New Model Adds Greater Value to Celebrated South Georgia Winery

“The Cowarts were already successfully producing a value-added product in the winery. You could see the potential for adding another business,” says Finney. “We put together all the pieces that showed how the distillery would work and how they would use more of their wine in the product.”

Mark Your Calendars for Small Business Saturday: November 26th!

UGA Small Business Saturday

The changing of the seasons is marked not only by changes in weather, but changes in activities.  Autumn brings brilliant leaf viewings, plenty of pumpkin to sniff, sip and carve, as well as the realities of retail.  November is historically known as the month when many retailers aim to break even.  Black Friday got its […]

5 Items to Review on Your Facebook Page

Facebook Business Page

Does you Facebook Page layout for desktop look different than it did before? In early August 2016, Facebook launched the new Facebook Page layout for desktops! Here are FIVE items to review for Page owners: Review your COVER IMAGE. You now no longer have to take into account the profile picture or other content overlay. […]

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 […]

SBDC, Wells Fargo Partnership Near 10-Year Anniversary

For almost 10 years, SBDC StartSmart™, an eight-week small business education program, has been a staple for new and emerging entrepreneurs who want to learn to plan, market and manage their businesses. Wells Fargo has been the statewide sponsor of the program since 2007, and with their financial support, many small business owners and prospective […]

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.