June 2014 Features

  • A New Era for Butler-Wooten Law Firm

    June 30, 2014

    A retirement, a return and a promotion have prompted plaintiffs firm Butler Wooten & Fryhofer to change its name to Butler Wooten Cheeley & Peak.

  • Atlanta Scores High Marks as Most Tax-Friendly Large Cities for Business

    June 27, 2014

    Cincinnati, Cleveland, Atlanta, Baltimore and Pittsburgh offer the most favorable tax structures for businesses among U.S. cities/locations with populations exceeding 2 million, according to a study released today by KPMG International (KPMG).

  • Aflac-Backed Communicorp Gives Customers FORTUNE 500 Stability

    June 26, 2014

    The seeds of Communicorp, Inc. started over fifty years ago as a vehicle to provide Aflac headquarters and field force offices with business cards, letterhead, and brochures. The concept quickly grew to an internal print shop chartered in 1981 to the Georgia-based corporation it is today with locations in Columbus and Atlanta, with a presence throughout Georgia.

  • 3 Surefire Ways You Can Achieve Public Relations Success

    June 25, 2014

    The lines between advertising, marketing and public relations have always been a little blurred, with many firms providing a combination of two or more of the services. But the Internet has almost removed the lines completely, as advertisers reach out to customers on social media and press releases begin to make appearances in search engine rankings. Here we are going to show you three surefire ways to find PR success.

  • Georgia Ranked 10th Friendliest State for Small Businesses in Nationwide Survey

    June 24, 2014

    Thumbtack.com, in partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, today released new data showing that Georgia has won praise as one of the top ten states for small businesses. Jon Lieber, Chief Economist of Thumbtack.com, said “Creating a business climate that is welcoming to small, dynamic businesses is more important than ever, and Georgia's friendliness towards small business is helping to make that happen.”

  • The 5 Game Changing Benefits of Networking

    June 23, 2014

    We live, work and play in two worlds today – in person and online. They are equally important, inter-dependent and mutually beneficial. The importance of consistent, qualified, dedicated networking can never be stressed enough as a requirement, not an option today.

  • The Role of Entrepreneurship in Rising Income Inequality

    June 20, 2014

    Income inequality is growing in America, and it has much of the chattering class in an uproar.

  • 13 Best Practices for Building Solid Small Business Operations

    June 19, 2014

    Running and scaling a business will always be challenging. But having a solid foundation of smoothly operating practices underlying your company can make it much easier. To find out how successful entrepreneurs were building their operations, we asked 13 founders from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question: “As a business owner, what do you feel is most important when it comes to building solid small business operations?”

  • Mayor’s FY2015 Budget Adopted by the Atlanta City Council

    June 18, 2014

    The Atlanta City Council today overwhelmingly approved Mayor Kasim Reed's fifth consecutive balanced budget that includes no tax increase and a boost to the city's cash reserves.

  • Small Business Sentiment Improving But No Sign of Surge

    June 17, 2014

    NFIB Optimism Index rose 1.4 points in May to 96.6, the highest reading since September 2007. However, while May is the third up month in a row, the Index is still far below readings that have normally accompanied an expansion and there have been similar gains in the past that haven’t panned out in this recovery period. Five Index components improved, one was unchanged and four fell, although not by much.

  • 12 Tips for Training Your Summer Interns

    June 16, 2014

    Summer interns can be an invaluable resource for a small business. But although these bright young college kids are ready to tackle challenges, they’re likely inexperienced in the business world and won’t automatically integrate with your team. We look at how other entrepreneurs were successfully training their interns for the summer.

  • 4 Steps to Facing the Challenge in Strategy

    June 13, 2014

    Strategy is a way through a difficulty, an approach to overcoming an obstacle, a response to a challenge. If the challenge is not defined, it is difficult or impossible to overcome it.

  • Blanchard Leadership Forum Brings Big Names to Georgia

    June 12, 2014

    The Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum consistently hosts some of the biggest names in business during this annual event on August 25th and 26th, and this year’s event lives up to its expectations. The 2014 line-up is headlined by Entrepreneur Mark Cuban and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.

  • There are Times When Business is Personal and Not Just Business

    June 11, 2014

    Some people believe one needs to make decisions based upon the bottom line 100% of the time. If it benefits you, great. Otherwise, discard the idea. Emotional decisions in business benefit no one. On the other hand it is said, what you put out into the atmosphere will be received back many times over.

  • Is the USDOJ Trying to Shut Down Businesses it Doesn’t Like?

    June 09, 2014

    What if government officials suddenly decided they didn’t like your business? Then they went to your bank and warned them you were a bad risk and that the government had its eye on you? Suppose the government brought so much pressure to bear that before long, your bank closed down your account or refused to open new ones in your name or the name of your business. Apparently, this is exactly what is happening with the U.S. Department of Justice initiative called “Operation Choke Point.”

  • Are You Hiring for the Right Traits?

    June 06, 2014

    There’s lots of talk lately about the talent shortage – how employers, especially small ones, can’t find workers with the skills and experience they are seeking. But maybe the problem is that small business owners are putting too much emphasis on the wrong things.

  • Coleman Talley Achieves Milestone in the 2014 Georgia Legal Food Frenzy

    June 05, 2014

    Coleman Talley LLP delivered the goods in the 2014 Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, providing 87,640 pounds of food – double its poundage in 2013 – and winning the medium firm size category for the third straight year. Attorney General Sam Olens announced the results last week of the third annual food drive in which lawyers and staff compete outside the courtroom for two weeks to raise food and funds for Georgia's seven regional food banks.

  • 9 Things You Shouldn’t Overlook When Planning Your Next Event

    June 04, 2014

    Business events are a great way to build relationships with potential partners, meet investors and network. But making sure your event goes well requires a lot of forethought and planning. There’s nothing worse than a lousy event. From location to food, there’s much to consider when picking the perfect venue for your event.

  • Georgia Manufacturing Activity Continues Growth in May

    June 03, 2014

    Georgia manufacturing activity remained strong for May, even as new orders fell from its high April reading, according to the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) released today by Kennesaw State University’s Econometric Center in the Michael J. Coles College of Business.

  • Five Health Insurance Tips that Can Make Your Workforce Appreciate You

    June 02, 2014

    Over the past several months, small businesses may have grappled to understand the many changes and regulations to the evolving health care landscape. In developing compliant strategies, employers have made, and continue to make, key benefits decisions that will impact the personal and financial well-being of their workers for years to come.