Features
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How Google’s Recent Moves Matter to Business
August 13, 2012
We have seen a lot of coverage of the Olympics and now, some tech stories have recently received a lot of coverage as well. The Apple versus Samsung court fight, the Mars rover, and breaking info about the iPhone 5 seemed to have dominated, but one player has been making some headlines that are rather significant - That would be Google.
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The Days of Not Collecting Internet Sales Tax Could Be Ending
August 10, 2012
One of the many benefits of buying online is that often the seller does not collect sales tax on the transaction (unless the seller does business in the consumer’s state). In essence, it’s as if the cost of buying something is lower when no sales tax is collected, especially on big ticket items. This however seems to be coming to an end.
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Comfort Keepers Specializes in Interactive Care
August 08, 2012
Comfort Keepers offers a service that many people may not realize is available: in-home non-medical care that can enable elderly or other individuals to stay in their homes and out of a nursing home or other institutional care setting. Licensed by the state of Georgia in April 2009, the company serves a nine-county area surrounding Valdosta, owned by Scott and Lisa Register.
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Is Your Retirement Plan Protected?
August 06, 2012
Planning for retirement is probably a top priority for you. Do you know how much money you need to retire? Are you concerned that you may outlive your money? Are you concerned about the burden a chronic health care need could have on your family and finances? Your retirement is the dream for you and your family’s future. Proper planning and protection of that dream are crucial to help make it a reality.
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10 Things Yoga Teaches Us About Running a Business
August 03, 2012
It’s funny where you pull life lessons from, isn’t it? One never would think lessons on running a business will come from a yoga mat. You’d be surprised at the connections.
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Prince Automotive Group Takes a Small-Town Approach
August 01, 2012
Honesty and integrity may not be the first words people generally associate with car dealers, but those are the principles on which John Prince III built Prince Automotive Group. For nearly 50 years, the company has served Tifton and more recently Valdosta, Douglas and Albany through seven dealerships representing numerous automakers including General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Honda and Mazda.
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Will Your Child Follow in Your Footsteps as an Entrepreneur?
July 30, 2012
Looking back in the last twenty to thirty years, most kids had no idea what an entrepreneur was. Fast forward to today - a recent study now shows a whopping 46% of kids who know an entrepreneur are more interested in becoming one themselves. We look at some ways to teach and encourage kids the entrepreneurial spirit.
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The Rules of Employee Engagement
July 27, 2012
Employees are singing a familiar song in the latest Global Workforce Study by Towers Watson. The study found almost two-thirds of U.S. workers are not fully engaged in their work, with just 37 percent of U.S. workers are highly engaged
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Renovation Planned at Valdosta La Quinta
July 25, 2012
In August, the La Quinta Inn & Suites on Club House Drive will begin a $1.3 million renovation of the property, which opened in 1988 and was last remodeled six years ago. The project includes an update of décor in guest rooms as well as a remodel of the front lobby, breakfast area and other common areas.
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Ways to Succeed When Starting Up in a New Region
July 23, 2012
Entrepreneurs usually sprout ideas from what they know best—current occupations, lifetime hobbies, subjects they’ve unknowingly studied for so long before starting up. Most of the time, they know who their target audience is. Which is why they feel so comfortable when taking such a big risk in order to serve them with something new.
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Undeveloped Potential: Listen To Who’s On Your Team
July 20, 2012
Whether it’s 10% of your brain or 10% of your potential or no known percentage at all, most of us live without tapping into everything that we have. And for the independent minded small business owner that usually means there’s a team that could help us pursue a new project or develop a new portion of the business — if we knew how to tap into them.
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Business is Taking Off at Valdosta Regional Airport
July 18, 2012
Activity at Valdosta Regional Airport – defined as takeoffs and landings – is up considerably in 2012 over 2011, but remains below peak levels set in 2009 and 2010. Private planes carrying business executives into the area comprise the majority of the air traffic.
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Taking the Risk Out of Your Retirement Distributions
July 16, 2012
Retiring at last. You have earned it by every measure. But now, you face an important transition in your personal financial plan. You have finished accumulating retirement assets and are now beginning to distribute them as income to support your retirement lifestyle. The choices you make now can certainly impact your long-term financial situation. Valdosta New York Life Agent Lee McArthur shares some ways to help you transition.
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Keep Your Employees Motivated This Summer
July 13, 2012
Summer’s here in full force and, no matter where your business is located, chances are your employees have caught summer fever. How can you keep employees motivated, engaged and present when beautiful summer days are calling them away?
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Voters to Decide T-SPLOST Referendum
July 11, 2012
On July 31, Georgia voters will decide if investments in the transportation infrastructure within their region of the state justify a new one-cent sales tax. The Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, known as T-SPLOST, would be used to fund a defined list of projects in each of 12 regions and provide discretionary funds to local governments for transportation purposes including maintenance, operations or other capital projects.
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Small Businesses Pay More For Health Care Coverage
July 09, 2012
In a 2009 study by the White House, small businesses pay 18% more in premiums for health coverage than their big box competitors per employee. As a small business owner are you surprised by this statistic? Of course you’re not. Small business owners have been living the health benefit nightmare for many years now, perpetually caught between a rock and health coverage.
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The Number One Reason Employees Stay in a Small Business, According to Employers
July 03, 2012
If you’re like most small business owners, you’ve invested a sizable chunk of your company’s time and money into recruiting, onboarding, and training employees. But the question on the minds of small business owners like me is, what exactly does it take to attract and retain good employees today? And can small employers compete with large employers able to offer bigger financial packages?
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It’s Half-Time!
July 02, 2012
Congratulations. You’ve made it through the first half of 2012 and I’m sure you are more than 50% complete on all the goals you set for 2012…right? If you are like me you might be surprised to find out that the year is half way done! Curt Fowler examines some ways for you to help see your goals through the rest of 2012.
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Have You Reinvented Your Business Lately?
June 29, 2012
What has it taken to keep your small business thriving—or even just surviving—for the past four years since the U.S. economy crashed? For my business, it’s been an ongoing process of reinvention.
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Experiencing Valdosta Thru the Valdosta Tourism Authority
June 27, 2012
Residents may think they know all there is to do in and around Valdosta but Tyra Howard, director of tourism at the Valdosta Tourism Authority., says there is much more.
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Measuring Your Financial Progress
June 25, 2012
Many times people measure their financial progress by how much money they make, the things they acquire, or their ability to pay off debt. Although all three of these measures can contribute to a person’s financial progress, none is an accurate measure to actually determine if progress is truly being made.
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U.S. Presidential Candidates And Their Small Business Records
June 22, 2012
Focus on small business has been growing more intense as the U.S. Presidential election heats up, with each candidate stressing what they can do for the that sector. But attention to small business in U.S. policy and abroad seems heightened, too. Here’s a look at the debate over the kinds of policies that affect small businesses the most.
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How to Use Background Checks When Making Hiring Decisions Without Discriminating Under the EEOC’s New Guidelines
June 20, 2012
Many employers use some sort of criminal background check or screening before hiring new employees. On April 25, 2012, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued new guidelines regarding the use of criminal background checks in hiring decisions.
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Love Works at Wild Adventures Theme Park
June 18, 2012
Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta will host a special guest on Wednesday, June 20 – Joel Manby, president and chief executive officer of Herschend Family Entertainment, the owner and operator of the theme park. Manby is promoting his newly published book titled "Love Works: Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leaders," which details the HFE framework for leadership.
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7 Ways to Make Your Small Business Stand Out Online
June 15, 2012
Fighting for mindshare in a crowded market? You’ve been fighting against your local competitors for years, trying to convince customers that your business can better serve them and that you meet their needs better than that other guy. But then the Web and social media came along and now it feels harder than ever. Whether you’re just starting out or you’d like to increase your presence in your market, we talk about seven tips to help your small business stand out on the Web.