Features

• 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.

• Chamber Presents Annual Economic Summit: Lowndes by the Numbers

  April 29, 2013

  The words “teamwork” and “collaboration” echoed throughout the day from presenters, as well as from the diversified audience of community leaders at the Chamber's 2013 Economic Summit, which was presented by VSU's Langdale College of Business and by co-sponsors, Chartwells and First Federal Savings and Loan. Dr. Attila Cseh opened the program with the third edition of Lowndes County by the Numbers.

• Has Your Sales Team Met Their New Best Friend?

  April 25, 2013

  This month local sales trainer and author Doug Robinson talks about asking questions and how “You will question your way into many more sales than you will ever talk yourself into.”

• Drawdy Roofing Turns its CEO’s Interest into a New Business Venture

  April 24, 2013

  Drawdy Roofing and Vinyl Siding has been an integral part of South Georgia for more than 40 years. Fifteen years ago, Ken Drawdy took over the family business and two years ago acquired Albany Sheet Metal, a sheet metal fabrication business serving industrial, residential, and commercial customers.

• Daniel Titus on When to Upgrade Your Website

  April 22, 2013

  You upgrade your cellphone every two years, your workout routine every three months, and you wish you could upgrade your kids almost daily. How do you know when its time to upgrade your website? Daniel Titus of DanielTitus.com shares instances when you need an upgrade.

• Stacy Bush on Setting and Targeting Investment Goals

  April 18, 2013

  Go out into your yard and dig a big hole. Every month, throw $50 into it, but don't take any money out until you're ready to buy a house, send your child to college, or retire. It sounds a little crazy, doesn't it? But that's what investing without setting clear-cut goals is like. If you're lucky, you may end up with enough money to meet your needs, but you have no way to know for sure. Stacy Bush of Bush Wealth Management talks investment goals.

• Georgia Credit Unions Continue to Add Members

  April 17, 2013

  Credit union membership and deposits in Georgia grew in 2012, continuing a national trend that began with Bank Transfer Day in the fall of 2011. In a exclusive interview with Valdosta CEO, President/CEO of the Georgia Credit Union Affiliates Mike Mercer speaks as to why credit unions across the state have encountered such growth.

• Azalea Health CEO Baha Zeidan Reflects on VSU Inauguration Week

  April 16, 2013

  Chief Executive Officer of Azalea Health and a Valdosta State University alumni Baha Zeidan, shares his thoughts on the recent VSU Inaugural Week event for President McKinney.

• Commentary: Will Health Care Reform Hit A Snag?

  April 15, 2013

  Reports are that a key target of the Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama in 2010 appears ambivalent about buying health insurance. Specifically, the young and healthy have so far not been interested in buying health insurance. However, it is still early and none of the insurance exchanges have been set up. Plus, it is possible that they are waiting until the last minute before having to pay a fee for not being insured.

• Chamber, Mayor, & City Manager React to Misguided VDT "City in Debt" Article

  April 11, 2013

  As you may know, the Valdosta Daily Times recently published a story ("A city in debt: A look at Valdosta's GEFA loans") which unfortunately was picked up by Georgia Trend Daily and circulated throughout Georgia. The Chamber has a responsibility to be concerned with our community's reputation and so we asked Mayor John Gayle and City Manager Larry Hanson to meet with us on April 9 to discuss these two implications. According to the facts presented, these implications are inaccurate and have unfairly portrayed our City as being financially unstable.

• VSU Signs AACU Employer-Educator Compact

  April 11, 2013

  President William J. McKinney announced today that Valdosta State University has joined the national Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) Employer-Educator Compact initiative sponsored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). The LEAP Employer-Educator Compact recognizes that quality learning is a national priority for employers who are seeking college graduates with a broader set of skills and knowledge.

• Dr. Ray Perren Named President of Lanier Technical College

  April 09, 2013

  The state board that oversees the Technical College System of Georgia has unanimously approved Commissioner Ron Jackson’s choice of Dr. Ray Perren to be the next president of Lanier Technical College. Dr. Perren is the current president of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.

• Do You Trust Your Employees to Work Remotely?

  April 08, 2013

  Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer unleashed a firestorm of commentary throughout the business world with her recent announcement that remote working was off the table for the tech company’s staffers, who will now be expected to show up in the office every day. If you’ve still got a nagging feeling that letting employees work at home means paying them to watch Cartoon Network in their jammies all day, how can you get over it?

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