Features
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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.
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4 Surprising Things Great Sales People Say
April 19, 2012
A lot of people in the sales business seem to think that there is a standard expectation of what a “good sales person” is supposed to sound like. We’ve built up this idea that a “good sales person” is supposed to be relentless, energetic, good at building relationships, always eager to close the deal, and unwilling to take “no” for an answer.
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Lee McArthur Encourages Investors to Start Saving Today
April 17, 2012
With the political parties advocating very different directions for the federal government and a presidential election in November, many investors – individuals and small businesses alike – are sitting on the sidelines to see what happens. According to Lee McArthur, a registered representative of New York Life, that is a mistake.
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Dr. William J. McKinney Named President of Valdosta State University
April 15, 2012
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia has appointed Dr. William J. McKinney as the next president of Valdosta State University. Dr. Mckinney comes to VSU from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) where he served as the vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.
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States Rely Heavily on Tax Incentives, But Few Evaluate Whether They Work
April 12, 2012
Every state offers tax incentives to attract, retain, and expand businesses and jobs. But no state ensures that policy makers rely on good evidence about whether these investments deliver a strong return, A new study examines outcomes at a time when most states are trying to rebuild their budgets and many have not regained private-sector jobs lost during the Great Recession.
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U.S. Press Grows with a Can-Do Attitude
April 10, 2012
Founded 30 years ago, U.S. Press, LLC is a $5 million company providing color printing and related services that is growing at a nice clip despite the slow economy. Founder and owner Kent Buescher chalks it up to a can-do attitude.
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Curt Fowler on Improving Outcomes Without an Increase in Skill
April 08, 2012
Improving and helping capture knowledge are always at a premium in organizations, and sometimes can actually help improve outcomes in your business without an increase in skill set from your employees. Curt Fowler of Fowler & Company talks about the use of checklist to help improve work outcome in your organization.
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VSU Alumnus & TV Star Tiffany Young to Speak at Langdale Lecture April 10th
April 03, 2012
Tiffany Young, Valdosta State University alumnus, owner of the Pink Pastry Parlor, and star of the reality tv show "Party at Tiffany's" will speak on April 10th as part of the Harley Langdale Jr. Lecture Series at Valdosta State University.
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The Total Package: A Marketing Message That Resonates
April 01, 2012
Your company focus and marketing message should be so clear that it’s driven home in every opportunity you get. There should be a consistency in the message and that’s where your branding pieces come in to play. But before you start printing things, the message has to be core and clear.
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Developing Your Interview Skills for Attracting and Assessing Talent
March 29, 2012
Peak Focus Founder and Principal Jerry Scher talks about the final step in the recruiting and hiring process - the interview.
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Easter Seals Southern Georgia Adapts to New Ways of Giving
March 27, 2012
Executive Director of Easter Seals Southern Georgia Beth English talks about the change in fundraising strategy at Easter Seals, and how through that they are now able to help more people than ever.
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An Often Overlooked and Undervalued Investment
March 25, 2012
Financial Advisor Bil Sadler shares about an often overlooked and undervalued investment - the emergency fund.
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Predicting Suitability for Attracting and Assessing Talent
March 22, 2012
Peak Focus Founder and Principal Jerry Scher talks about predicting suitability for attracting and assessing talent to fit in your organization.
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Dr. Kamil Hanna Brings Rare Cardiovascular Discipline to Southern Georgia
March 20, 2012
Dr. Kamil Hanna, a board-certified electrophysiologist, has been practicing at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital for about five years. He shares about the growing problem of Arrhythmia, and the investment in technology and expertise that Phoebe has invested in to combat it.
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E-Verify and the Illegal Immigration Reform Act
March 18, 2012
Last year, the General Assembly passed the “Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011.” Although portions of this Act have been challenged in the courts, one important provision still applies to local businesses: private employers with more than ten employees must use E-Verify when hiring employees.