July 2013 Features

  • The Ugly Truth About Small Business

    July 31, 2013

    People who know me know that I love being an entrepreneur. There is absolutely nothing like the thrill of taking something that you created out to market. It’s a ton of fun, it’s challenging and it’s so rewarding to know that your future is entirely in your own hands. I really don’t know that anything helps you develop your own sense of self in quite the same way as creating your vision and then working hard to ensure its success.

  • No Ifs, Ands or Butts: Get Your Employees Fit!

    July 29, 2013

    Are your employees sitting at their desks all day? If so, chances are they’re not maximizing their productivity—and they could be racking up your health insurance costs. If you’re looking to build a healthier workforce (one that won’t have as many accidents and illnesses, and saves you money on health insurance and workers’ comp), consider ways to make yourself and your team more active at work.

  • How Are Your Road Warriors Spending the Company Dime?

    July 26, 2013

    Concur Analysis of $50 Billion in Business Expenses Reveals Small Business Travelers are More Active on the Road, Resulting in Higher Spend than Enterprise Counterparts.

  • Sean McMillan Appointed Director of UGA’s Economic Development Office in Atlanta

    July 25, 2013

    Sean B. McMillan has been appointed director of economic development for the Atlanta office of the University of Georgia as of July 16. Jennifer Frum, vice president for public service and outreach, and David Lee, vice president for research, made the announcement. Together they co-direct the university's economic development efforts.

  • Billion Dollar Baby: U.S. Chamber is First to Hit $1B Lobbying Milestone

    July 24, 2013

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has made big news with the filing of a simple quarterly report. When the behemoth business trade group reported its lobbying numbers for the second quarter of 2013 on Monday, it set a new record: The Chamber became the first organization to report total lobbying expenditures of more than $1 billion, according to OpenSecrets.org. What has that gotten them? Not as much as they would like.

  • Georgia’s International Businesses Experience Declined in 2nd Quarter

    July 23, 2013

    Georgia international businesses experienced a slight drop in second-quarter activity due to decreases in both employment and capital spending, which offset increases in new orders and production, according to the Georgia International Business Index.

  • 7 Ways Savvy Businesses Use Mobile

    July 22, 2013

    It’s exciting to see small businesses jumping on the mobile revolution. I think it’s more noticeable with small businesses, because we’ve been conditioned to expect “old style” low tech ways of conducting business from smaller vendors. But today that’s simply no longer true.

  • How to Take a Summer Vacation From Your Business

    July 19, 2013

    Summer is a popular time for Americans to set off to their favorite vacation destinations. But for small business owners, taking time off can lead to missed opportunities and missed income.

  • How Changing Interest Rates May Affect Your Investments

    July 18, 2013

    Even if you didn’t take Economics 101 in college, just navigating through the past several years has given you hands-on experience with one of the course’s most valuable lessons: The rise and fall of interest rates is one of the biggest factors influencing global economies, financial markets, and our daily lives. That’s why it is important to have a basic understanding of how interest rate changes could affect not only your wallet but also your investment portfolio.

  • Small Business Owners: Healthier, But Less Likely to Be Insured

    July 17, 2013

    A majority of small business owners (53 percent) believe that running a company improves their health, a recent Bank of America survey indicates. And those in business for themselves are in better shape than those who work for others, a Gallup-Healthways Well-Being survey reveals.

  • Are Tough Times Inspiring Better Leaders and Increasing Engagement?

    July 15, 2013

    Are your employees engaged in their jobs? A Gallup poll measured the growth of employee engagement and which of 12 different occupations tend to boast the highest engagement.

  • How Seamless is Your Company?

    July 12, 2013

    In this months article, Doug Robinson examines what type of employees are found in today's marketplace, and what you can do to make your company and employees more seamless.

  • GPA Inks Inland Port Deal to Ensure Growth

    July 11, 2013

    A new inland port agreement signed today by Governor Nathan Deal, the Georgia Ports Authority and Cordele Intermodal Services will create and expand international markets for regional business. The agreement, which ensures a direct 200-mile rail route to and from GPA’s Garden City Terminal in Savannah, will serve as a gateway to Southwest Georgia and adjacent regions of Florida and Alabama.

  • Do Small Business Lending Programs Work?

    July 08, 2013

    You gotta love the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Their job is to do the research requested by Congress or written into legislation in order to makes sure that government programs are doing what they are supposed to be doing. The GAO was just doing its job when it recently released a report on the implementation of a couple of new Treasury Department small business lending programs created through the Small business Jobs Act of 2010. The finding were so-so.