Strategically Grown: Operational Assessment First Step to Optimizing Expansion of Atlanta Gelato Business

Wes Jones and Jackson Smith grew up as best friends in their north Atlanta neighborhood. At some point, says Jones, “we thought it would be fun to start a business together when we got older.” Maintaining their friendship through college, they went on to jobs in education, for Jones, and gelato production, for Smith, who […]
SBDC Training Shows Columbus Businessman Several Best Practices for Growth

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Terry Wiggins had worked his way up to district manager of a major insurance firm when it was purchased in 1996, and the new company wanted him to move. Rather than leave his beloved Columbus community, he purchased a small local agency with one agent and two part-time employees, renamed it Wiggins Insurance and quickly […]
Financial Modeling Offers Clear Path to Expanded Production for Alma Blueberry Grower

Blueberries have become Georgia’s leading fruit crop. Their production, at 96 million pounds this year, outpaces peaches and has a $1 billion impact on the economy. But what to do with all those berries? Alma farmer Shawn Davis, vice president of Southern Press and Packing, is doing his part to increase sales and develop new […]
Full Knowledge of Funding Options Helps Launch New Macon Brewpub

“I found out that Josh and the SBDC were resources small businesses could use, for free. I thought, ‘Wow, here’s a guy who’s like an extension of my staff. Why wouldn’t I go to him?’ We got to talking, and he told me about the financing, market analysis and other help he could provide.”
Financial Projections Lead to Expanded Concept for Brunswick Business

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Shared passions sent Brunswick organic farmer and chef Matthew Raiford and food alchemist Jovan Sage to Torino, Italy, for a Slow Food International event in 2012. Sage was directing a national nonprofit that advocates food and farm work, and Raiford was a delegate for the organization, representing African American farmers in the Southeast. Not long […]
Digital Entrepreneur Sharpens Own Business Practices By Teaching

Garrett Massey’s web development start-up, Eyesore Inc., is in its fourth office since its 2007 launch, a historic Coca-Cola bottling facility in downtown Griffin. With nine full-time staff and annual sales shaping up to 50 percent growth for 2015, the company would seem to consume all of his time and energy. It does not. Massey […]
Careful Planning Gives Award-Winning Savannah Dessert Bar Owners Room to Expand

From their beginning, Janine Finn and Rebecca Radovich had the right ingredients for a successful dessert enterprise, mixing Finn’s solid business experience with Radovich’s creative food and catering expertise. Starting small with an online cake business in 2006, the business partners quickly decided to sell their confections out of a storefront in downtown Savannah. “We […]
The Right Tools and Structure Make Growth Possible for Atlanta Translation Business

See how the #UGA #SBDC helped this #smallbiz grow their sales by 30%. “When nobody else wanted to help me out, they were there.”