Features
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Is America in the Midst of a High Tech Entrepreneurship Boom?
March 28, 2014
If you read the business press, you probably think the answer is yes. The popular media is full of stories about start-ups like Facebook, Groupon, Instagram, Linkedin, Snapchat, Twitter, WhatsApp, Yelp, and Zinga. American entrepreneurs are starting high tech companies at a feverish pace, the media experts say.
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CustomerCentric Offers Five-Star Customer Service Training in Albany
March 26, 2014
Leadership Albany offers Customer Centric, a customer service training program aimed at providing businesses with the resources to deliver stellar customer service, with the goal of increasing customer loyalty and polishing the community’s image as a first-class service center.
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Georgia Southwestern State University Offers Flexibility to MBA Seekers
March 25, 2014
In the Masters of Business Administration program at Georgia Southwestern State University, students can set their own pace of study, starting and finishing the program at a time that best fits their schedule.
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Employees to Employers: Mind Your Own Business
March 24, 2014
How much can employers inquire about employees or have a say in their actions on and off the job? The staff of a small business can easily grow into a family of sorts, but this doesn’t give the employer the right to act as the patriarch. The trend, as evidenced by laws, court decisions and administrative rulings, seems to be toward less involvement of employers in the lives of their workers.
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15 Things That Could Cause Small Business Failure
March 21, 2014
It’s sad. 8 out of 10 businesses fail. And many of the causes can be prevented. This list can help you put together a plan to make sure your business is around next year. If you are guilty of any of these, make the necessary changes to get your small business going in the right direction.
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MADlab – A Marketing Collaboration – Crazy Like a Fox!
March 20, 2014
The name of the new company is MADlab. Its founders, Deidra Langstaff and Mary Beth Hobby, describe it as, “a ridiculously talented marketing collaboration.”
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The Link Between Thought Leadership & LinkedIn
March 19, 2014
The topic of thought leadership has been hot and heavy over the last year or two. Often discussed, speculated about and outright claimed by some, it is among the more misunderstood business concepts.
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Fewer Students Plan to Become Business Owners
March 17, 2014
College students are more concerned with making money now than they were before the start of the Great Recession, research by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) at UCLA, reveals. Maybe that’s self-evident. But here’s a more surprising finding: The fraction of students intending to become business owners has also declined since 2007.
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Majority of Businesses in Georgia Plan on Investing in Their Business in 2014
March 14, 2014
BMO Harris Bank released a study today that found that the majority of business owners/executives in Georgia plan on investing in their business in 2014. Hiring more employees tops the list of investment plans, followed closely by upgrades and purchases of equipment.
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ADEDC Opens Nominations for 2014 Industry Awards
March 12, 2014
Albany-Dougherty Industry Celebration Week, April 14 to 18, includes daily events highlighting the success of the industries that exist in and support the community. The highlight of the week is the announcement of the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission's annual industry awards.
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10 Ways to Avoid Becoming a Sales Robot
March 11, 2014
“Hi, this is Ted and I’m from X Corporation. Do you have a few minutes?” I’m immediately up in arms. I know he wants to sell me something that I am 99% sure I do not want to buy (for the record, I’ve never made a purchase from someone cold calling me). Can you relate?
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Albany Technical College’s Impact in SW Georgia is a $47M Plus Share
March 10, 2014
How much do communities throughout the state benefit economically from spending that is either directly or indirectly related to the 24 colleges of the Technical College System of Georgia? Almost 1.2 billion dollars. In Southwest Georgia, Albany Technical College’s share is a little over $47 million of the economic impact.
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It All Begins With Your LinkedIn Profile
March 07, 2014
LinkedIn is the best place for business professionals to post information about themselves, regardless of your discipline. As a business professional, regardless of what your function is, you need to be findable to those in your field.
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Albany State Seeks Collaboration with Local Business Leaders
March 06, 2014
Dr. Art Dunning, interim president of Albany State University, is a proponent of taking a new way of looking at how we solve problems together as a community.
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Georgia Manufacturing Activity Reverses its Two-Month Decline
March 05, 2014
Georgia manufacturing activity reversed an anemic performance with a strong boost in new orders and production for February, which offset the doubledigit losses in the prior two months, according to a study released by Kennesaw State University.
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Dougherty County Sheriff Kevin Sproul on “Building Unity in the Community”
March 04, 2014
Spring or springtime is the season for renewal, rejuvenation, and resurrection. It is also the time of year for many people to get out and begin enjoying several months of outdoor recreation.
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Cancer Coalition of South Georgia Announces Initiatives to Raise Awareness
March 03, 2014
March was first declared Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month nationally in 2000. Each year the initiative has grown, but the message has remained the same.
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The Benefits of Giving Your Staff a Raise
February 28, 2014
Are you trying to keep your key employees happy by offering them perks like work-at-home days, cross-training and flexible hours? That’s great and I encourage you to keep offering those extras, but a new study shows that they may not be enough to retain workers.
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The Tax Price of Success
February 27, 2014
It’s commonly understood that the better you do in business, the more taxes you’ll pay. As Scottish whiskey distiller, Thomas Robert Dewar, said: “Nothing hurts more than having to pay an income tax, unless it is not having to pay an income tax.”
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Language of Leadership: Constructive Versus Destructive
February 26, 2014
While many people are given the title of leader, a lot of them don’t elicit results because they don’t communicate in a way that inspires action and results. Having studied leaders for several years there are three distinct behaviors that I see real, impactful leaders engage in.
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Chamber CEO Chris Hardy: What's in Store for 2014
February 25, 2014
Though 2013 was an extremely successful year for both the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce and the Albany Convention & Visitors Bureau, we believe 2014 will be a year where we establish ourselves as the leading organizations that greatly impact our existing business base.
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Nominations Open for 2014 ADEDC Industry Awards
February 24, 2014
Nominations are now open for the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission’s annual Industry Awards, which recognize the successes of the community’s existing industries. The awards application deadline is March 19; winners will be announced April 16.
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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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Top 10 Interview Questions to Ask Prospective Employees
February 19, 2014
While unemployment is the lowest in 5 years, it is still challenging to find the best employees for your company. Not only do they need the skills to perform their job well, but they also have to fit within the company’s culture.