May 2013 Features

• How Would Your Hospitality Rate?

  May 31, 2013

  Your brand goes far beyond a name and logo. It is your entire image and the way you are perceived. It’s your reputation, and the emotions and attitudes that are associated with everything you do and all that you stand for. Rita Suiter with FiveStar Customer Service Strategies gives some ideas and examples on how to make sure your hospitality exceeds your customers expectations.

• How to Use Knowledge to Connect to Your Customer

  May 29, 2013

  Knowledge is dead. Have you heard this? Any question can be answered with a quick web search. We don’t have to know anything, we can Google it. Well, I’m here with good news for you. Knowledge isn’t dead. Knowledge isn’t even sick. What knowledge is, however, is fundamentally misunderstood.

• CooperCraft Communication Continues Growth With Select-Tel Merger

  May 28, 2013

  On May 23rd, CooperCraft Communications, which specializes in the installation and upgrades of security systems, telecommunication systems and cabling infrastructure, completed a merger with network specialists, Select-Tel Systems. The combined company, called CooperCraft Communications, has approximately 45 employees and offices in Albany and Tifton.

• Lt. Gov. Cagle and Sen. Golden Honored at Small Business Breakfast

  May 24, 2013

  Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and Senator Tim Golden were honored Thursday as the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber’s 2013 “Champions of Business” during the Small Business Breakfast at the Rainwater Conference Center inValdosta.

• U.S. Entrepreneurship Rates Reach Highest Level In More Than A Decade

  May 23, 2013

  U.S. entrepreneurship rates climbed to the highest level in more than a decade according to the 2012 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor U.S. Report by Babson College and Baruch College. In 2012, the average Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity rate increased to nearly 13 percent, an all-time high since GEM first began tracking entrepreneurship rates in 1999.

• Commentary: Let’s Amend, Not End, Capitalism

  May 22, 2013

  The United States prides itself as being the “land of opportunity”. With the U.S. being a favored destination for immigrants across the world, that distinction still has merit. However, there are disturbing trends where many are questioning the value of capitalism due to its contribution to income inequality. Even so, we must acknowledge the role that capitalism played in lifting not only Americans out of poverty and into prosperity.

• Facing the Firing Squad: Speaking Before a Group

  May 20, 2013

  Jerry Seinfeld once said, “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Does that seem right? That means to the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” If you make your living as a salesperson, you will eventually reach the place where you need to speak before groups, either in boardrooms or ballrooms. So let’s wake up and smell the coffee in preparation for that fateful day.

• Checking Email at Night, on Weekends & Holidays the New Norm for U.S. Workforce

  May 17, 2013

  The conventional, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., five-day work week is a thing of the past for the overwhelming majority of workers at small to mid-sized businesses, according to a new survey on work-related email habits. Due to the widespread availability and use of smartphones and tablets, email is more accessible than ever and, as a result, it has become deeply embedded in the daily workplace and personal lives of most employees.

• Stacy Bush on Key Estate Planning Documents You Need

  May 16, 2013

  Valdosta Financial Advisor Stacy Bush shares information on the five estate planning documents you need, regardless of your age, health, or wealth.

• Lake Louise Improvements Create More Research Opportunities for VSU

  May 15, 2013

  Valdosta State University students with an interest in biology or environmental geosciences now have access to more hands-on research and learning with the recent improvements totaling $230,000 to the Lake Louise Field Station.

• What If the U.S. Economy Operated Like NFL?

  May 14, 2013

  On one hand, we have the U.S. economy where President Obama and Congress draft laws and regulations to oversee economic activity. Then there is the National Football League (NFL) and the English Premier League (EPL), who each have administrations that develop policies and rules to regulate their respective brands of football or ‘futbol’, as known by my soccer aficionados. When looking at the U.S. economy, one could argue that the U.S. government has more closely reflected EPL over the last couple of decades, rather than the NFL. Is that ideal or should they look to the NFL as a better model for governance?

• First State Bank Assumes Deposits of Valdosta Branch of Sunrise Bank

  May 13, 2013

  On Friday, the FDIC closed Sunrise Bank, and selected Synovus to assume the $54M in Deposits of the branches in Valdosta, Atlanta, and Jeffersonville.

• 4 R’s Boost Engagement: Respect, Respond, Relate, Recognize

  May 10, 2013

  So much of our success in business and life depends on our ability to be a “people person” and our likeability factor. We spend a great deal of time interacting and dealing with people in person and equally online now. Not everyone is a people person, or cut out to be a social butterfly. But it is an important skill that impacts our success.

• Governor Deal Inks Ethics Overhaul Aimed at Lobbyists

  May 08, 2013

  Gov. Nathan Deal signed two pieces of ethics legislation Monday that will bolster Georgians’ confidence in their state government.

• Wiregrass Working to Help Local Industries Close the Skills Gap

  May 07, 2013

  A recent survey on hiring trends reports that 33 percent of employers have unfilled job openings due to a lack of a qualified workforce. That workforce they are looking for is one with the knowledge of a skilled trade. And yet, there are fewer and fewer people seeking training in a skilled trade field. Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is looking for ways to reverse this trend and to provide a skilled workforce in the areas of skilled trades.

• How to Build Employee Engagement: Open-Plan Offices

  May 06, 2013

  With the latest unemployment numbers showing that U.S. businesses are steadily adding new jobs and the Dow Jones breaking records, the economic outlook in much of the country is brighter than it’s been in years. As a small business owner, it’s essential to take advantage of these economic indicators to expand your operations and keep your business growing. And study after study shows that, by simply increasing employee engagement, business owners can improve nearly every area of their performance.

• How To Set Up and Structure Multiple Businesses

  May 03, 2013

  Today’s small business owners often earn income through a variety of ventures. For example, a restaurateur may open a wine shop or a caterer may also double as a part-time copy editor. If you’re running multiple business projects, you’ve probably wondered what’s the best way to structure all these ventures. Should you form one corporation to cover them all? Should you form an LLC for each one?

• Is Saving Money By Hiring Independent Contractors A Good Idea?

  May 02, 2013

  Businesses utilizing independent contractors rather than employees can save significant money when payday rolls around, with some savings estimates at 25%. Given the obvious benefits, doesn’t it make sense for every business to use contractors exclusively?

• FiveStar Customer Service Strategies Focuses on Front Line to Grow the Bottom Line

  May 01, 2013

  Every company needs customers to stay in business. Rita Suiter built FiveStar Customer Service Strategies from scratch over the last 12 years by focusing on that one commonality for all businesses. Suiter provides customized training to a diverse client base with an approach that helps employees upgrade interpersonal skills, improve attitudes and develop positive "customer service" habits.