May 2012 Features

• Key Employee Protection: Preserving the Life of Your Business

  May 30, 2012

  As a business owner, you recognize the importance of insuring your building, inventory, and equipment. These assets are vital to the success of your company. But have you considered what would happen if a key employee died unexpectedly or became disabled?

• The “Half of All Workers Don't Pay Taxes” Mantra is Starting to Get Taxing

  May 25, 2012

  One of my concerns over the past year or so is the continued use of the phrase “half of all workers don't pay taxes.” It's one of those ideas that needs some context, and it's probably not the kind of context you've read about anywhere else.

• Mediacom Delivers Positive First Quarter

  May 23, 2012

  Mediacom, one of the leading cable operators focused on serving smaller cities and towns in the United States, posted its best first-quarter results in Georgia in four years, according to Mediacom Senior Marketing Manager for Georgia, Melanie Hannasch. Mediacom serves all of southwestern Georgia, passing about 300,000 homes.

• Georgia Ports Support More Than 350,000 Jobs Across State

  May 21, 2012

  According to the UGA Terry College of Business, Georgia ports now account for 8.3 percent of total state employment, or one out of 12 jobs. The total impact of Georgia’s deepwater ports on the state’s economy was $66.9 billion, or 9.5 percent of Georgia’s output in FY11, and some of those jobs and money flow into South Georgia.

• Small Businesses Drive Job Creation

  May 18, 2012

  Two and a half years following the end of Great Recession, hiring rates are still very low, but the number of people separating from their jobs -- quitting or being fired -- is even lower. However, Small businesses exhibit job churn at three times the rate of larger businesses.

• New Georgia Legislation Encourages Job Growth in State

  May 17, 2012

  Georgia citizens should soon see new job opportunities in the state thanks to aggressive measures passed this year by the Georgia legislature. Business-friendly bills signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal will benefit manufacturers, the film industry, technology and other start-up companies, the life sciences sector and businesses large and small in many other industries.

• Celebrating National Small Business Week in Valdosta

  May 16, 2012

  The Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce is celebrating National Small Business Week from May 20 to 26 with a full slate of networking, educational and fun activities for area small business leaders.

• Do You Need a Will?

  May 14, 2012

  A will is one of the most important documents you can create in your lifetime. Think of a will as the financial blueprint of the distribution of your assets after your death. Lee McArthur of New York Life in Valdosta answers the question: Do You Need a Will?

• Team Building: Getting the Message Across Without Micromanaging

  May 11, 2012

  When the list is longer than the time you have, it’s easy to sacrifice some important things just to get through the day. For the small business owner, communication with your team is one of those things that can get lost.

• Win Price Negotiations on Value

  May 10, 2012

  You have been working a prime sales prospect for the past six months. Your product is the ideal solution, you have done a great job of selling the value and you have carefully calculated a value-based price point for this prospect. But, despite your very best efforts at winning the deal, the buyer is asking for a lower price. What do you do next?

• Citizens Community Bank Offers Local Decision-Making, Personal Service

  May 08, 2012

  Community banks, defined by regulators as banks with less than $1 billion in assets under management, compete on relationships and customer service. For Citizens Community Bank CEO Glenn Copeland and President Tim Jones, that and having local decisions made right here in Valdosta makes the difference.

• Identifying Your Ideal Customer

  May 06, 2012

  Who do you think your products or services appeal to? If your answer is “everyone” keep reading. Businesses with too large a target market (i.e. every household in America) struggle to get any customers at all, and here’s why: not understanding who your customer really is keeps you from being able to better serve that customer.

• 5 Things Business Owners Shouldn’t Skimp On

  May 03, 2012

  As small business owners, we’re all strapped for cash and we hate spending unnecessarily. That being said, not everything should be DIY. Sometimes trying to save money and do things yourself costs you more in lost time and lost business than you saved in cash.

• Everything You Need to Know About Workers’ Compensation

  May 01, 2012

  If you have employees, then I don’t need to tell you that workers’ compensation can be a nightmare if not properly managed. If you don’t have employees, please trust me: If not properly managed, workers’ compensation can be a nightmare. We delve into some need to know info for small business owners.