January 2015 Features

  • You’ll Need More Than Passion to Start a Business

    January 30, 2015

    Passion is an overused term in business. You keep hearing “do what you love.” But you need to be thinking about whether your passion is truly sufficient enough to start a successful business.

  • Metro Athens’ Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 4.9% in December

    January 29, 2015

    The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Athens’ unemployment rate for December was 4.9 percent, unchanged from November. The rate in December 2013 was 5.2 percent.

  • "The Amazon Way" Author to Speak at 2015 Georgia Technology Summit

    January 28, 2015

    The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) today announced that John Rossman, author of The Amazon Way: 14 Leadership Principles of the World’s Most Disruptive Company, will be among the keynote speakers at this year's 2015 Georgia Technology Summit(GTS) on March 25th.

  • Chris Clark Discusses The Georgia Chamber's 2015 Initiatives, 100th Anniversary

    January 27, 2015

    2015 marks the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s centennial year. Lucy Adams, Senior Editor, spoke with Georgia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Chris Clark, about the Chamber’s plans to expand Georgia2Georgia, remain active in the political sphere, promote leadership in Georgia’s communities and commemorate its 100 year milestone.

  • UGA Parking Services Expands Electric Vehicle Charging on Campus

    January 26, 2015

    Due to the popularity of the University of Georgia’s first electric vehicle charger and recent grant funding by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, UGA Parking Services has expanded charging locations to include the South Campus and East Campus parking decks.

  • UGA College of Veterinary Medicine to Host Veterinary Conference, Alumni Weekend

    January 23, 2015

    The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine will host its 52nd Annual Veterinary Conference and Alumni Weekend on March 27-28 at the UGA Center for Continuing Education.

  • Dr. Chisolm Named Medical Director of ARMC Palliative Care Program

    January 22, 2015

    Athens Regional is pleased to announce that Lee Chisolm, M.D. will be joining the ARMC Palliative Care Program as Medical Director. Dr. Chisolm is Board Certified with the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine.

  • The Red Dress Boutique Founder Dons New National Recognition

    January 21, 2015

    Diana Harbour, owner and founder of The Red Dress Boutique, has been recognized as a leading female entrepreneur by Enterprising Women magazine, beating out hundreds of national and international business owners. She will be recognized in Orlando, Fl., in late March at the publication’s annual conference.

  • Franchise Businesses Continue Rapid Growth Despite Concerns

    January 20, 2015

    Franchise businesses are growing at a rate faster than any other sector of the economy. And they’re creating jobs at a faster clip, too. For the fifth consecutive year, 2015 is expected to see another big expansion, according to projections from the International Franchise Association.

  • Georgia Museum of Art to Host Biennial Fundraising Gala

    January 19, 2015

    The Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia will host its most important fundraiser, Elegant Salute, Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m. Elegant Salute XIV, "An Elegant Salute to Georgia," is the museum's biennial gala featuring a reception, dinner, dessert and dancing.

  • Small Business Loans Up at Big Banks, Down at Small Ones

    January 16, 2015

    Small business lending at big banks ended the year strong. But loans at small banks continued to decline, the December 2014 Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index shows. If you look at the index for the final month of 2014 one way, you’d see approval of small business loans at big banks continues to increase.

  • 3 Points to Getting Online With Your Business

    January 15, 2015

    When you first think of getting online with your business, what comes to mind? Probably a website. Luckily today there are several ways to have an “online presence” for your business. Not all of them involve a website. In fact, social media and ecommerce platforms can serve as stand-ins for a website until you are ready. Here are some things to consider, according to the tech experts at Verisign.

  • Georgia Chamber “Eggs & Issues” - Education, Transportation Initiatives Key to Georgia Maintaining Competitive Edge, Top Business Ranking

    January 14, 2015

    The state’s top three executives--Governor Nathan Deal, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and House Speaker David Ralston--stayed on message and virtually read from the same page at the annual Georgia Chamber of Commerce “Eggs and Issues Breakfast” held yesterday at the Georgia World Congress Center. An attendance of nearly 2,000 executives, business owners, elected officials and Chamber of Commerce members celebrated the organization’s 100th anniversary while warmly welcoming the pro-business remarks of the state’s leadership.

  • UGA to Celebrate 230th Anniversary with Series of Founders Day Events

    January 13, 2015

    The University of Georgia will observe its 230th anniversary in 2015, and the UGA Alumni Association will celebrate the occasion by hosting a weeklong series of events, including the 13th annual Founders Day Lecture on Jan. 26 at 1:30 p.m. in the Chapel.

  • Spending Money on Social Media: What is Worth it?

    January 12, 2015

    When it comes to finances, business owners are always talking about paid search and SEO and all of the various costs that go along with both. However, as your business begins to grow, you’ll find that looking at your online marketing in even smaller sections is a great way to keep your finances in order. This brings up social media.

  • Don’t Expect To Sell Your Business To Fund That Golden Retirement

    January 09, 2015

    Business owners who are expecting to sell their companies to fund their golden retirement years may be in for a surprise. They simply may not be able to sell their businesses when they want to, or get the amount they want from the sales.

  • Georgia’s Global Gateway Staged to Grow in 2015

    January 08, 2015

    Curtis Foltz, Executive Director, Georgia Ports Authority, looks forward to another year of record growth in 2015, which is slated to ring in with the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project and a continued focus on efficiency.

  • Five Recommendations for Pitching Investors

    January 07, 2015

    Recently, I have seen a lot of pitches by entrepreneurs looking for money. As I have read through their emails, listened to their elevator pitches, and stared at their power point decks, I have become convinced of the following: Most entrepreneurs do a lousy job of pitching investors. Five mistakes occur so often that I feel compelled to offer suggestions on how to avoid them.

  • How Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Differs at Big and Small Businesses

    January 06, 2015

    Many people are aware that big companies are much more likely than small businesses to offer employer-sponsored health insurance to their employees. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), an annual effort to query nearly 40,000 establishments, conducted by the Federal Government’s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows that only 34.8 percent of private sector establishments with fewer than 50 employees provi

  • Is Your Business Ready to Rock and Roll in the New Year?

    January 05, 2015

    Let’s say your business has been chugging right along for several years now. You formed an LLC or incorporated in order to establish a solid legal foundation for your company. But what loose ends do you still need to tie up as you move into the new year?