January 2014 Features

  • The Bright Side of High Employee Turnover

    January 31, 2014

    Are you worried about losing key employees this year? A Right Management study says 83 percent of employees definitely plan to look for jobs this year, while 12 percent say they might and just 5 percent have no plans to look for new jobs. This is bad news for your business, right? Maybe not.

  • What is Strategy?

    January 30, 2014

    Despite all the consultants in the world wanting you to believe that you could never comprehend strategy at "their level", strategy is quite simple. Strategy is simply a plan to get from point A (where you are at today) to point B (where you want to be at a future date). Curt Fowler shares how all of us use strategy each and every day, even for the simplest of things.

  • What Do Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans Look Like?

    January 29, 2014

    Hidden among the large amount of data released regularly by the Federal Reserve is some valuable information about the terms of Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed loans.

  • 14 Unorthodox Tips for Becoming Successful in Business

    January 28, 2014

    It’s no secret that you don’t become successful in business by doing the same thing the others guys are doing. Being able to take calculated risks is all part of the fun of being a small business owner — and understanding how to differentiate your business from the rest is a special skill most entrepreneurs spend their careers honing.That’s why we asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question: “What is your most unorthodox tip for becoming successful in business?” Here’s what YEC community members had to say.

  • Small Business Optimism: Status Quo or Cautious Optimism?

    January 27, 2014

    Small business owners tend to be optimistic by nature. You have to be, if you want to overcome the obstacles of running a business. Still, the economy has been pretty rough since 2008. Are there signs of improvement? If I had to sum it up based on two small business optimism surveys, I’d say it’s “status quo” or perhaps “cautious optimism.”

  • Why You Should Consider Building Business Credit

    January 24, 2014

    Building business credit is both highly misunderstood and becoming more and more important all the time for business owners. I have heard some people say that building business credit doesn’t matter. I say, then why are a lot of business credit reports being pulled if business credit doesn’t matter?

  • Huckaby: “We are Making the Right Decisions for Students & the State”

    January 23, 2014

    The need to help more students afford and earn a degree is driving key and fundamental changes in the University System of Georgia, said Chancellor Hank Huckaby in remarks to the Georgia General Assembly’s Joint Appropriations Committee.

  • Georgia Ports Authority Has Banner Year in 2013, Looks to Top It in 2014

    January 22, 2014

    When success is part of your DNA, it can become tempting to rest on your laurels and keep doing more of the same. Or, your company can keep your foot on the gas and strive for more. Georgia Ports Authority certainly falls into the latter category, partly because the whole state—heck, the whole country—is watching.

  • What You Can Learn from Family Businesses

    January 21, 2014

    For a while, the spread of corporate monopolies seemed destined to wipe out mom-and-pop shops for good. But family businesses demonstrated their resilience during the economic downturn, and now they’re stronger than ever. In fact, family-owned companies make up 90% of U.S. businesses. They are responsible for 80% of new jobs and 60% of all jobs in America.

  • Should You Consider an Accountability Partner?

    January 17, 2014

    When people, especially salespeople, are left to their own devices, they lack consistency and succumb to their own emotional performance roller coaster, operating more by default than by design. Hence, consider bringing in an accountability partner.

  • No Sign of Real Recovery in Small Business Numbers

    January 15, 2014

    Small-business optimism ended the year slightly up from November at 93.9, but below the previous 3 mid-year readings of over 94 and 6 points below the pre-recession average, according to the National Federation of Independent Business’ (NFIB’s) latest index. On the positive front, reports of capital spending rose significantly in December, increasing by 9 points from November and job creation among NFIB firms was the best since February 2006.

  • Postage Rates Going Up: How Will it Effect Your Business?

    January 14, 2014

    The U.S. Postal Service will be charging higher postage rates effective later this month, starting January 26th. We take a look some of the increases likely to affect small businesses, and ways your business can do to save money on postage this year.

  • The Era of Declining Self-Employment

    January 13, 2014

    The number of employed Americans rose from 144,144,000 in October 2013 to 144,775,000 in November 2013, an increase of 631,000, according to Federal government data. That’s good news. More people going back to work is something that everyone – left, right and center – agrees is good for the country.

  • Is Your Business a Talent Attractor?

    January 10, 2014

    Only an elite group of businesses earn the title “talent attractor.” What is a talent attractor you may ask? A talent attractor is a company that is best in class when it comes to benefits packaging and delivery. The human resources departments at these companies are more likely to believe that overall employee health is important to workforce productivity.

  • Small Businesses Spend More on Travel, Per Concur Survey

    January 09, 2014

    Small businesses are playing the role of big spenders on the road. A new study found that small businesses spend more on travel than big business.

  • 35 of Georgia’s Brightest Come Together as Young Gamechangers

    January 08, 2014

    GeorgiaForward kicks off its second annual Young Gamechangers program on Thursday, January 9th convening 35 of the state’s most promising young leaders in Dublin, with the goal of revisioning the area as a vibrant 21st century community.

  • Starting a Business in 2014? Here Is Your Startup Checklist

    January 07, 2014

    Each year, the number of new businesses spikes in January as the start of a new year seems like the most natural time to begin a new venture. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned entrepreneur, run through this startup checklist to better understand the steps needed to make your business legit.

  • 2013 Georgia Job Creation Hits Record High

    January 06, 2014

    Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that the Global Commerce Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development produced a 10 percent increase in job creation during the state’s most recent fiscal year. Statistics from the department show its 389 company expansion or location announcements generated 31,656 jobs and $6.07 billion in investment. These statistics indicate a continued trend of growth since the state’s 2009 fiscal year.