Business Consulting

The SBDC offers access to confidential, no-cost, one-on-one professional business consulting for Georgia small business owners who want to grow or start their business. Our consultants have earned advanced degrees in business or management and have extensive practical experience to help both emerging and growing businesses design strategies to make better business decisions and reach their goals.

Our consulting expertise focuses on areas that are vital to accelerating the growth of businesses. Some of these areas are:

Our consultants can help you:

Develop and update business plans
Identify sources of capital
Set up record-keeping systems and analyze financial records
Identify foreign markets for products or services
Conduct specialized research geared to specific needs of the business-owner
Create marketing strategies and advertising campaigns
Explore suitable ways to conform to government regulations
Increase opportunities to sell to federal, state, and local governments
Analyze statistical and demographic data
Have questions about The Affordable Care Act? Check out the UGA Health Insurance Literacy page.

Have Questions?

Is there a cost?

No, consulting is provided at no cost to Georgia small business owners. All clients, their businesses, and related information are kept strictly confidential – we will not provide your information to anyone without your permission.

How do I get started?

To get started, contact a local SBDC office. We have 18 locations across the state of Georgia. If you are a new business, a Business Development Questionnaire (BDQ) may be required. The quickest way for a new business to get in touch with a consultant is to take our “Starting a Business” course. To register for this course, CLICK HERE.
If your business is already established, call your local SBDC office and speak with the Program Coordinator or Administrative Assistant. They can answer any questions you may have and guide you in the right direction to meet with one of our consultants.
After you have completed the BDQ, or, have completed the Request for Consulting Application, you will be contacted by one of our consultants to get started on your path to success.

Click to download “cheat sheet.”

Ready to get started?

Click the button to your right to complete our Business Profile questionnaire that assists us in pairing you with the correct tools/resources and consultant.

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FAQ's

Have a question? Click the button below to view the most frequently asked questions by our clients.

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What Our Clients Say

Business Planning and Ongoing Advice from UGA SBDC Help Baker Boost Product Sales

Posted by Kim Broun
On May 28, 2023

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 […]

Strategic Planning and Business Foundations from SBDC Help Brokerage Gain Sales and Success

Posted by Kim Broun
On May 15, 2023

Rebecca Robinson Davis of St. Simons is a people person, so much so that she left a lucrative position as a residential real estate appraiser in 2004 in search of a job – any job – that would replace the isolation of appraising homes with more personal interactions. She never thought that move would bring […]

A Roadside Tradition Continues Growing With SBDC

Posted by Kim Broun
On May 4, 2023

Since 1937, Stuckey’s has been a roadside oasis for the traveling public across the interstates of America. Known for their iconic pecan log roll, they turned to the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC) for guidance when they were looking to acquire a property to house a pecan shelling plant and a […]

2022 UGA SBDC Award Winners

Posted by Kim Broun
On May 2, 2023

The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center recognized 2022 award winners and sponsors during their annual conference on April 24, 2023. “The recipients of these awards excel in their work with the business community, program development and representation of the UGA SBDC program. We’re grateful for their contributions to our organization and are proud […]

UGA SBDC Clients Named Small Business Administration Award Winners, Georgia District

Posted by Kim Broun
On May 1, 2023

For the past 60 years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week as an opportunity to recognize the critical contributions of America’s small business owners. As part of National Small Business Week (April 30 – May 6), the US Small Business Administration (SBA) takes the opportunity to […]

Ice Cream Store Grows into Sweet Success with Guidance from UGA SBDC

Posted by Kim Broun
On April 27, 2023

SBDC Helps Secure Funding for Third Ice Cream Store Jim Rafferty, one of the owners of butter’dudder ice cream stores, and Todd Anduze, a business consultant at the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC), have been connected for many years through community events in West Georgia. But it wasn’t until Rafferty was ready to […]

StillFire and UGA SBDC Ignite Brewing Success

Posted by Kim Broun
On April 17, 2023

Putting UGA SBDC Resources to Use Law school opens the door to many possibilities. While sitting in his law school classes at the University of Georgia, Aaron Bisges, general manager at StillFire Brewing, never dreamed one of those possibilities would be opening a brewery after graduation. He worked at bars and restaurants throughout law school […]

A Passion for Cars and Partnership with the UGA SBDC Result in Thriving Business

Posted by Kim Broun
On April 4, 2023

Turning a Childhood Passion Into A Business After 20 years in the finance world, Steve Kanner was ready for a change. Thanks to some guidance from the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Kanner accelerated his love for cars into a new career. “As a kid, I was always tinkering around with cars. […]

How Grandma’s Cookie Recipe Turned Into A Thriving Business

Posted by Kim Broun
On April 3, 2023

From Pharmaceutical Sales Representative to Cookie Baker In December 2015, Jonny Womack was in midst of a career change – having just returned to school to become a registered nurse after working as a pharmaceutical sales representative. Over the years, he had earned a reputation for bringing unique homemade cookies during his sales visits. “Right […]

Local Sanitation Company Taps into UGA SBDC Resources, Experiences Growth Through Excellent Customer Service

Posted by Kim Broun
On April 3, 2023

From Retired to Retirement Gig Mike Plowman was no stranger to the trash pickup industry. He previously built and owned a very successful trash pickup business and sold it with the plan to save the profit for retirement. But the business closure clearly left a void in the community. After many requests from friends, neighbors […]

Rapid Growth Requires New Employment Strategies

Posted by Macy Thomas
On November 11, 2022

When U.S. Army Major Reginald Foster began planning his retirement gig, he and his wife, Zenna, began researching franchise operations. They chose Tropical Smoothie Café and approached the Augusta office for help. The Fosters now employ 58 people and are preparing to open another store in Augusta.

Strategic Guidance Helps Thomasville Cheesemakers Grow and Thrive

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 26, 2022

UGA business assistance helps Thomasville cheesemakers grow and thrive Jessica and Jeremy Little Sweet Grass Dairy Thomasville, Georgia UGA SBDC at Valdosta State University Jessica Little grew up on her family’s farm in South Georgia. Although she loved sustainable agriculture and showing her cows in 4-H, she didn’t want to return to South Georgia and […]

Seasoned Entrepreneur Experiences Rapid Growth

Posted by Joshua Newman
On August 26, 2022

Carey Jones has owned many businesses in his lifetime. His newest – Reliable Rolloff Solutions – is a commercial/residential dumpster service he launched with a dear family friend, Donald “DJ” Jones, in Wayne County in 2016. Quickly, Jones realized this company’s challenges differed from those he’d launched earlier. “I’d never owned a business that […]

Atlanta Architect Wins Clients and Awards

Posted by Joshua Newman
On August 26, 2022

Business Knowledge Paired with Stellar Design Wins Clients and Awards for Atlanta Architect Monica Fenderson loves the design side of architecture, which she practiced in several private firms early in her career. But she wanted to start her own firm, so she took a part-time job as a construction manager for Gwinnett County and […]

UGA Assists with Launch of Turmeric Business

Posted by Joshua Newman
On August 26, 2022

South Georgia couple launches turmeric supplement business with UGA assistance When customers ask Diane and Ed Taylor about the pain-relieving properties of turmeric, they tell them about Bo and Tarra. The two Asian elephants, who live on the 850-acre Elephant Refuge of North America (ERNA) in southern Georgia, no longer suffer from arthritis since […]

Restaurant Revitalization Fund Supports Americus Staple

Posted by Macy Thomas
On June 16, 2022

Federal restaurant revitalization fund brings new life to Americus institution Tracia Tullis and her mom Gladys opened Gladys’ Kitchen in Americus 27 years ago. The country cooking restaurant, known for its crispy fried chicken, signature dessert and the delicious caramelly Butter Roll, is an important community asset, a popular gathering place on weekdays, […]

Lawn care company exceeds yearly projections with help from SBDC

Posted by Macy Thomas
On June 6, 2022

Kyle Flanagan’s roots are in lawn care – the Florida native started mowing lawns in his parents’ neighborhood when he was just 11. He moved to Athens in 2002 to attend the University of Georgia and worked for a regional chem-lawn company to pay for tuition. As he built connections in the community […]

Tasting Success

Posted by Macy Thomas
On May 27, 2022

A family-owned farm in metro Atlanta finds new life as a vineyard Tucked behind a residential neighborhood near Cobb Parkway in Acworth, this 500-acre farm is an anomaly in an area where builders scoop up available land. “My grandmother Betty Gilbert bought it back in 1963,” said Emilee Gilbert. “Her father told […]

SBDC opens client’s eyes to opportunities for Sugarcoat Beauty success

Posted by Macy Thomas
On May 4, 2022

Peiru Kim came to the United States from Taiwan when she was just 13. After witnessing how hard her parents worked, she committed to also working hard to pay them back for their sacrifices and to make them proud. Kim took a traditional career route, graduating from Georgia Tech and working as an […]

UGA SBDC Entrepreneur of the Year

Posted by Macy Thomas
On May 2, 2022

Ryan Loew is a Covington-based entrepreneur whose equipment maintenance company has expanded from 20 employees in 2016 to more than 150 industry professionals today. As president of Process Equipment and Controls, he works with clients in the U.S. and abroad, including Fortune 500 companies that have outsourced their equipment and maintenance needs to […]

Side hustle becomes big business for UGA SBDC client

Posted by Macy Thomas
On April 20, 2022

In 1999, Jason Jones started renting out sound equipment for local concerts and theater productions as a side hustle to support his aspirations as a musician. Over 20 years later, the side job has become a multimillion-dollar business, S&L Integrated. S&L Integrated now operates on a national scale, with a multi-state staff of […]

Independent Pharmacy Starts Strong with Planning and Lending Guidance

Posted by Macy Thomas
On January 13, 2022

Pharmacists Briana Aycock and Sarah Swinson, both University of Georgia College of Pharmacy graduates, worked six years together to create a hometown pharmacy feel at the Walmart Pharmacy in Baxley. Eventually, they knew they would have to go independent to fully achieve this dream for their patients. They began planning in April 2020. While […]

The UPS Store in Smyrna, GA

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 1, 2021

Essential Business in Smyrna Turns to UGA For Assistance During Pandemic Joseph is the owner of The UPS Store located on Cobb Pkwy in Smyrna, Georgia. The UPS Store is a locally owned franchise offering a range of products and services designed specifically to help and support small business owners in the local community. In 2012 a bank recommended Joseph contact a local UGA […]

The Therapy Tree in Douglas

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 1, 2021

Sound Business Fundamentals and Pandemic Loan Assistance Help Douglas Business Thrive Teresa McElroy’s business, The Therapy Tree, is a lifeline for families throughout Southeast Georgia who need occupational, speech and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for their children, many of whom are autistic. She launched the business with one patient in her family’s trailer in 2008. A dozen years later, her staff of 35 therapists serves nearly 500 children at offices in Douglas, Fitzgerald, Hazlehurst, Baxley, and Vidalia. In […]

Team Clermont in Athens

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 1, 2021

UGA helped Team Clermont stay afloat after COVID-19 shut down live music venues and banned large gatherings Nelson Wells has been promoting musical releases and musicians in Athens and beyond since 1997. When the pandemic hit, it threatened to shut his business down as well. “People stopped spending money and activities in general just froze,” said Wells, whose company, Team Clermont, includes two full-time and two part-time employees […]

Leads Near Me in Lawrenceville

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 1, 2021

Strategic and Succession Planning Prepare Visionary Agency Owner to Lead Like a CEO The secret sauce in Ryan Burton’s digital marketing agency, Leads Near Me, is that he and his team lead with love. “We have a great team of very special people here working for clients we adore and love,” said Burton. “Our work is based on one principle: we care. We love our clients. Caring and doing the […]

Innovative Fitness Solutions in Kennesaw

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 1, 2021

GrowSmart® Training Aids Owner’s Strategic Focus Like relay runners passing a baton, fitness experts Chris and Melissa Conti moved nine times during the first 10 years of their marriage to work in the industry. Within two years of relocating to Atlanta, they found themselves facing another move. The company Chris had joined was going out of business. […]

Davis Brothers Logistics

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 1, 2021

Pre-Planning Leads Successful Launch-and-Growth Strategy Deciding where to begin is often challenging for people starting a business. The Davis brothers of coastal Georgia decided to take that first step by putting together a solid, well-researched business plan to launch their ideas and outline their next steps. Still actively employed, they quickly realized it would be a challenge to respect their commitments to their employers and put […]

Assistance with the Lending Process Aids Growth of Murray County Manufacturer

Posted by Macy Thomas
On July 30, 2021

PolyTech Fibers LLC is a minority- and employee-owned manufacturer of recycled polyester staple fiber. Launched in Chatsworth in 2014, it runs three production lines in three plants and employs more than 100 local residents. Its historical revenue growth is more than 10 percent annually. Polytech is an economic development success and a beacon of […]

Posted by Macy Thomas
On February 19, 2021

In the spring of 2020, photographer Diane Dodd’s business came to a complete halt due to COVID-19. Dodd is the owner and photographer of Diane Dodd Photography, a Savannah-based business focusing mainly on family, elopements and engagement photography. “When the Coronavirus hit, it completely canceled all of my bookings in the spring, I […]

A Successful Startup Amid a Pandemic

Posted by Macy Thomas
On November 15, 2020

When Atlas Medical Services opened in December 2019, they had no idea a worldwide pandemic would strike a few months later. Atlas Medical Services is a medical transport company, but their services also include providing educational classes, hydration services and home fall prevention inspections for their customers. “I first heard about [the UGA […]

Performance Trucking in Lawrenceville, GA

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 28, 2020

Working Behind the Scenes to Keep Shelves Stocked There’s a reason your favorite grocery store remained stocked during the pandemic – logistics companies like Performance Trucking, Inc. worked around the clock to deliver food and essential products to supermarket chains across the United States. Performance Trucking, headquartered in Lawrenceville, GA, utilized its current […]

Burt’s Pumpkin Farm in Dawsonville, GA

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 27, 2020

North Georgia farm has success with strawberries and pumpkins despite pandemic, thanks to UGA Johnny and Kathy Burt’s first year farming strawberries was nearly a disaster. COVID -19 hit just two weeks before the berries ripened and their first spring strawberry festival was to begin. “That wasn’t possible. We were on pins and […]

DIESELGRID in Forest Park, GA

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 21, 2020

Deep Market Knowledge and Operational Flexibility Lead Freight Carrier Through the Pandemic Justin Hughes left trucking and moved into real estate in 2007, just before the Great Recession. Two years later, back into trucking, he founded the freight carrier DIESELGRID in Forest Park, and grew. He contacted the University of Georgia Small Business […]

Harmony Learning in Lithia Springs, Georgia

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 2, 2020

Preschool owner keeps business open during pandemic, with help from UGA Harmony Learning Academy in Lithia Springs was posting an excellent first quarter for 2020. Enrollment for the year-old preschool had grown to 60 children, nine full-time and one part-time employees, and earnings were up. When the coronavirus forced it to close on […]

Gwinnett Eye Clinic in Duluth, GA

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 2, 2020

Assistance from UGA keeps essential employees on front line The Gwinnett Eye Clinic in Duluth kept its doors open and continued treating patients with glaucoma, retinal detachments and other eye injuries when the COVID-19 response temporarily closed many others. In fact, the practice set a record for seeing patients through its affiliation with two […]

Pooler Vet in Bloomingdale, GA

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 2, 2020

UGA helps veterinary hospital adapt to COVID-19 restrictions, get back on track for expansion Dr. Mike Ammermon, a UGA alumnus and doctor of veterinary medicine, opened Pooler Veterinary Hospital in 2013 with two veterinarians and two staff members by his side. By 2018, the business had grown to four […]

Norcross Manufacturer Shields Heroes and Saves their Small Business

Posted by Macy Thomas
On September 13, 2020

The Cutting Board Company in Norcross manufactures plastic cutting boards for restaurants and homes. Most of its sales are direct to restaurants and industrial resellers or retailers like Neiman Marcus and Williams Sonoma. When the coronavirus hit, sales hit the floor. “Ninety percent of our business went away, almost overnight,” said owner Dave […]

APPAREL ADVENTURE TO SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS

Posted by Macy Thomas
On August 23, 2019

Carlton Grubb could teach students in the University of Georgia Terry College of Business’ Entrepreneurship Program a thing or two about running a successful home-based business when she goes to campus this fall. But first, she’d really just like to enjoy the full UGA freshman experience. Carlton owns Grubbwear, a line of acid-splattered apparel and […]

Posted by Macy Thomas
On August 13, 2019

Navy veteran Frank Brown leads his three-year-old Columbus company, IPCE LLC, by four core values: integrity, quality, care and service. Additionally, he encourages his team members to learn something new every day, advice that he, too, follows. These practices, along with tapping into the business knowledge offered by the University of Georgia Small Business Development […]

Sound Business Planning Produces Runaway Sales In Global Markets

Posted by Macy Thomas
On April 22, 2019

Roswell equipment makers Andal and Balu Balasubramanian are feeding the foodie revolution now raging from coffee shops to craft breweries: an explosion of bean-to-bar dark chocolates. And their equipment empowers chocolate makers to control the process every step along the way, from the single origin, ethically traded cocoa bean to the final chocolate bar. […]

SBDC Client Wins 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year

Posted by Macy Thomas
On April 8, 2019

UGA Professor Teams Up With SBDC to Help Clean Up Explosives

Posted by Macy Thomas
On March 12, 2019

Mining, construction, the oil industry and other civil uses account for about 90 percent of the explosives manufactured globally. The defense industry uses about 10 percent. All have a similar need: to eliminate the threat of explosive byproducts and those no longer in use. UGA geology Professor Valentine Nzengung helps bases eliminate these threats using a […]

Sound Startup Advice Leads to Rapid Growth for Canine Rehab Center

Posted by Macy Thomas
On February 20, 2019

Certification Leads to Larger Orders, Greater Growth for Macon Fabrication Shop

Posted by Macy Thomas
On February 13, 2019

Stan Greene, owner of Greene Machine and Manufacturing, was ready to retire when he asked Larry Collins, who had worked with Greene since the late 1990s, if he would be interested in purchasing the business. Before making a decision, Larry and his wife, Gwen, attended a class for start-ups offered by the University of Georgia […]

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

Posted by Macy Thomas
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 […]

A UGA-Assisted Doggy Day Care and Dog Treat Bakery in Savannah is Thriving

Posted by Macy Thomas
On January 23, 2019

When Tonya and Nick Rintye decided to open a day care and boarding facility for dogs, they went to the UGA Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC) in Savannah for assistance. They learned right away that they needed more than an idea to start a business. “I didn’t have any money to put down on a […]

Dogged Determination Results in Veterinary Practice for UGA Graduate

Posted by Macy Thomas
On January 3, 2019

When Jennifer Peterson was young, her father, an architect, would draw designs for the veterinary practice she hoped to own someday. While enrolled in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, she participated in what was then a new program—an entrepreneurial rotation that teaches teach future vets how to run a business. Peterson was among the first […]

Finance And Marketing Assistance Put Tour Operator On The Path To Rapid Growth

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On July 30, 2018

VIP Tours president Christina Ernst is a seasoned travel agent who grew up in White County. So when the chamber of commerce leadership, county commissioners and local winery owners were looking at how to attract visitors to the region, they invited her to join their meeting. “They wanted advice on what was possible and how […]

Marketing Strategies Launch Hiram Medical Retailer, Growth Expands It into Commercial Realty

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On July 30, 2018

Three women shopping during the Great Recession – wife, sister and mom – led young Tyler Wilson and his wife, Marissa, to form what is now a rapidly growing retail business, Superior Scrubs, in Hiram. “My wife was in school to be a nurse. My sister, Kaley, was in the medical industry as well. And […]

Updated Financials, Better Data Land Loan for Valdosta Wake Compound

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On July 30, 2018

Valdosta State University students Luke Tilt and Quinn Silvernale competed together on the university’s wake boarding team. Tilt was required for his business class to develop a plan for an imaginary new company. So he wrote a plan modeled after the cable parks they had visited in Europe and Florida. Wake boarding, for the uninitiated, […]

Best Practices in Business Help Dunwoody-based Special Education Practice Expand

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On July 30, 2018

Becky Lamont dedicated the first 17 years of her career serving public school districts as a special education teacher and administrator, rising to program manager in the Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia. The district—the size of Georgia’s DeKalb and Gwinnett school systems combined—had 300 autism classrooms in the program she managed using research-based practices […]

Creative Approach Restores Bank’s Interest in Hephzibah Automotive Shop

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On July 30, 2018

Muscle cars are Doug Springer’s passion. A registered nurse who sells medical devices from Augusta, he admits he has owned almost every make and model of hot rod made in the last 30 years. Those vintage beauties are often in need of restoration, but that only drives his passion further. “I grew up in Oklahoma, […]

Targeted Marketing Campaign Leads Atlanta Video Marketer to New Heights

Posted by Macy Thomas
On May 31, 2018

Creative Internet Authority is more than a name for Montina Portis’s Roswell-based video marketing business. Establishing one’s authority and creating a reputation for knowledge and opinions that are respected by one’s peers has been so essential to her success that she speaks on the topic at industry conferences around the country. Portis knew she’d need […]

Financial Future Secure for Ellijay Family Orchard

Posted by Macy Thomas
On May 30, 2018

Ellijay farmer John Reece can see the house he grew up in from the Apple House at his Ellijay business, BJ Reece Orchards. John and his wife Rachel have grown the business his father started with 30 acres into a popular 130-acre agribusiness attraction known for its “world-famous” fried apple pies, so named by their […]

Improved Understanding of Financials Helps Atlanta Aviation Company Soar

Posted by Macy Thomas
On May 25, 2018

Dan Casey was looking for a location for a new business after selling his Oxnard, California-based helicopter tour company. His brother Sean was closing his 10-year-old residential real estate business in Atlanta after the recession hit the industry hard. They chose to land in metro Atlanta. “When people think of Georgia, they think of peaches […]

Lending and Marketing Assistance Help Put Augusta Meat Market on the Map

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On April 6, 2018

Meat markets and butcher shops nationwide are losing more and more customers to competition from traditional grocery stores, super centers and nontraditional food retailers like Target. But don’t tell Wayne Lanier’s customers in Augusta. They wouldn’t believe it. In fact, they know if you don’t get to Lanier’s Meat Market early enough, you’ll have to […]

ExportGA Expands Woodstock Business’s Global Reach

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On April 6, 2018

Georgia’s 2016 SBA Exporter of the Year for 2016, Carl Hazenberg, enjoys telling potential customers that his Woodstock Company, Everlast Synthetic Products, has done business on six of the seven continents. When someone asks where they haven’t sold their seawall product, the joke is on. “We haven’t been able to find a client in Antarctica,” […]

Improved Accountability Drives Success For Middle Georgia Retailer

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On April 6, 2018

Savings and sustainability go hand-in-hand in Brad Bishoff’s Cartridge World. Any business that uses printer toner or ink –from retailers to legal offices and hospitals– can save up to a third of their costs on these items at his three stores. His customers also help the environment by recycling toner and printer cartridges that would […]

Improved Financials Position Savannah BBQ Owner for Rapid Growth

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On March 2, 2018

Bryan Furman was a laser operator at the JCB manufacturing plant in Pooler, GA when he decided to start a small BBQ business on the side. “I have a passion for cooking and felt like there was no good BBQ where we stayed. And I wanted to be able to leave something for our kids.” He tried to open a small place in Savannah in 2012, […]

GrowSmart® Brings The Business Long View To An Atlanta Production Company

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On March 2, 2018

Wendy Eley Jackson possesses the creative credentials eagerly sought by film and television production companies. She developed her artistry while working at TriStar, Sony and TBS. After a while in the industry, though, 60-hour weeks and a desire for a balanced lifestyle led her to form her own company, Golden Street Entertainment, in 1999. She had […]

Learning Business Basics Leads To Success For New Winder Medical Practice

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On March 2, 2018

Dr. Maria Clarissa Visitacion moved from Buffalo, New York, to Winder in 2011, recently graduated from residency training. She joined the local hospital and began sharing her ideas for better patient care with management, but a steady rotation of new CEOs made it difficult for any idea to gain traction. “Dr. Claire,” as her patients call her, listed […]

New Management Practices Promise A Bright Future For Established Middle Georgia Business

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On March 2, 2018

Small, start-up businesses are not the only type of company that can learn from experts at the University of Georgia’s Small Business Development Center. Associated Paper is a case in point. A successful family-owned distributor of industrial packaging, shipping, janitorial and sanitary maintenance supplies, Associated Paper serves more than 3,000 clients in middle Georgia, South […]

New Processes Recharge Profits For Cornelia Business

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On March 2, 2018

A&A Electric has supported the needs of Cornelia and the town’s surrounding counties since Herschel and Runette Ansley opened it in 1969. When Hershel retired in 1991, the next generation of Ansleys stepped in, running the multi-pronged business while their mom continued as comptroller. Greg Ansley took over as general manager of A&A Electric’s HVAC […]

Grass-Fed Beef Producer Revives Old Business Model and Creates New Jobs

Posted by Macy Thomas
On March 1, 2018

Will Harris’s day starts much like his father’s and his grandfather’s and his great-grandfather’s did: with his boots planted firmly in the same fresh-smelling, fertile soil of his ancestral farm in Early County, Georgia. Like a cherished family tradition, the natural cattle-raising method Harris follows at White Oak Pastures resembles that practiced a hundred years […]

Aid in Securing USDA Loan Places Southwest Georgia Product in Stores Across the U.S.

Posted by Macy Thomas
On February 23, 2018

Ray Crosby knows his bees and honey. A third-generation farmer who lives with his family in the rural southwest Georgia town of Omega, he understands what makes his product—packaged as pure, unfiltered raw honey—unique. His knowledge, in fact, resonates with the customers from coast-to-coast who buy Weeks Honey. “Working with Ray, I’ve learned a lot […]

From Model to Medical Practice

Posted by Macy Thomas
On February 23, 2018

Solid financial planning turns unique vision into thriving middle Georgia practice. After several years of working in other practices, Dr. Jeff Langford, a specialist in allergy and immunology, wanted to drive quality control himself. He also knew much of Middle Georgia’s population lacked easy access to his specialty. So he developed a new practices model […]

An Elf’s Success

Posted by Macy Thomas
On December 21, 2017

The UGA SBDC helped catapult “The Elf on the Shelf” to stardom. Here’s how: Since helping Carol Aebersold and her twins, Christa Pitts and Chanda Bell launch the best-selling holiday book in 2004, the UGA Small Business Development Center has continued to provide support and guidance to the Kennesaw-based company. “The Elf on the […]

Guidance Through Loan Process Helps Metro Atlanta Restaurateur Triple His Locations

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 4, 2017

Diego Velasquez had worked in Georgia’s restaurant industry more than 14 years – moving up to district manager for a major chain – when he opened his first Tacos and Tequilas Mexican Grill in Buckhead with his savings and the support of family and friends in 2010. “I had decided that if I can open […]

Campaign Approach to Marketing Feeds Sales at Atlanta Pizzeria

Posted by Macy Thomas
On September 5, 2017

Slice Pizzeria, tucked away on Poplar Street in downtown Atlanta, celebrated its tenth anniversary in November 2016. Its business partners Brian Agee and Karen Smiley moved from their first pizzeria in the West End to Georgia State University’s western boundary in 2006, hoping to serve more students, tourists and conventioneers. “It was a very slow […]

Strategically Grown: Operational Assessment First Step to Optimizing Expansion of Atlanta Gelato Business

Posted by Sara Bertolini
On August 28, 2017

Wes Jones and Jackson Smith grew up as best friends in their north Atlanta neighborhood. At some point, says Jones, “we thought it would be fun to start a business together when we got older.” Maintaining their friendship through college, they went on to jobs in education, for Jones, and gelato production, for Smith, who […]

SBDC Training Shows Columbus Businessman Several Best Practices for Growth

Posted by Macy Thomas
On June 22, 2017

Financial Modeling Offers Clear Path to Expanded Production for Alma Blueberry Grower

Posted by Macy Thomas
On June 19, 2017

Blueberries have become Georgia’s leading fruit crop. Their production, at 96 million pounds this year, outpaces peaches and has a $1 billion impact on the economy. But what to do with all those berries? Alma farmer Shawn Davis, vice president of Southern Press and Packing, is doing his part to increase sales and develop new […]

Full Knowledge of Funding Options Helps Launch New Macon Brewpub

Posted by Macy Thomas
On June 15, 2017

“I found out that Josh and the SBDC were resources small businesses could use, for free. I thought, ‘Wow, here’s a guy who’s like an extension of my staff. Why wouldn’t I go to him?’ We got to talking, and he told me about the financing, market analysis and other help he could provide."

Financial Projections Lead to Expanded Concept for Brunswick Business

Posted by Macy Thomas
On June 15, 2017

Digital Entrepreneur Sharpens Own Business Practices By Teaching

Posted by Molly Knight
On May 30, 2017

Garrett Massey’s web development start-up, Eyesore Inc., is in its fourth office since its 2007 launch, a historic Coca-Cola bottling facility in downtown Griffin. With nine full-time staff and annual sales shaping up to 50 percent growth for 2015, the company would seem to consume all of his time and energy. It does not. Massey […]

Careful Planning Gives Award-Winning Savannah Dessert Bar Owners Room to Expand

Posted by Macy Thomas
On May 15, 2017

From their beginning, Janine Finn and Rebecca Radovich had the right ingredients for a successful dessert enterprise, mixing Finn’s solid business experience with Radovich’s creative food and catering expertise. Starting small with an online cake business in 2006, the business partners quickly decided to sell their confections out of a storefront in downtown Savannah. “We […]

The Right Tools and Structure Make Growth Possible for Atlanta Translation Business

Posted by Macy Thomas
On January 20, 2017

See how the #UGA #SBDC helped this #smallbiz grow their sales by 30%. "When nobody else wanted to help me out, they were there."

New Model Adds Greater Value to Celebrated South Georgia Winery

Posted by Macy Thomas
On November 2, 2016

“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.”

Posted by Macy Thomas
On September 21, 2016

Mike Aldridge went into commercial printing in the Atlanta area just a year out of high school. After a career in the industry, he began to think about running his own business his way with a focus on printing for the rug trade. “I had a desire to go into it further,” he says. However, […]

Strong Financials Realize Vision for Clarkston Educational Center Owner

Posted by Macy Thomas
On September 13, 2016

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, […]

Financial Projections Expand and Support a Savannah Tradition

Posted by Macy Thomas
On September 13, 2016

By all accounts, the Gretchen Greene School of Dance is a Savannah tradition. Founded in 1969 by a Savannah native who danced as a Radio City Music Hall Rockette, the school now teaches the children and grandchildren of many an aspiring young ballerina and tap dancer who first graced its studios. So many new young […]

Target Market Expansion Puts Atlanta Rubber and Plastic Supplier in the Right Hands

Posted by Macy Thomas
On June 9, 2016

Movies can transport a viewer into another world, if only temporarily. In 2009 Nelson Burke spotted some props in a Georgia-produced movie that transformed his business. By 2015 his new focus had led The Engineer Guy to more than $3 million in sales.

Business Essentials Steer Cumming Auto Parts Company into the Fast Lane

Posted by Macy Thomas
On May 5, 2016

Brothers Kevin and Randy Redd make Ford and Chevy street cars both fast and “fly.” Their uniquely designed Concept One high performance pulley systems mount on an engine and drive all of its belts, improving power and maximizing performance. In 2001 they began selling their systems and other product lines to hot rod muscle car […]

Careful Pre-Planning Helps Complex Industrial Business Secure an SBA Loan

Posted by Macy Thomas
On May 4, 2016

Rod Meyer had worked in Minneapolis 25 years with the market-leading industrial x-ray imaging equipment company, rising to vice president of sales and leading a tenfold increase in capital sales, before the company was sold and narrowed its product line. “The new company decided to focus on standard x-ray imaging systems. This decision opened an […]

Lessons Learned In Practice Rotation Help Pooler Veterinarian Open Own Practice

Posted by Macy Thomas
On April 29, 2016

Veterinarian Mike Ammermon was a senior in the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine when UGA Small Business Development Center consultant Jeff Sanford started teaching fourth-year vet students a new curriculum on core business principles in 2008. The program, still going strong, includes a practice management rotation that brings these students together with veterinarians […]

Sound Business Practices Help Athens Medical Practice Expand Into Underserved Areas

Posted by Macy Thomas
On April 29, 2016

Dr. Ram K. and Aru Reddy are in the business of “helping people feel better when they need it the most.” Partners in an enterprise that adds urgently needed medical care to underserved communities in northeast Georgia, this husband and wife team is also steadily adding to the employment rolls of the small cities and towns they serve.

SBDC Clients Earns 2016 Small Business Person of the Year

Posted by Macy Thomas
On April 26, 2016

Catherine Downey didn’t find an easy way to success. She did find what works: hard work and dedication to a vision. Catherine Downey started her first business with “a pen and a legal pad” so she could work at home after her first child was born. Today, she has four grown children and one of the fastest growing companies in Atlanta. She’s also garnered a hard-earned honor: she […]

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

Posted by Macy Thomas
On April 19, 2016

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.

Comprehensive Business Coach Leads Online Machinery Sales Start-Up to Growth

Posted by Macy Thomas
On March 31, 2016

“You’d be crazy not to take advantage of something like the SBDC. What an awesome thing,” he says. “Paying for a business consultant is very expensive. John is extremely knowledgeable. I think of him as a partner. I don’t think I’d be where I’m at now if it wasn’t for him.”

Passion for Pets Pays Off

Posted by Macy Thomas
On March 23, 2016

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

Posted by Macy Thomas
On January 29, 2016

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 […]

Market Research Eases Expansion for Midtown Atlanta Industrial Firm

Posted by Macy Thomas
On January 26, 2016

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 […]

Economic Impact of The UGA SBDC

Posted by Macy Thomas
On December 21, 2015

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 […]

Sound Business Practices Move Georgia Peach Retailer from Stands to Stores

Posted by Macy Thomas
On December 21, 2015

Travelers driving north and south on Interstate 95 will pass 24 billboards inviting them to stop and purchase mouth-watering products like “Fresh Georgia Peaches — Exit 58” and “Georgia Peach Ice Cream” at Georgia Peach World and the Eulonia Country Store in Townsend. The young entrepreneur behind the bold, simple marketing campaign, Jason Reott, is […]

Business Planning Leads to Smooth Operations for Augusta Coffee Roaster

Posted by Macy Thomas
On December 11, 2015

Finding the Right Ingredients

Posted by Macy Thomas
On November 5, 2015

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 […]

Versatile Mold and Design

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 15, 2015

Strategic Planning Expands Markets for Rutledge Mold and Tooling Manufacturer Inventiveness and responsiveness have long been trademarks of the Heusser family business, Versatile Mold and Design. But like many small businesses, this Rutledge mold and tooling manufacturer’s management – led by siblings Bob, Tim, Frank and Suzanne Brown – was so busy working in the […]

Dreaming Cow

Posted by Macy Thomas
On October 5, 2015

Expansion Financing Essential for Rapidly Growing Thomasville Producer Kyle and Janelle Wehner started Dreaming Cow in 2009 to test whether their yogurt concept could be built into a national brand. Using an all-natural recipe derived from the South Island of Janelle’s native New Zealand, they make Dreaming Cow yogurt on Kyle’s parents’ Thomasville farm. Kyle […]

The Grass is Always Greener

Posted by Macy Thomas
On September 2, 2015

Market and Banking Advice Aid Dairy Expansion into Agri-Tourism Destination

Posted by Marketing Intern
On May 22, 2015

It is rare to see a young family in Georgia make a business out of a small dairy farm. The around-the-clock work and competition from big corporate dairies has stopped many who desire such a lifestyle dead in their tracks. Not so for fourth-generation dairy farmer Scott Glover and his wife, Jennifer, who have built […]

Strategic Planning Leads to Improved Systems that Help Americus Business Expand in the Region

Posted by Marketing Intern
On May 22, 2015

Sisters Eshonda Blue and Jessica Wright of Americus, both registered nurses, were raised in an entrepreneurial family. So when their work in nursing homes a decade ago revealed a need faced by many southwest Georgia seniors, they saw a business opportunity that led them to the University of Georgia SBDC. [tweetthis display_mode=”box”]See how this #smallbiz […]

Janie Davis, Children Unique Christian Daycare Center, Inc.

Posted by Marketing Intern
On January 14, 2015

Growing Pains Send Augusta Day Care Operator to the SBDC Shortly after opening a licensed childcare service in her home, Janie Davis needed to expand. “We started in 1996 with six children in my home, but received so many calls that we knew we had to grow,” say Davis, founder and CEO of Children Unique Christian Daycare Center, Inc., in […]

Mary Hester, LAN Systems

Posted by Marketing Intern
On January 14, 2015

Strategic Planning Leads Norcross Technology Firm to Greater Profits After leading an IT department that had won several awards for another technical firm, Mary Hester acquired LAN Systems in January 2008 “We did the kind of IT work people needed,” says Hester, who sports both an M.B.A. and a degree in electrical engineering. “I wanted to take that experience and philosophy and […]