Features

• Keep Your Best Employees With Better Benefits

  November 12, 2013

  To maintain the best employees for your business, it’s imperative for business owners to take necessary steps to keep current top-tier employees satisfied in today’s economy. So what can small businesses do to make sure their key players stick around instead of window shopping for new opportunities? One way to retain current personnel and attract superior applicants is by offering strong benefits packages.

• Sheriff Kevin Sproul Offers Up Some Thanksgiving Thoughts

  November 08, 2013

  Last month, the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office held our annual Unity in the Community Barbeque. Speaking of thanks and food, this month brings one of my favorite holidays – Thanksgiving.

• Scott Hunter on Navigating Today’s Economy

  November 07, 2013

  While changes in the economy occur regularly, what we have experienced recently is anything but a “normal” change. The challenges of the current economy haven’t been seen or experienced in our country in decades. Like most investors, you may wish you could figure out some way to know when economic conditions were about to change, or what adjustments you should make in your portfolio based on current conditions.

• Phoebe Putney Health System Announces Partnership Aimed at Improving Service, Lowering Healthcare Costs

  November 06, 2013

  The rapidly changing health care landscape is bringing with it profound changes in reimbursement methods, shifting significant financial risk from payers to care providers. These changes are requiring hospitals to reorganize and reengineer the way they deliver care and to adjust rapidly to new payment reform. With that in mind, Phoebe Putney Health System announced a partnership with xG Health Solutions.

• Georgia Named #1 State in U.S. for Business

  November 05, 2013

  Gov. Nathan Deal announced that Georgia’s business climate has been named No. 1 in the nation by Site Selection magazine, one of the nation’s top economic development trade publications.

• Mobile Payments are Exploding: What You Need to Know

  November 04, 2013

  Accepting payments via mobile device is becoming more and more mainstream. Right now, we are in the midst of a growth spurt that will see mobile payments in the U.S. hit $90 billion by 2017, according to a Forrester Research report released earlier this year. That’s up from $12.8 billion spent in 2012, the report states. It’s also easier than ever to join the party, and retailers have an almost overwhelming number of options.

• 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.

• Kimberly Ballard-Washington to Serve as Albany State University Interim President

  October 31, 2013

  University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby has named Kimberly Ballard-Washington to serve as interim president at Albany State University. Ballard-Washington is assistant vice chancellor for Legal Affairs for the USG and assistant secretary to the Board of Regents.

• Paul Davis Emergency Service & GRAP Restoration Provide "One" Solution

  October 29, 2013

  With the aim to provide a complete mitigation and rebuild solution to customers and their insurance providers, Greg Suess and Brian Bradshaw opened a Paul Davis Emergency Service of Albany and Leesburg franchise in November 2012. Paul Davis is a full-service water, fire and mold cleanup and restoration firm that operates through more than 300 franchise locations.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

• Interim Darton State College President Named

  October 21, 2013

  Dr. Paul Jones, currently the senior vice president for Finance and Administration and a professor of Educational Administration at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, was appointed interim president for Darton State College by the University System of Georgia.

• 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.

• Scott Hunter Shares Five Investing Mistakes You Don’t Have to Make

  October 17, 2013

  It’s easy to have confidence in investments made during bull markets: share prices climb and any losses from poor decisions are usually recovered fast. But times of increasing market volatility tend to magnify mistakes, and many investors may lose confidence in their decision making. Let’s take a quick look at some of these common — but generally avoidable — mistakes.

• 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.

• The Clay Spot Acquires a New Owner; Expands Its Reach

  October 15, 2013

  The Clay Spot, a paint-your-own pottery studio that has been a fixture in Albany for 15 years, acquired a new owner at the end of June – Stacie Porter Brown. Brown is the studio's fifth owner, a former marketing professional and a fine arts graduate.

• 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.

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