Signature Series Courses

Continue your business education with the SBDC! Looking to enroll in a business training course? Check out some of the descriptions below to find a class that fits your needs best. Already know which class you’re looking for? Click the button below to skip the descriptions and head straight to the full list of upcoming […]

Passion for Pets Pays Off

Pawtropolis in Athens, GA

Crook acquired the loan and opened her business. About five years later, she approached McDonell for help obtaining a $1 million SBA 504 loan, which she used to purchase land and build the first Pawtropolis. Five years after that, with 25 employees and trainers, an award-winning business and a facility filled to capacity, Crook again turned to the SBDC. After attending the GrowSmart™ program, she asked McDonell to help her create projections for a $2.2 million loan she received and will use to build a second, larger facility on land she had purchased.

McDonough Business Consultant Benefits from Expert Georgia SBDC Consulting

Former Army executive Annette O’Banion spent several years consulting with top brass in the Pentagon on issues such as recruiting and retaining talent for the Army Reserve. Her expertise in strategic planning and implementation often had her partnering on projects outsourced to national defense consulting firms. Captain O’Banion, USA, Retired, now uses her experience to […]

Allow Us to (Re)Introduce Ourselves

As the year starts anew, we thought it would be a good time to introduce ourselves to our many recent subscribers who have asked to receive our newsletter. Our faithful friends and supporters may also learn something new about us, as we are always adding to our skill sets in order to help grow Georgia’s innovative small businesses.   Humble Beginnings The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) […]

Economic Impact of The UGA SBDC

The annual economic impact study of the University of Georgia SBDC, published in August of 2015, provides solid evidence that entrepreneurs utilizing SBDC assistance experience employment growth significantly greater than the state average. All clients who received five or more hours of consulting in 2013 received a questionnaire that inquired as to the benefit of […]

The Answers Are Different This Week

“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” -Dwight D. Eisenhower For many of us, allocating time to plan becomes a significant challenge of priorities. Do we work on the urgent or the important today? Frequently, this becomes the question of the day. In most cases, if […]

Finding the Right Ingredients

Doug Turbush

Chef Doug Turbush has garnered more than 15 years of experience and rave reviews in the restaurant industry. But the kitchen wasn’t his end goal when he began earning a degree in hotel management. “I’d been working in restaurants since I was 15, and there was no order or discipline. It was complete chaos,” he […]