Access to proven, successful resources can be empowering for any business, but at the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, we are taking it to heart, especially for our area’s small businesses. 

Together with other area business partners, the Chamber is developing the “Roadmap to Resources,” which will clearly define the who, what, where, when and how to match the appropriate local resources to the needs of a small business. Athens is blessed with a tremendous pool of small business talent of all types — locally-owned retail, restaurants, light industrial/manufacturing, distributors, tech startups, and online merchants. 

Regardless of type, size or location, our Athens small businesses are searching daily for sound business answers. As a community, we should be ready to provide assistance and direction for our small businesses. Our “Roadmap to Resources” can set our small businesses on the right path.

As someone contemplating a start-up business in Athens, where do you start on this roadmap? 

The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center, a statewide provider of management consulting and training for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, offers no-cost, confidential consulting services to Georgia’s small businesses. Located in the Chicopee complex, the SBDC is the perfect first step for becoming a business owner in Athens. 

If your proposed business is technology based, check out Four Athens, a startup incubator which exists solely to support the startup community in Athens. Four Athens was formed to discover startups, build community, connect creativity, accelerate growth and invest in success. 

The Georgia BioBusiness Center and the UGA Technology Commercialization Office have combined their resources into The Innovation Gateway, another incubator environment for startup or early stage life sciences companies that are involved in the research and development of new products and services. Long-recognized for its agriculture-related technologies and companies, the Innovation Gateway is seeing increasing growth in biomedical, engineering and “green” technologies and companies. 

The startup community in Athens is exciting and on fire. But, our existing small businesses have long been the backbone of our community. For example, Barrons Rental Center recently celebrated their 50th anniversary of doing business in Athens and thanks to the next generation of the Barron family, dedicated employees, local vendors and customers, they are still growing strong. 

For Barrons and other Athens small businesses, the roadmap should continue to point towards future success. 

The Athens Area Chamber of Commerce is the next critical landmark on the “Roadmap to Resources.” From luncheons to 

small business seminars, there are countless ways that the Chamber empowers our small businesses. Members take advantage of effective networking at monthly functions such as the Small Business Breakfast Club, NetWORK Lunch, Business After Hours, Women in Business and Young Professionals Network. YPN is designed for Athens professionals between the ages of 25-40, but “older mentors” are welcome. 

What is next on the roadmap? 

Coming up in a few weeks, the Chamber is proud to sponsor the 2015 Small Business Week with a number of other small business roadmap resource partners. Kicking off the week on May 4 is a breakfast at the recently renovated Cotton Press with special guest speaker Bob Googe, CEO of Jittery Joe’s Coffee. Throughout the week there are special Small Business Week events planned, which will highlight area small businesses as well as provide some educational opportunities for business owners. 

We are proud of our small businesses and want to say “thank you” during this Small Business Week. Check out our Facebook page for more details on the events of the week and how you can be involved.

Empowering our local businesses is what the Chamber is all about. Our mission is to create an environment conducive for business and for our small businesses we are particularly excited about providing ongoing clarity on where to find those trusted resources for starting and building your business. 

Give us a call at the Chamber and we will be happy to get you started on the “Roadmap to Resources.”

Lisa Rawls is the principal of Evergreen CFO, a board member of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce and chairs the Chamber’s Small Business Committee.