Small Business Newsletter March 2018

Did You Know?

"Georgia ranks #5 in US for greatest number of women-owned firms."

(American Express OPEN, 11/17 )

Small Business Mixer

In honor of Georgia's Small Business Week, the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority partnered with the Greater Dalton Chamber to host the annual Small Business Mixer at InventureIT. In addition to bringing some business resources like representatives from the UGA Small Business Development Center, there were also some cool door prizes including an Amazon Echo Dot, Dalton Distillery's Raymond's Reserve, AirPods, and more!

You can read more about this years Small Business Week in this month's edition of Chamberlink magazine.

City OKs Tax District Deal For Walnut Square Mall

"The City Council voted 4-0 Monday night to approve a tax allocation district (TAD) redevelopment agreement with the owners of the mall, Augusta-based Hull Property Group."

Click here to read the entire article.

Haig Mill Park Could Open Before August

"We are scheduled for an August opening, but if the weather cooperates, I think it could be earlier than that," Mayor Mock said.

The park is being built with $5 million from the 2015 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). It will include a 3.1-mile walking/biking trail around the park, fishing piers and a boating dock for paddle boats and canoes, a picnic pavilion, an amphitheater/outdoor classroom and a nature-themed playground."

Click here to read the entire article.

Shaw Feted For His Industrial and Communal Contributions

"On the evening of his induction into the Junior Achievement of Northwest Georgia Business Hall of Fame, Robert E. "Bob" Shaw, founder and chairman of Engineered Floors and co-founder and longtime head of Shaw Industries, was was eager to talk about the future - for himself, for Engineered Floors and for the Dalton area."

Click here to read the entire article.

Robotics Competition 2018

Once again Dalton hosted the largest Robotics competition in the state! 39 teams from around Georgia came to compete. The Dalton Convention Center hosted the free event March 9- 10.

Involved Students Honored as Local STARS

The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program is in its 60th year honoring some of the brightest and highest achieving students and their selected teachers. The program is sponsored by Kiwanis Clubs across the state as well as the Professional Association of Georgia Educators.

Students who are in the top 10 percent of their academic class with the highest SAT score in each school are selected as STAR Students and can select one STAR Teacher who has had a special impact on them.

Click here to read more.

Take Advantage of these FREE Opportunities...
Provided by SCORE

SCORE Northeast GA Business Expo

Friday, March 23rd

at 8:30 A
M EST

The Northeast GA chapter of SCORE will host a SMALL BUSINESS EXPO on March 23, 2018, at Lanier College and Career Academy in Gainesville from 8:30am to 4:00pm. The focus of the Expo will be tools to start or grow your business and various funding options. There is no charge to attend the Expo.

Free of Charge: For more information or to register click HERE.

How to Start Your Business

Friday, March 30th

at 10:00 A
M EST

This introductory workshop focuses on the basics of testing your business idea and identifying the key factors that influence start-up success. Start-up Basics provide you with an overview of the skills and tools needed when deciding to start a business.

Free of Charge: For more information or to register click HERE.

Classes in Your Area...
Sponsored by the Small Business Development Center through UGA.

The SBDC will be holding multiple classes in our area:

March 29: Protect Intellectual Property Rights Overseas (Atlanta, GA)

April 02: SBDC GrowSMART (Atlanta, GA)

April 06: Digital Marketing Conference (Kennesaw, GA)

April 06: Premier Development Program (Atlanta, GA)

Click HERE to learn more!

Grass-Fed Beef Producer Revives Old Business Model and Creates New Jobs
By: Georgia SBDC

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 ago, and he processes his "All Natural Grass-fed Beef" in a USDA-inspected plant on the farm. But it hasn't always been this way.

Click here to read the entire post.