Guidance Through Loan Process Helps Metro Atlanta Restaurateur Triple His Locations
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Diego Velasquez had worked in Georgia’s restaurant industry more than 14 years – moving up to district manager for a major chain – when he opened his first Tacos and Tequilas Mexican Grill in Buckhead with his savings and the support of family and friends in 2010. “I had decided that if I can open […]
Strategically Grown: Operational Assessment First Step to Optimizing Expansion of Atlanta Gelato Business
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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 […]
Strategy In Action: What’s Your Plan?
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If you had your own sports team, would it be okay with you if the players only showed up on game day? Do you go on vacation by jumping in the car and setting off randomly? These questions are slightly ridiculous, but many business owners do the equivalent with their business planning. Some may have […]
Continual Learning Leads to Continual Growth for Columbus Sign Business
Richie Grantham first came to the UGA SBDC in Columbus in 2008. He had purchased Sunshine Banners and Signs and was seeking guidance on how to best structure this business and prepare it for growth. The SBDC’s GrowSmart program was accepting applications, so Grantham applied and was accepted. After attending the five-week program, Grantham learned […]
Careful Planning Gives Award-Winning Savannah Dessert Bar Owners Room to Expand
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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 […]
How to Choose the Best Suppliers for Your Business
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When you think about your business and its success, are you also thinking about who your suppliers will be and what part they will play in the success of your business? If you aren’t, then you should be. In a successful business, the bottom line is sales. The right suppliers play an important part in […]
How 30 Business Owners Set & Achieve Their Goals
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We interact with hundreds of business owners and executive leaders each year and if you give us more than 10 minutes, the conversation will veer toward the goals for their business and ours. For most of us, we go to sleep and wake up thinking about our businesses. With the year coming to a close, […]
Good Cybersecurity Can Be Good Marketing
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Recent research conducted by IBM among global boardroom and C-suite executives in 28 countries found that better cybersecurity is among their top technology priorities. But while CMOs “are key drivers of digital-based growth for most organizations, many are not in the habit of working with the CIO, and are certainly not in the habit of working […]