June 2014 Features

  • St. Mary's, ARMC Commit to Explore Future Collaborations

    June 30, 2014

    The Boards of St. Mary’s Health Care System, Athens Regional Health System and Athens Regional Medical Center have signed a Joint Resolution to explore the potential for future collaborations to better serve patients and the community.

  • Balance of Social & Economic Strengths is Key to Attracting Talent to Cities

    June 27, 2014

    Today's urban professionals want to live in cities with strong reputations for developing intellectual capital and innovation, as well as high marks for employment prospects and quality of life, according to a new study--Cities of Opportunity 6: We, the urban people--released today by PwC US. The study focuses on urban demographics and includes findings from a global survey of 15,000 PwC staff in 30 cities, providing an in-depth look at what matters most to working professionals in the cities where they live.

  • Aflac-Backed Communicorp Gives Customers FORTUNE 500 Stability

    June 26, 2014

    The seeds of Communicorp, Inc. started over fifty years ago as a vehicle to provide Aflac headquarters and field force offices with business cards, letterhead, and brochures. The concept quickly grew to an internal print shop chartered in 1981 to the Georgia-based corporation it is today with locations in Columbus and Atlanta, with a presence throughout Georgia.

  • St. Mary's Receives Healthgrades Patient Safety Award

    June 25, 2014

    St. Mary’s Health Care System announced today that it has achieved Healthgrades’ Patient Safety Excellence Award for the fourth year in a row. Healthgrades is the nation’s leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.

  • Georgia Ranked 10th Friendliest State for Small Businesses in Nationwide Survey

    June 24, 2014

    Thumbtack.com, in partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, today released new data showing that Georgia has won praise as one of the top ten states for small businesses. Jon Lieber, Chief Economist of Thumbtack.com, said “Creating a business climate that is welcoming to small, dynamic businesses is more important than ever, and Georgia's friendliness towards small business is helping to make that happen.”

  • UGA-Licensed Turfgrass to Take Center Stage at World Cup 2014

    June 23, 2014

    When the world’s best soccer players make their way onto the world stage next week, chances are they’ll once again be playing on a University of Georgia-bred turfgrass.

  • The Role of Entrepreneurship in Rising Income Inequality

    June 20, 2014

    Income inequality is growing in America, and it has much of the chattering class in an uproar.

  • 13 Best Practices for Building Solid Small Business Operations

    June 19, 2014

    Running and scaling a business will always be challenging. But having a solid foundation of smoothly operating practices underlying your company can make it much easier. To find out how successful entrepreneurs were building their operations, we asked 13 founders from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question: “As a business owner, what do you feel is most important when it comes to building solid small business operations?”

  • 5 Ways to Boost Your Retail Sales This Summer

    June 18, 2014

    For many retailers, summer isn’t exactly the high season. But that doesn’t mean it has to be a bust. With summer about to go into full swing, have you thought about how you’ll boost business for your retail store this season?

  • Small Business Sentiment Improving But No Sign of Surge

    June 17, 2014

    NFIB Optimism Index rose 1.4 points in May to 96.6, the highest reading since September 2007. However, while May is the third up month in a row, the Index is still far below readings that have normally accompanied an expansion and there have been similar gains in the past that haven’t panned out in this recovery period. Five Index components improved, one was unchanged and four fell, although not by much.

  • 12 Tips for Training Your Summer Interns

    June 16, 2014

    Summer interns can be an invaluable resource for a small business. But although these bright young college kids are ready to tackle challenges, they’re likely inexperienced in the business world and won’t automatically integrate with your team. We look at how other entrepreneurs were successfully training their interns for the summer.

  • 4 Steps to Facing the Challenge in Strategy

    June 13, 2014

    Strategy is a way through a difficulty, an approach to overcoming an obstacle, a response to a challenge. If the challenge is not defined, it is difficult or impossible to overcome it.

  • Blanchard Leadership Forum Brings Big Names to Georgia

    June 12, 2014

    The Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum consistently hosts some of the biggest names in business during this annual event on August 25th and 26th, and this year’s event lives up to its expectations. The 2014 line-up is headlined by Entrepreneur Mark Cuban and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.

  • There are Times When Business is Personal and Not Just Business

    June 11, 2014

    Some people believe one needs to make decisions based upon the bottom line 100% of the time. If it benefits you, great. Otherwise, discard the idea. Emotional decisions in business benefit no one. On the other hand it is said, what you put out into the atmosphere will be received back many times over.

  • Is the USDOJ Trying to Shut Down Businesses it Doesn’t Like?

    June 09, 2014

    What if government officials suddenly decided they didn’t like your business? Then they went to your bank and warned them you were a bad risk and that the government had its eye on you? Suppose the government brought so much pressure to bear that before long, your bank closed down your account or refused to open new ones in your name or the name of your business. Apparently, this is exactly what is happening with the U.S. Department of Justice initiative called “Operation Choke Point.”

  • Are You Hiring for the Right Traits?

    June 06, 2014

    There’s lots of talk lately about the talent shortage – how employers, especially small ones, can’t find workers with the skills and experience they are seeking. But maybe the problem is that small business owners are putting too much emphasis on the wrong things.

  • Deductions, Tax Credits, & Government Subsidies for Health Care

    June 05, 2014

    What does it all mean? Judging from comments on previous items, there is much confusion about this terminology and how it impacts health coverage for small business owners.

  • 9 Things You Shouldn’t Overlook When Planning Your Next Event

    June 04, 2014

    Business events are a great way to build relationships with potential partners, meet investors and network. But making sure your event goes well requires a lot of forethought and planning. There’s nothing worse than a lousy event. From location to food, there’s much to consider when picking the perfect venue for your event.

  • Georgia Manufacturing Activity Continues Growth in May

    June 03, 2014

    Georgia manufacturing activity remained strong for May, even as new orders fell from its high April reading, according to the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) released today by Kennesaw State University’s Econometric Center in the Michael J. Coles College of Business.

  • Five Health Insurance Tips that Can Make Your Workforce Appreciate You

    June 02, 2014

    Over the past several months, small businesses may have grappled to understand the many changes and regulations to the evolving health care landscape. In developing compliant strategies, employers have made, and continue to make, key benefits decisions that will impact the personal and financial well-being of their workers for years to come.