Features
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Southwest Georgia Bank Leverages Full-Service Advantage
June 13, 2012
High unemployment and low economic growth is nothing new in rural southern Georgia, according to President and CEO of Southwest Georgia Bank DeWitt Drew. Yet the bank continues to grow, reaching $320 million in assets and 127 employees in 2012.
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Building a Team of Professionals for Independent Business Owners
June 11, 2012
When was the last time you met with your team of professionals to help you with a key business decision? If you're like many independent business owners, you may be thinking “What team of professionals?” As a business owner, you probably handle the running of the business yourself. Valdosta New York Life Agent Lee McArthur highlights 4 key players to help you as a small business owner.
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Deadline Extended for $15,000 Guardian Bank Business Plan Competition
June 08, 2012
The 2012 Guardian Bank Business Plan Competition deadline has been extended until Friday, June 15. Aspiring entrepreneurs and start-up companies that have not filed a full year’s tax return may register. This year’s competition winner will receive $15,000 in start-up capital along with in-kind products and services provided by local Chamber members.
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Valdosta State University Receives Funds to Increase College Success
June 06, 2012
To support Governor Nathan Deal’s Complete College Georgia plan, which is designed to produce these additional college graduates, Valdosta State University will receive approximately $2.5 million to develop programs and initiatives that will increase student retention and overall college success.
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Does Flextime Benefit You More Than Your Employees?
June 04, 2012
Are you resisting offering employees at your small business flexible working hours because you think it’ll give them an excuse to slack off? Well, some new research should convince you otherwise. It seems flextime may actually be less flexible than a regular schedule.
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Is it Time to Sell Your Business or Buy a New One?
June 01, 2012
Have you delayed retirement because the recession was preventing you from getting a fair price for the business you worked so hard to build? Have you been contemplating buying another business, but couldn’t find the financing? Small business owners in both of these situations have a lot to be hopeful about.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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What Type of Financing Is Right For Your Business?
April 29, 2012
When it comes to securing money to start, expand, or just continue your business, you’ll need to choose wisely. Some options will be too complex, others too risky. Some will provide too much, and others not enough. We give a snapshot of the various financing options that might fit your needs.
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How Small Business Can Benefit from Time Tracking
April 26, 2012
As a small business owner, it can be hard to justify going through the motions and controls of the larger corporations. Your time is already limited and enterprise software can be quite expensive. So when I say that you really should be comprehensively tracking employee time, you might be skeptical. Lets look at why you shouldn’t be.
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Governor Deal Highlights Recent Legislative Session at Valdosta State University
April 25, 2012
Governor Deal stopped in Valdosta to commemorate the VSU Health Sciences building and to update local businesses and leaders on the recent legislative session.
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Common Misconceptions About Salaried Employees: Who is Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act?
April 24, 2012
Many business owners assume that if an employee is “salaried,” the employee is exempt from the minimum wage and overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Whether or not an employee is exempt depends on the employee’s actual job duties. Its important that your business stay up to date with the FLSA.
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4 Steps To Succeed In The Government Marketplace
April 22, 2012
The U.S. Federal Government buys nearly $100 billion worth of goods and services from small businesses each year – but cracking this market as a small business can be challenging. If your small business is interested in selling to Uncle Sam, we share a four-step plan that summarizes the process of entering the federal marketplace succesfully.