Features

• 4 Ways To Improve Your Business Networking

  December 12, 2012

  As small business owners and consultants, we understand the importance of networking. Your ability to schmooze, to meet people, and to create relationships will very often determine your success in business and how far you’re able to take your company. However, that doesn’t mean most of us are very good at it. We have a difficult time starting conversations and even keeping the relationships that we do start. We share 4 tips to help out the process.

• Jason Shaw Reviews First Term Highlights, Second Term Priorities

  December 11, 2012

  In the November election, Jason Shaw ran unopposed for a second term as the Georgia House Representative from District 176, which includes the Valdosta area. He was elected in 2010 to the seat that his father held for 18 years. Shaw has a diverse background that includes experience in small businesses, economic development and agriculture. Shaw believes being well-rounded helped him be effective in his first term.

• QR Codes: Right for Your Business?

  December 10, 2012

  Daniel Titus of DanielTitus.com recalls the hype of QR codes a while back. How they were going to be the next big thing. Now, a bit of the hype has died down, and some of the interest has too. This leaves one to wonder if QR codes ever had the potential to be good for one’s business. He discusses some things to consider before using them in your business.

• Want to Franchise a Business? 5 Sacred Rules to Become the Next Great Franchise

  December 07, 2012

  Two experiences have helped deepen my understanding of the five Sacred Rules that distinguish great franchise opportunities. I offer them here, in case you are considering converting your business into a franchise company.

• Coleman Talley LLP Celebrates 75 Years in Valdosta

  December 04, 2012

  Coleman Talley LLP traces its roots to 1937 when B. Lamar Tillman began practicing law in downtown Valdosta. Since then, the firm has grown to 28 attorneys, an additional office in Atlanta and a client base that extends across the Southeastern United States.

• Senator Saxby Chambliss Talks Truth About Taxes

  December 03, 2012

  Senator Saxby Chambliss shares his views on the growing debt that our country is continuing to build, and how simply raising taxes are not the answer.

• If at First You Don’t Succeed, You’re About Average

  November 30, 2012

  Having witnessed our Buster Posey and the Giants sweep the 2012 World Series last month, Valdosta CEO contributor Doug Robinson shares the following excerpt from his recently-released book, “Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word."

• South Georgia Eye Partners Offers Leading-Edge Care

  November 27, 2012

  Patient visits to South Georgia Eye Partners are up 15 to 20 percent in 2012 over prior year across three locations in Tifton, Valdosta and Douglas. Owner and ophthalmologist Dr. Scott Petermann attributes the growth to great patient care and the breadth of services the practice offers.

• Daniel Titus Shares How to Get the Most Out of Your Website Design

  November 26, 2012

  Daniel Titus of DanielTitus.com shares a few tricks of the trade to help you get the most out of your website design.

• Thanksgiving Travel to Increase for 4th Consecutive Year, Bringing Economic Boost

  November 16, 2012

  AAA projects 43.6 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, an increase of 0.7 percent over the 43.3 million people who traveled last year. This increase marks the fourth consecutive year of growing holiday travelers since 2008 when Thanksgiving travel fell by 25 percent. The Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as Wednesday, Nov. 21 to Sunday, Nov. 25.

• Chamber Celebrates Winners in the Workforce

  November 15, 2012

  Smiles and applause filled the air as those typically working behind the scenes of a business were standing tall before 300 Chamber members and guests at the annual World Class Employee Recognition breakfast on Tuesday. Twenty-four area employees and supervisors were recognized for their outstanding efforts in the workplace at this event hosted by the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber and presented by First State Bank and Trust Company, Fresh Beginnings and ELEAD1ONE.

• Valdosta State University Recognized Nationally for Adult Learning Success

  November 13, 2012

  Valdosta State University's innovative efforts to improve access and college completion for adults has earned the university national recognition from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). VSU President William J. McKinney officially accepted the 2012 CAEL Institutional Service Award today at the organization's annual conference in Washington, D.C.

• 12 Valdosta Businesses Recognized for GrowSmart Completion

  November 12, 2012

  Twelve local small businesses were recognized for completion of the Valdosta Small Business Development Center’s GrowSmart program this past week.

• The Five Most Important Estate Planning Documents

  November 09, 2012

  It may be the subject matter — death, incapacity and taxes — that causes us to avoid estate planning. However, the fact is that, no matter what your age or how much wealth you’ve accumulated, you need an estate plan to protect yourself, your loved ones and your assets — both now while you’re still active as well as after your death. Having an effective estate plan is one of the most important things you can do for your family.

• WBL Program at VHS Helps Address Skill Deficit

  November 07, 2012

  Ask any small-town business owner what their number one challenge is and they are likely to talk about the difficulty of finding skilled employees with a strong work ethic. The Work Based Learning (WBL) program at Valdosta High School (VHS) and other area schools is helping local employers address that challenge.

• A Case for Voting YES for SPLOST VII

  November 06, 2012

  Valdosta Businessman Mike Hill gives his take on why you should vote yes for SPLOST VII.

• Work Is Easier When You’re Motivated

  November 05, 2012

  Inspiration feels like catching a genie in a bottle — elusive and sometimes unreal. But when you tap into it for yourself, then you find a new kind of motivation. In an inspired state, every impossible question has an answer. You were probably inspired when you started your business. And if you’ve inherited something that you never wanted, then it’s time to discover the parts of the business that set you on fire — so to speak.

• Is Your Business Great to Own?

  November 02, 2012

  Many CEOs and business owners will agree that the benefits of ownership far outweigh the struggles and daily challenges. While entrepreneurship is still one of the best ways to fulfill the American dream, only a small percentage of companies are truly “great to own.”

• Valdosta Chamber Responds to Misguided Valdosta Daily Times Article

  October 30, 2012

  A recent Valdosta Daily Times editorial criticized the Chamber of Commerce and Industrial Authority for not setting the clock back 25 years to when "manufacturing and agriculture" sustained Valdosta with "well paying, solid blue collar and middle income jobs".

• The Myth of Customer Service

  October 29, 2012

  There’s a pervasive myth about customer service that, if you believe it, could have devastating consequences for your small business. It’s one you’ve probably heard dozens, if not hundreds, of times over the life of your business.

• 5 Ways To Prepare For Success With Intelligent Forecasting

  October 26, 2012

  My company, Journyx, has been around for sixteen years now and during that time, we have weathered one of the biggest economic downturns in history, the emergence of the simultaneously exciting and terrifying social media sphere, and major transitions in how software is purchased and delivered. However, we were not always so hardy.

• SGMC Enters Purchase Agreement to Acquire Berrien County Hospital

  October 25, 2012

  The Board of Trustees of the Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County, Georgia, South Georgia Medical Center and Smith Northview Hospital, and the co-owners of Berrien County Hospital, Mr. Chuck E. Jabaley and Mr. Frederick Lester, jointly announce that the Hospital Authority is purchasing Berrien County Hospital.

• Small Business Leaders: How Social Should You Be?

  October 24, 2012

  Social media can be an effective tool when used to help establish and promote a brand, as well as enable interactions with a company. The question that businesses must answer is: who should act as the communiqué for a company?

• Measuring Your Company Goals

  October 22, 2012

  I’ve been making New Year’s Resolutions for my business for years. You could also call what I compile at the start of the year goals for my company. Rather than creating a stagnant business plan that I forget to update, I simply revisit what I want for my company at the fresh start of the year.

• What Should You Do With A Dying Industry: Run or Reinvent?

  October 19, 2012

  Things change. The business owner knows that better than any one. Change can alter the impact of your company. And if it’s not the kind of change that you’re looking for, it can kill your bottom line. We change everyday. Our favorite items may not be our favorites any more. When we change our mind, we alter our spending to match our new taste. It’s the same for your clients, they can change their minds and their spending habits.

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