Features
-
Georgia Chamber Task Force Focused on Growing Film, Digital Industries
December 05, 2014
The Georgia Chamber’s Creative and Digital Industries Initiative shared a number of recommendations for updates to the state’s existing entertainment tax credits with the Georgia House Study Committee on Georgia-Based Film and Post Production during its meeting Thursday at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
-
Regions Insurance Opens New Office in Athens
December 03, 2014
Regions Insurance, an affiliate of Regions Bank, announced Tuesday it has opened a new office in Athens, Georgia. The office was established as a team of five principals and 29 associates joined Regions Insurance, Inc. from the former A.I. Insurance Group in Athens.
-
Toney: The Role of the Chamber's University Relations Committee
December 02, 2014
Chuck Toney with Jackson Spaulding talks about the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce's University Relations Committee.
-
BCBS Georgia President Morgan Kendrick: Blue Cross Blue Shield Starts New Healthcare Discussion
December 01, 2014
As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to unfold, insurance providers and businesses, particularly small to medium sized businesses, continue to adjust. Making decisions that best serve both the bottom line and employees requires knowledge and flexibility. Morgan Kendrick, President, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia (BCBSGa), acknowledges that the ACA is a response to health care costs that had risen to an untenable level.
-
Survey: 58% of Small Business Owners Expect Growth in 2015
November 21, 2014
Fifty-eight percent of small business owners expect growth in 2015. That’s based on the CAN Capital Small Business Health Index (PDF) completed recently with the help of Survey Monkey.
-
BankSouth is More Than a Bank, Says Senior Vice President of Sales and Service Bob Slocum
November 20, 2014
BankSouth is more than a bank. In truth, it is actually two banks – The Citizens Bank and the Bank of Union Point. Both banks were founded in the early part of the twentieth century, and along the way they merged into one. The bank was known as Citizens Union until adopting the name BankSouth in 2004. When asked who BankSouth is, Senior Vice President of Sales and Service Bob Slocum can tell you.
-
Columbus-Based Piper App Developers Connecting Communities with iBeacon Technology
November 20, 2014
Piper CEO Robert Hanczor and COO Wesley Ker-Fox discuss living in the moment with iBeacon technology and how a single app has the capability to connect and engage entire communities.
-
UGA College of Environment & Design Ranked in the Top 10
November 18, 2014
The University of Georgia College of Environment and Design’s landscape architecture programs were recently ranked in the top 10 in the nation by Design Intelligence magazine. The announcement was made this week in the 2015 edition of America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools.
-
Why Are Fewer Small Business Owners Feeling Successful?
November 17, 2014
Fewer small business owners perceive themselves as successful now than did at the start of the economic recovery, a Wells Fargo-Gallup survey of a representative sample of 601 small business owners reveals. In 2009, 43 percent of small business owners reported feeling “extremely” or “very successful as a small-business owner.” By 2014 that fraction had eroded to 37 percent.
-
15 Startup Mistakes You Should Avoid
November 14, 2014
Think back to when you started your most recent company. What were the biggest mistakes you made at the time? Or, if you’re in the process of starting a business today, what mistake are you most concerned about making? Expert Market has come up with this infographic listing 15 startup mistakes small business owners and entrepreneurs need to consider.
-
Peter B. Rutledge Named Dean of UGA School of Law
November 13, 2014
Peter B. "Bo" Rutledge, a leading scholar in the fields of international dispute resolution, arbitration and the U.S. Supreme Court, has been named dean of the University of Georgia School of Law following a national search.
-
Gulfstream Shines in Georgia, A Conversation with Their CEO Larry Flynn
November 12, 2014
Recently, Georgia CEO tried to catch Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation CEO, Larry Flynn, on the fly while he was busily preparing for the National Business Aviation Association Convention and Exhibit in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Flynn provides the very latest updates about the show and many other current initiatives at Gulfstream for our readers in the following interview.
-
Fund Raising Events, Good Food Establish Athens Restaurant as Community Favorite
November 11, 2014
Since Fatz Café opened in Athens 7 years ago, the restaurant has become a one stop shop for tailgate favorites on football game days. The restaurant, located Highway 78, is famous for its Calabash chicken, but continues to entice guests by featuring limited time menus offering seasonal specialties.
-
Performance Dashboard Aids Budget Decisions for Athens Medical Practice
November 10, 2014
When Dr. Tara Merritt decided to move to Athens she had a hard time finding a practice that would support her specialty—pediatrics and sports medicine. So she decided to open an office of her own.
-
Holiday Events and Happenings in Athens
November 07, 2014
The holiday season in Athens, Georgia, offers opportunity for endless celebration! Visitors can enjoy festive heritage events, artist markets for one-of-a-kind gifts and, as always in Athens, live music.
-
Zaxby’s CEO McLeroy Drums Up Decades of Growth
November 06, 2014
As a youngster, Zaxby’s CEO, Zach McLeroy, dreamed of playing the drums as a rock star, or playing basketball as an all-star, but never could he have imagined becoming a superstar in the chicken business. In the relatively short span of a little over two decades, McLeroy and his grade school buddy and co-founder, Tony Townley, have taken their original Zaxby’s location in Statesboro, Georgia and replicated it more than 640 times—far exceeding their original long-term objective of 10 stores.
-
12 Secrets to A+ Customer Service
November 05, 2014
You can’t run a successful business without happy customers. And while it may be impossible to please everyone all the time, there are some actionable techniques you can use to significantly improve customer satisfaction.
-
Welcome the Newest Member of the Athena Industrial Park: The Southern Brewing Company
November 04, 2014
The Southern Brewing Company broke ground on the property located at 231 Collins Industrial Boulevard off US Highway 29 near Athens Tech on August 1st. The brewery plans to be operational in May 2015 and eventually grow to employ approximately 30 people. The brewery has plans for brewery tours and tastings, a music venue, a farmer’s market, an artist market, bike trails, a yeast lab, an art camp, and more.
-
3 Steps to Avoid Mistaking Goals for Strategy
November 03, 2014
Mistaking goals for strategy occurs when a leader throws out a big stretch goal and attempts to motivate and inspire his troops into making it happen with no real plan or strategic advantage to accomplish the goal.
-
10 Ways to Keep Up With Your Professional Network Online
October 31, 2014
Cultivating a wide professional network is great for business. However, the real key is keeping these relationships alive beyond the first meeting and connecting on LinkedIn. But how do you keep track of everyone in your network when you’re busy with your business?
-
Wynfield Plantation Gives Guests a Little Something Extra
October 30, 2014
The South Georgia plantation belt running from Albany to Thomasville is home to the long traditions of hospitality and hunting. At Wynfield Plantation in Albany quail hunting and gracious hospitality merge into the picture-perfect setting for formal corporate events and informal business strategizing. Leaders in Georgia’s and the nation’s agricultural, banking, oil and gas, medical, chemical, trucking and private equity industries, as well as others, reward their best salespeople and top clients with excellent accommodations and guided hunting experiences.
-
What’s the Biggest Influencer in Consumer Purchase Decisions?
October 29, 2014
There’s a lot of discussion about the ever-changing evolution of sales strategy. This evolution is strongly driven by one important factor – the customer. Have you ever wanted to know why people buy? And what influences consumer purchase decisions?
-
Startup Spotlight: IS3D Interactive Science in 3D
October 28, 2014
A recent start-up company originating from UGA research, IS3D is developing interactive software tools to help K-12 students learn STEM concepts by applying critical thinking skills to solve real-world problems.
-
Hannah Solar Ensures Georgia’s Place in the Sun
October 27, 2014
Georgia is one of the fastest growing solar markets in the country and Hannah Solar, winner of the 2014 Champion of Change Award, is accommodating commercial-industrial and agricultural demand for solar energy. We talk to CEO of Georgia-Based Hannah Solar Pete Marte about the growth of the industry in the state.
-
Economics of Emotions: The Vital Role They Play In Business
October 24, 2014
Let me illustrate a problem that many small businesses can relate to. When we were just starting out as a “little-tech-company-that-could,” we struggled to properly market ourselves right out of the gate. For example, we once had a customer tell us, “If your company designed a Coca-Cola can, it would be a white can with black list of ingredients.” Let me be the first to say – ouch. But why did that impression exist?