2017 Entrepreneur Success Series

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] April 27, 2017 Part I                    Starting A Business Find out if owning a business is right for you. We cover: Personal Traits of an Entrepreneur, Marketing Analysis, Legal and Insurance Considerations, Marketing for Your Business, Bookkeeping and Accounting Basics, Financial and Money Management, and Basics of Business Plan Preparation. May 4, 2017 Part […]

Strong Financials Realize Vision for Clarkston Educational Center Owner

Alex Cesar knew from an early age that she’d run a school. Inspired by her grandmother, a principal, Alex would sometimes join her in the classroom. She eventually taught special education in the public schools, but felt stuck in the system. “I always had a vision of running a child-care center that would emphasize learning, […]

Dead-On Financial Projections Lead to Success for Atlanta Movie Tours Start-Up

Atlanta Movie Tours and the UGA SBDC

Moving a small business from start-up to growth mode requires a leap of faith, hard work and difficult, strategic decision-making. Carrie Sagel Burns has the” leap of faith” part down, regularly suspending disbelief in thousands of visitors who ride around Atlanta in buses guided by former zombie extras, an actress portraying author Margaret Mitchell or character actors from The Hunger Games.

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.

UGA SBDC Acquires Access to Powerful Industry Data

The University of Georgia SBDC recently acquired access to data from the largest provider of industry information in the U.S. known as IBISWorld. With over 40 years of experience, IBISWorld has constructed economic, demographic, and government data into 700+ industry reports and profiles. Each report is updated at least annually so that the most current facts and figures are included. The UGA […]

Market Research Eases Expansion for Midtown Atlanta Industrial Firm

Dhiren Patel is a seasoned business owner. An electrical engineer who started his career in the innovative AT&T Bell Labs, his first solo venture was AmTech Electronics India Limited, which he launched in India in 1991. When he decided to expand into the U.S. market, he and his family moved to Atlanta and opened an […]