There is a workshop next week, organized by experts who can point business owners to successful outcomes.
This is the 12th year for the CEO Breakfast Workshop, sponsored by the Augusta office of the University of Georgia’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
The two-hour workshop will feature a panel of experts who can address the three topics for this year’s event.
“We’re going to discuss the HR component, the financial component, and the risk assessment component,” Rebecca Mixson, Director for the Augusta office, explained for ABD. “We’re going to talk about some of the things that business owners often overlook when facing these problems or challenges.”
Panel members are:
Lisa Rackley, Area Director of UGA SBDC Macon, discussing human resources, Jason Thornton, Vice President and Commercial Relationship Manager with South State Bank, who will outline lending and keeping good records, William Weston, Account Executive with Blanchard and Calhoun Insurance, who will address liability and workman’s comp.
Mixson, who will moderate the discussions, said this workshop will benefit business owners with at least three employees.
“We have some people that have 300 employees that attend,” she said. Managing employees is a huge component of business ownership that many people that go into business don’t even think about. They’re thinking about their product or their service, but the management and supervision are a huge element of owning a business.”
It is also an ideal educational opportunity for anyone wishing to grow their business.
“Those people that are looking to strategically grow their business through projections and financial input from lenders. And then those who need to cover themselves with risk mitigation for the growth of that business, because many people often say, ‘I’m in business. I need to grow it, because there’s a demand,’ but all of these back-end components need to be aligned before the growth can take place,” said Mixson.
While the primary goal is to educate business owners on how to manage and grow their companies, the workshop is also a rich opportunity for networking.
“Every year we’ve had someone that’s made a good business connection to move forward in their business from that,” she said. “It definitely can be for a startup because it can open their eyes to what they’re going to see in the future. But it is really for those that are already in business that see these challenges firsthand and maybe looking for answers to some of the issues that they have.”
The workshop also puts attendees in contact with staff for the SBDC to learn what ongoing programs the Augusta office can offer.
“We have a 360 review program, and that takes a look at a lot of the aspects of the business, including employment, marketing, staffing, internal controls, financial review, risk assessment, and cost analysis,” Mixson highlighted. “We have a class coming up in February called the Business Scorecard. We’re going to help a business establish a scorecard, a dashboard, if you want to call it, whatever that looks like for them to move forward.”
The workshop will begin at 8 a.m. on Jan. 21 at the Snelling Center on Washington Road. There is a $49 registration fee, and pre-registration is required at https://georgiasbdc.org/
Online registration ends at the close of business today. However, Mixson said anyone who misses the deadline can call the office on Monday at (706) 650-5655 to register by phone.
