With UGA SBDC Assistance, Franchisee Grows to Four Locations and Receives National Recognition
“Ever thought about owning your own business?” Mark Preetorius spotted this question on a marketing brochure in the lobby of a Massage Envy clinic while waiting for physical therapy after a knee replacement. As it happened, he’d been toying with the idea after working for 30 years as a corporate executive. The question spurred him […]
Digital Marketing Puts Cybersecurity Firm on the Radar for New Clients
In the hush-hush world of data and system security, being a best-kept secret can help ethical hackers working to halt the destruction of bad actors. However, a low profile may also hinder a cybersecurity firm trying to build its client base, as Firestorm Cyber’s Ehsan Choudhury learned when he launched his business in 2018. Firestorm […]
UGA SBDC Assists Fren in Transforming Medical Spaces
As many small business owners know, the early stages of business development can be rigorous. Stephen Nottingham, co-founder of Fren, knew he needed support to guide him along the way as he built his design business. He was referred to the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC). Fren is a multidisciplinary design […]
Sister Entrepreneurs Use UGA SBDC to Guide Business Growth
When a University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC) business card landed on their booth table at the Augusta Market on the River, something told Freshwater Design Co. owners Brianne Martin and Dani Harmadi to hold on to it. And the sisters did for about three years before they put it to use. […]
UGA SBDC Supports Business Providing Essential Autism Therapy in Northwest Georgia
When Lara May first came to the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC), she had recently left her corporate therapy job to start May Behavioral Services and was running the business out of her home. May, a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), specializes in therapy resources for children on the autism spectrum. Using […]
A Lifetime Learner Thrives with UGA SBDC
James Guzman was no stranger to entrepreneurship when he began working with the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC). Decades before starting his own business, Guzman already had the drive to own his own business, cleaning cars and selling candy in his Miami neighborhood. When his parents passed away, he had to […]
Macon Restaurant Crosses the Finish Line with Help of UGA SBDC
When Dawn McCullar and Brooke Woods were looking for funding to open Yollah Social Kitchen + Garden, a banker recommended they turn to UGA SBDC for assistance. Lisa Rackley, area director at UGA SBDC in Macon, worked with them to put together the business plan and financial projections needed to secure a small business loan. […]
Business Planning and Ongoing Advice from UGA SBDC Help Baker Boost Product Sales
Two key ingredients fed Aundrea Dumas’s growth from baker to founder, owner and CEO of Legends Foods LLC: the influence and wisdom of her mother, and research that led her to beneficial relationship with the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC) that continues today. Dumas, a Savannah native, learned to cook from […]