Features
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Is it Time to Sell Your Business or Buy a New One?
June 01, 2012
Have you delayed retirement because the recession was preventing you from getting a fair price for the business you worked so hard to build? Have you been contemplating buying another business, but couldn’t find the financing? Small business owners in both of these situations have a lot to be hopeful about.
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Key Employee Protection: Preserving the Life of Your Business
May 30, 2012
As a business owner, you recognize the importance of insuring your building, inventory, and equipment. These assets are vital to the success of your company. But have you considered what would happen if a key employee died unexpectedly or became disabled?
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The “Half of All Workers Don't Pay Taxes” Mantra is Starting to Get Taxing
May 25, 2012
One of my concerns over the past year or so is the continued use of the phrase “half of all workers don't pay taxes.” It's one of those ideas that needs some context, and it's probably not the kind of context you've read about anywhere else.
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Mediacom Delivers Positive First Quarter
May 23, 2012
Mediacom, one of the leading cable operators focused on serving smaller cities and towns in the United States, posted its best first-quarter results in Georgia in four years, according to Mediacom Senior Marketing Manager for Georgia, Melanie Hannasch. Mediacom serves all of southwestern Georgia, passing about 300,000 homes.
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Georgia Ports Support More Than 350,000 Jobs Across State
May 21, 2012
According to the UGA Terry College of Business, Georgia ports now account for 8.3 percent of total state employment, or one out of 12 jobs. The total impact of Georgia’s deepwater ports on the state’s economy was $66.9 billion, or 9.5 percent of Georgia’s output in FY11, and some of those jobs and money flow into South Georgia.
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SBA Names Judy Randle 2012 Women in Business Champion of the Year for Georgia and the Southeast
May 18, 2012
Judy Randle, Owner and President of Central Monitoring, Inc. of Albany, Georgia has been named the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 2012 Women in Business Champion of the Year for both Georgia and SBA’s Southeast Region IV.
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New Georgia Legislation Encourages Job Growth in State
May 17, 2012
Georgia citizens should soon see new job opportunities in the state thanks to aggressive measures passed this year by the Georgia legislature. Business-friendly bills signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal will benefit manufacturers, the film industry, technology and other start-up companies, the life sciences sector and businesses large and small in many other industries.
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Local Wendy’s Owner Says It’s All About People
May 16, 2012
Business is up at the four Wendy’s restaurants in Albany this year, according to owner David Ivey. Sales have been building over the past two years despite a down economy.
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How to Improve Financial Savvy
May 14, 2012
Unfortunately there’s not a mandatory class or training program each of us is required to take before we are allowed to earn our first dollar. No, we are left to our own devices. Bil Sadler talks about some ways you can improve your financial savvy.
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Win Price Negotiations on Value
May 10, 2012
You have been working a prime sales prospect for the past six months. Your product is the ideal solution, you have done a great job of selling the value and you have carefully calculated a value-based price point for this prospect. But, despite your very best efforts at winning the deal, the buyer is asking for a lower price. What do you do next?
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Data Shows Tourism Thriving in Albany
May 10, 2012
Rashelle Beasley, manager of the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau, gives an update on the growing tourism in the area, and what the Albany CVB does to attract tourists to Albany.
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The Veranda Celebrates its 60th Anniversary
May 08, 2012
This month, The Veranda marks 60 years of providing quality health care to Albany women and their families. Dr. John Inman Jr. opened a solo medical practice in obstetrics and gynecology in the summer of 1952.
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Brooks Furniture Welcomes Pam McDonald-Garrett as Co-Owner
May 06, 2012
On April 17, Brooks Furniture announced Pam McDonald-Garrett is now a co-owner of the company with Robert Brooks, Jr. McDonald-Garrett was previously president of JLA Global, a multinational analytical and technical agricultural corporation.
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5 Things Business Owners Shouldn’t Skimp On
May 03, 2012
As small business owners, we’re all strapped for cash and we hate spending unnecessarily. That being said, not everything should be DIY. Sometimes trying to save money and do things yourself costs you more in lost time and lost business than you saved in cash.
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Albany ARC Announces Fourth Annual Mexican Fiesta May 17th
May 01, 2012
On May 17, the Albany Advocacy Resource Center will hold its Fourth Annual Mexican Fiesta, one of the largest fundraising events for the agency that serves individuals with developmental disabilities across Southwest Georgia.
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What Type of Financing Is Right For Your Business?
April 29, 2012
When it comes to securing money to start, expand, or just continue your business, you’ll need to choose wisely. Some options will be too complex, others too risky. Some will provide too much, and others not enough. We give a snapshot of the various financing options that might fit your needs.
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How Small Business Can Benefit from Time Tracking
April 26, 2012
As a small business owner, it can be hard to justify going through the motions and controls of the larger corporations. Your time is already limited and enterprise software can be quite expensive. So when I say that you really should be comprehensively tracking employee time, you might be skeptical. Lets look at why you shouldn’t be.
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Governor Deal Visits Albany to Highlight Recent Legislative Session
April 25, 2012
Governor Deal stopped in Albany to share the highlights from the recent legislative session, one that has been the most productive in recent memory. He also talked about recent successes in bringing jobs to the state.
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Common Misconceptions About Salaried Employees: Who is Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act?
April 24, 2012
Many business owners assume that if an employee is “salaried,” the employee is exempt from the minimum wage and overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Whether or not an employee is exempt depends on the employee’s actual job duties. Its important that your business stay up to date with the FLSA.
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4 Steps To Succeed In The Government Marketplace
April 22, 2012
The U.S. Federal Government buys nearly $100 billion worth of goods and services from small businesses each year – but cracking this market as a small business can be challenging. If your small business is interested in selling to Uncle Sam, we share a four-step plan that summarizes the process of entering the federal marketplace succesfully.
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4 Surprising Things Great Sales People Say
April 19, 2012
A lot of people in the sales business seem to think that there is a standard expectation of what a “good sales person” is supposed to sound like. We’ve built up this idea that a “good sales person” is supposed to be relentless, energetic, good at building relationships, always eager to close the deal, and unwilling to take “no” for an answer.
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Albany SBDC Sees Shift in Challenges Facing Business Leaders
April 17, 2012
Debbie Finney, head of the Albany office of the Georgia Small Business Development Center, says that activity level at the SBDC stays high regardless of the economy. It's just the nature of the questions that changes.
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Why You Should Encourage Your Employees to be Entrepreneurs
April 15, 2012
Are you worried about keeping employees in your workplace happy, engaged, and maintaining your competitive edge? One way to accomplish both of these challenging goals is to encourage entrepreneurship in your workplace.
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States Rely Heavily on Tax Incentives, But Few Evaluate Whether They Work
April 12, 2012
Every state offers tax incentives to attract, retain, and expand businesses and jobs. But no state ensures that policy makers rely on good evidence about whether these investments deliver a strong return, A new study examines outcomes at a time when most states are trying to rebuild their budgets and many have not regained private-sector jobs lost during the Great Recession.
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U.S. Press Grows with a Can-Do Attitude
April 10, 2012
Founded 30 years ago, U.S. Press, LLC is a $5 million company providing color printing and related services that is growing at a nice clip despite the slow economy. Founder and owner Kent Buescher chalks it up to a can-do attitude.