Knowledge, Networking and Persistence Bring Disaster Relief to Mid-Georgia Manufacturer

Posted by Ashley Panter
On February 13, 2019

MF&H Textiles is Taylor County’s largest single-point private employer with nearly 50 employees. Its 19-acre campus between Columbus and Macon was dead in the path of Hurricane Irma on September 11, 2017. Irma’s gale force winds damaged the roof surface of MF&H’s main production facility. “Irma ripped off 20 percent of the synthetic roofing membrane […]

Why StartSMART and GrowSMART? The Value of Business Training

Posted by Mark Lupo
On February 5, 2019

A guy I used to work with in public safety, Steve Mattoon, used to say, “In a critical situation, we do not rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” That statement is as true in law enforcement and the military as it is in running a small […]

SBA Disaster Assistance: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Michael

Posted by Mark Lupo
On February 1, 2019

On the evening of Tuesday, October 10th, Hurricane Michael entered the state of Georgia as a Category 3 hurricane. According to the National Weather Service, “Hurricane Michael was the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall along the Florida panhandle as well as the first major hurricane (Category 3+) to directly impact Georgia since the […]

5 Steps to Strengthening Your Cyber Presence

Posted by Mark Lupo
On February 19, 2018

“If you are not concerned about cybersecurity, you don’t know enough about the topic yet.” – Raef Meeuwisse Strengthening your online, cybersecurity presence is a balancing act along a continuum: On one end lies convenience, using technology to manage our lives by the simplest and quickest method possible and, at the other extreme, security, protecting our […]

I-85 Collapse & Risk Management Strategies for Small Business

Posted by Stacy Johnson
On June 21, 2017

After the I-85 collapse last month I began thinking about how lack of planning is causing a big headache for Atlanta commuters. Many funny cartoons and videos have been making the rounds on social media and it is good for a quick laugh. But long term the implications of not having a risk management plan […]

Entrepreneurship: 5 Critical Success Factors

Posted by Stacy Johnson
On June 19, 2017

Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. Do you have what it takes to own your own business? Below are 5 critical success factors every entrepreneur should have to successfully run their own business. Sacrifice – Are you willing to sacrifice short term to benefit in the long term? Don’t be fooled into […]

CyberStrength 2017 Conference

Posted by Mark Lupo
On January 30, 2017

According to Timothy Francis, a leader in the cyber insurance field, 62 percent of cyber-breach victims are small and medium-sized businesses. How to Protect Your Small Business as Cybersecurity Threats Rise Small Business Trends Jun 3, 2016 by Larry Alton As digital interaction increases, small businesses have become an increasingly attractive target for cyber criminals […]

Posted by Mark Lupo
On January 11, 2017

This Fundamentals guide aims to provide basic cybersecurity recommendations to small businesses. I have always stressed the necessity to improve cyber security posture for small businesses that are most exposed to threat actors across the world. Now the National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a cybersecurity guide to support small businesses in securing their […]