catch onto the trend, too
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Majority of U.S. Entrepreneurs Start Their Businesses at Home
October 21, 2013
If you operate your business from home, you’re not alone. A recent survey of U.S. businesses indicates the majority of entrepreneurs do the same. And that’s not just in the startup phase either.
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How to Handle a Public Relations Crisis
October 18, 2013
Admit it: None of us are as graceful as we think we are. We’ve all “stepped in it” so-to-speak and sometimes, the results aren’t pretty. Whether we’re out for a run or walking within the confines of our home, we’ve all had a clumsy moment with unintended consequences. Likewise, no matter how appropriately you run your business, if you’ve been in business long enough, then you’re bound to receive publicity you don’t like.
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C-Suite Leaders Look to Customers to Steer Business Strategy
October 16, 2013
Despite expressing an unprecedented commitment to direct customer influence on their business decisions and operations, one-third of CEOs worry that the rest of the C-suite is out of touch with customers, according to a new IBM study.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.