Is My Company Export Ready?
The opportunities for selling products and services abroad are greater than ever for U.S. businesses. Statistics show that most consumers live outside of the U.S., and U.S. products are by and large revered for their quality. International trading is becoming more accessible than ever. Does this mean your business is ready to start exporting? […]
Funding Your Small Business
Cash is to a business what oxygen is to a human…necessary for survival. Finding the needed cash for your business can be challenging, but with the growth of alternative lenders, there are more options available now for established companies. Startups on the other hand, may find it more difficult to gain access to cash without […]
40 Years of Small Business Development Center at UGA
Who would have thought that an idea in 1975, promoted by William C. Flewellen, Jr., former Dean of the University of Georgia College of Business Administration, would flourish into a network of almost 1,000 service centers at colleges and universities across the country. With Flewellen’s vision and former UGA President Fred Davidson’s support of what […]
“If I Only had Known…”
As one looks to enter the world of entrepreneurship or expand their current business, the question is the same….What are some common mistakes or things we can avoid. Here are a few of them: Cash is King! Not having a large enough cash reserve in the beginning or in the growth stage of a business […]
Monitor Four Critical Areas of Your Business
Here are the ONLY 4 things a small business needs to pay attention to on a daily basis to get up and running successfully.
Fixing the Broken Windows of Your Business
James Wilson and George Kelling, two brilliant social psychologists, published their “broken windows theory of urban decay” in 1982, in which they proved that small signs of disorder in a community such as a simple broken window in a housing project or retail storefront that goes unfixed could encourage more negative behavior. A broken window […]
Funding Options for New or Young Farmers
For many young farmers there is a deep desire to grow their farming operation, however, most are faced with the challenge of getting financing. Young farmers that are just getting into the business have not had time to build a lot of equity. Because of this, banks will consider the young farmer to be riskier compared to a seasoned farmer. One of the many variables banks will consider is how well the farmer can manage their working capital, and without a history of that from operations, it’s more difficult for a bank to determine the likelihood of repayment. Today, with low commodity prices and smaller margins between expense and revenue, young farmers are exposed to tough decisions and banks are tightening their internal lending policies. Despite this, there are still many opportunities for the young farmer.
The Entrepreneur with 1000 Faces: A Formula for Success
The entrepreneurial process can be mapped according to the same story formula that Hollywood uses in our favorite epic films. The formula comes from a model called the Hero’s Journey, which was developed by writer, professor, and mythologist Joseph Campbell. In his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, he analyzed thousands of stories, myths, […]