July 2012 Features

  • Will Your Child Follow in Your Footsteps as an Entrepreneur?

    July 30, 2012

    Looking back in the last twenty to thirty years, most kids had no idea what an entrepreneur was. Fast forward to today - a recent study now shows a whopping 46% of kids who know an entrepreneur are more interested in becoming one themselves. We look at some ways to teach and encourage kids the entrepreneurial spirit.

  • The Importance of Education

    July 27, 2012

    With another school year right around the corner, Sheriff Kevin Sproul talks about the importance of education, and challenges parents, students, and educators alike can better themselves this school year.

  • Landers Boldly Goes Where No Business Man Has Gone Before

    July 25, 2012

    Managing Fast Copy, Inc., a digital copy service provider, doesn't keep Randy Landers from spending time on his passion – creating Star Trek fan films. Landers and about 36 other Star Trek hobbyists debuted their sixth short film on YouTube this past month.

  • Ways to Succeed When Starting Up in a New Region

    July 23, 2012

    Entrepreneurs usually sprout ideas from what they know best—current occupations, lifetime hobbies, subjects they’ve unknowingly studied for so long before starting up. Most of the time, they know who their target audience is. Which is why they feel so comfortable when taking such a big risk in order to serve them with something new.

  • Undeveloped Potential: Listen To Who’s On Your Team

    July 20, 2012

    Whether it’s 10% of your brain or 10% of your potential or no known percentage at all, most of us live without tapping into everything that we have. And for the independent minded small business owner that usually means there’s a team that could help us pursue a new project or develop a new portion of the business — if we knew how to tap into them.

  • Albany Tech Recognizes Albany Mars Chocolate Plant With Local Manufacturer of the Year Award

    July 19, 2012

    Albany Technical College presented Mars Chocolate North America, Albany Plant, with a Manufacturer of the Year award on Wednesday. Earlier this year, Albany Tech nominated Mars Albany for the state Manufacturer of the Year in the medium- sized company category. Although Mars Albany was not the state winner this year, Albany Tech still recognized them as our local winner.

  • Thrush Aircraft Employs Hundreds in Skilled Manufacturing Jobs

    July 18, 2012

    One of every six jobs in production, craft, repair, and machine operation was lost in the first two years of the recession, according to a 2010 white paper by MIT economist David Autor. While the rest of the country struggles with the loss of middle-class manufacturing jobs, Albany is home to a thriving company that employs hundreds of skilled workers – Thrush Aircraft, Inc.

  • Price Goes Door to Door to Win School Board Seat

    July 16, 2012

    After completing another media interview, Lane Price, M.D., was headed for another evening of walking door to door to ask residents for their vote in the July 31st Democratic primary for the at-large seat on the Dougherty County School Board. The election will be decided on the 31st, as there will be no vote in November for this race.

  • Keep Your Employees Motivated This Summer

    July 13, 2012

    Summer’s here in full force and, no matter where your business is located, chances are your employees have caught summer fever. How can you keep employees motivated, engaged and present when beautiful summer days are calling them away?

  • Expansion in the Works at Flint Community Bank

    July 11, 2012

    Flint Community Bank is planning to break ground on August 1st on a new operations center located on the lot behind the bank's current facility. The 3,500 square foot center will house deposit and loan operations, regulatory compliance and IT support.

  • Small Businesses Pay More For Health Care Coverage

    July 09, 2012

    In a 2009 study by the White House, small businesses pay 18% more in premiums for health coverage than their big box competitors per employee. As a small business owner are you surprised by this statistic? Of course you’re not. Small business owners have been living the health benefit nightmare for many years now, perpetually caught between a rock and health coverage.

  • Sam Shugart Discusses Planning For Upcoming Music and Arts Festival

    July 03, 2012

    Sam Shugart, president of Reynolds, Shugart & Associates, and his partners – Justin Andrews, Jeb Tabb, and Evan Barber of Threeforty Creative Group, and Bo Henry – expect to announce this week the first national acts for the inaugural Sowega Music & Arts Festival to be held at The Exchange Club Fairgrounds this October.

  • It’s Half-Time!

    July 02, 2012

    Congratulations. You’ve made it through the first half of 2012 and I’m sure you are more than 50% complete on all the goals you set for 2012…right? If you are like me you might be surprised to find out that the year is half way done! Curt Fowler examines some ways for you to help see your goals through the rest of 2012.