Features

• Sherriff Kevin Sproul on Proposed Legislation Cuts for Law Enforcement

  March 11, 2013

  Dougherty County Sheriff Kevin Sproul shares his thoughts on House Bill 1, also called the Georgia Uniform Civil Forfeiture Procedure Act, and why he opposes the legislation.

• Finding the Right Sustainability Initiatives for Your Business

  March 08, 2013

  It’s easy to feel intimidated with sustainability. Once you address the basics—installing energy-efficient light bulbs and stationing recycle bins around the office—you may not know how to proceed. How do you determine which sustainability measures will ultimately pay for themselves and be the best investment for your business?

• Having Trouble Coaching “Sherlock the Sales Rep”?

  March 07, 2013

  This month local sales trainer and author Doug Robinson offers some comments to help you better manage Sherlock, your omnipresent sales guy. Certainly you are thankful for this senior, albeit anal, member on your sales team. You know who I’m talking about.

• Albany Tech, Southern Polytech Partner on Operations Management Program

  March 07, 2013

• With Perfection Landscape Management Delivers Curb Appeal

  March 06, 2013

  Most business owners and managers realize that an attractive storefront or office entrance sends an important message to current and prospective customers. According to David Blackwell, owner of With Perfection Landscape Management, that message actually starts at ground level.

• Raising The Minimum Wage Will Hurt Job Creation, Research Shows

  March 04, 2013

  President Obama's State of the Union Address proposal to raise minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $9, with annual increases for inflation, has fired up both sides of the issue with proponents arguing that all workers should earn a good living and opponents saying the increase will cost jobs. Research at Texas A&M University shows that raising the minimum wage will reduce job creation, but not affect employee turnover or layoffs.

• 7 Reasons You Should Switch to Google Apps

  February 28, 2013

  Late last year, Google Apps for Businesseliminated its free version. The reason? Many business users tended to outgrow the basic version too quickly and personal users were left waiting on updated features that had to become business ready before launching. But even with the new price tag, Google remains a viable option for small business.

• Albany Economic Outlook: Local Economy Stable, Still Facing Challenges

  February 26, 2013

  When reviewing the economic prospects for the Albany area in 2013, they can be described as stable, but highly susceptible to market shocks. Darton College Economics Professor Aaron Johnson digs deeper and gives some insight into Albany's economy for the coming year.

• Commentary: About These Rumors of Pending Senate Campaign Announcements…

  February 25, 2013

  Charlie Harper of Peach Pundit dives into the upcoming Georgia Senate race - the rumors, the motivations, and why there hasn't been any official word about who is running for Senator Chambliss' seat in 2014.

• Albany SBDC Offers GrowSmart Program for Area Business Leaders

  February 21, 2013

  From March 7 to April 19, the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Albany will offer GrowSmart, a program for business owners and senior managers that provides tools and strategies to meet the needs of growing businesses. It's the third year that the Albany SBDC has offered GrowSmart.

• Colson Printing Adapts to a Changing Industry

  February 20, 2013

  New buying trends in the printing industry are driving Colson Printing to launch an extension of its website to enable 24/7 click ‘n print functionality for its clients. Expected to go live in the first half of 2013, the new website capabilities will enable Colson to broaden its market nationally and appeal to locals who prefer to order online.

• Georgia's International Trade Posts Another Record Year

  February 19, 2013

  The state of Georgia experienced its fourth consecutive record year in international trade during 2012, exceeding the previous year’s milestones in both imports and exports. Georgia’s exports were up 3.2 percent—a $1.1 billion increase—compared to 2011, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics released this month.

• Scott Hunter on Understanding the Fiduciary Role for Retirement Plans

  February 14, 2013

  Serving as a trustee of an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)-sponsored retirement plan or as part of an investment committee that acts as a fiduciary is an important responsibility. Wells Fargo Advisor Scott Hunter answers the important questions regarding Fiduciary Role.

• CTSI Outsourcing Partners with Clients on IT Support

  February 12, 2013

  CTSI Outsourcing provides businesses with an IT support team that is familiar with their business, their servers and applications. In the company's IT Timeshare Service, every client is assigned a technician and a back-up technician who visit weekly and are accessible by cell phone at any time.

• USPS Rate Increases, No Saturday Delivery Could Lead to Changes for Many Small Businesses

  February 11, 2013

  The United States Postal Service recently enacted some higher shipping rates for both domestic and international mail. It has also offered some new rules and shipping options that might have an impact on the way many small businesses send mail and shipments, on top of the just announced no mail delivery for Saturday.

• Doug Robinson on How to Start Dreaming Again in Business

  February 07, 2013

  Albany CEO Contributor, sales trainer, and author Doug Robinson has another excerpt to share from his book “ Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word”. Just for grins and giggles, stop thinking with your brain and start thinking with your heart... right now. Whether you call this using your imagination or just dreaming, this is the inspiration for winning, and can show measurable results in just 30 days!

• Build a Better Albany: Aaron Blair’s Plan for Downtown Revitalization and Albany’s Future

  February 05, 2013

  Albany business leaders aren’t the only ones asking these questions. A quick Internet search reveals dozens of mid-size cities and small towns working to attract and retain this important group of people. Aaron Blair, Albany’s Downtown Manager, says large companies need qualified people to be successful and that need has created a business trend seen throughout the United States. Today, corporations increasingly follow the young professional.

• Delegate and Know When to Let Go of Business Operations

  February 04, 2013

  As a business owner, you are the parent of your company. Planning for the business, getting it off the ground, and making sure it survives and thrives is taxing, time-consuming, and can be incredibly rewarding. Once the business begins thriving on its own, you need to delegate those responsibilities to other employees so that you can focus on higher-level tasks and because, frankly, you are probably not the best person for every job.

• Commentary: South Georgia's Diminishing Political Clout

  February 01, 2013

  South Georgia remains an integral and important part of the state, from the largest portion of the state’s economy (agriculture) to the thriving and growing ports. Yet, politically, change has come rapidly to the region.

• P&G Celebrates 40 Years in Albany

  January 29, 2013

  This year Procter & Gamble is celebrating 40 years of manufacturing in southwest Georgia. The Albany mill, which manufactures Bounty towels and Charmin toilet tissue, has received hundreds of millions of dollars of investment from P&G over that period according to Vince Falcione, external relations manager for P&G in Albany.

• Reaching Out To Departed Customers For Recovery

  January 25, 2013

  Every business has customers who have departed. There are a variety of reasons that prompt departure. How you react to the departure will either validate that they left for a good reason or begin the process of bringing back that customer and that customer revenue. We go through five steps to identify and regain customer trust and relationships.

• Ways to Hire Smarter in 2013

  January 23, 2013

  Is hiring more employees one of your New Year’s resolutions? While hiring ultimately relieves your headaches in the long run by helping you and your team with workload, in the short run most entrepreneurs dread hiring because of the time and effort involved. Fortunately, there are ways to ensure you recruit more of the right candidates and waste less time with people who don’t suit your needs.

• New SWGA Airport Terminal On Track for Summer Opening

  January 22, 2013

  Construction of the $10.8 million terminal building at the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport is on budget and on track for completion in June. Airport operations are scheduled to move from the current building into the new terminal in July.

• Independent Workforce On The Up And Up?

  January 18, 2013

  If you’re looking for work in this brave new 21st century world, the place to be is in the freelance space, according to a recent global business survey by Elance. The survey, in which more than 1500 firms from around the world participated, contains quite a bit of great news for freelancers — otherwise known as nonemployer businesses.

• How to Become a Masterful Company

  January 17, 2013

  In his book, High Tech, High Touch Customer Service, Micah Solomon talks about using social media to provide stellar customer experience. He also outlines the profile of a “masterful company,” those that go above and beyond in the area of customer service. Using a few of his 12 characteristics of a masterful company, we show you how you can become one.

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