university of georgia sbdc Archives

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: 2019 Gwinnett Chamber Small Business Award Winners (1 of 2)

November 20, 2019 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: 2019 Gwinnett Chamber Small Business Award Winners (1 of 2)

00:00 /

“Member Spotlight” features and highlights businesses and business leaders that are members of the Gwinnett Chamber. This month’s episode showcases three of the recent 2019 Gwinnett Small Business Award Winners.

The Gwinnett Chamber’s NEW Small Business Awards showcase those that dare to start, sustain and succeed and the community that supports them. They are the risk-takers, the problem solvers, the dreamers and the doers.

Naveed Tharwani/Gwinnett Drugs (Emerging Entrepreneur Award)

Gwinnett Drugs started out as a mom and pop pharmacy here in Lawrenceville, Georgia, by Gwinnett County natives. Our staff has achieved their dream of creating a modern, interactive pharmacy that provides a high level of quality, care and consultation to our patients. Aside from going the extra mile to ensure we keep our patients up to date and informed on their medications, Gwinnett Drugs is also one of the few sterile compounding pharmacies in the state of Georgia.

Veronica Guobadia/Care4All Children Services (Community Contributor Award)

Care4All Children Services is licensed by the State of Georgia through the Department of Human Services – Office of Regulatory Child Care (DHS – ORCC) to provide placements and social services to children in foster care. The agency holds a contract with the Office of Provider Management (OPM) and partners with the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS).

Care4All Children Services recruits, trains and recommends families to OPM for approval in order to obtain a license to foster children in their homes. Once a home is licensed and children are placed for care, Care4All provides follow up social services to ensure that the basic needs of the children and parents are met. As a Therapeutic Foster Care Agency, Care4All requires more training for parents initially and on-going. The agency also provides more support for children and caregivers. Treatment foster care is preferred over residential or group home-care because it maintains children in family settings, which in turn reduces incidences of trauma. To ensure the safety and security of children, Care4All’s intensive foster parent training includes crisis management and emergency response.

Glenn Kruse/UGA’s Small Business Development Center (Advocate Award)

The University of Georgia’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides tools, training and resources to help small businesses grow and succeed. Designated as one of Georgia’s top providers of small business assistance, the SBDC has 17 offices ranging from Rome to Valdosta to serve the needs of Georgia’s business community. Since 1977, their network of partners has helped construct a statewide ecosystem to foster the spirit, support, and success of hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and innovators.

The Small Business Development Center, a Public Service and Outreach Extension of The University of Georgia, is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Jeannie Moreira with Mosquito Squad of Duluth-Lawrenceville, Mark Butler with the UGA Small Business Development Center, Dawn Poplawski with PCC Innovative Solutions, and Michael Ehmke with Heritage Golf Links

May 22, 2015 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Jeannie Moreira with Mosquito Squad of Duluth-Lawrenceville, Mark Butler with the UGA Small Business Development Center, Dawn Poplawski with PCC Innovative Solutions, and Michael Ehmke with Heritage Golf Links

00:00 /

Mark Butler, Dawn Poplawski, Jeannie Moreira, Michael Ehmke, Mike Sammond

Jeannie Moreira/Mosquito Squad of Duluth-Lawrenceville

Mosquito Squad, known as The Squad”, was recently recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top franchises in the country and the only outdoor pest control organization to make the list. With more than 160 franchise locations nationwide, Mosquito Squad specializes in eliminating mosquitoes and adult ticks and fleas from outdoor living spaces, allowing individuals to enjoy their yards, outdoor living spaces, special events and green spaces.

Mosquito Squad of Duluth-Lawrenceville is locally owned and operated by Jeannie Moreira. Focused on delighting customers, by protecting families and pets from the nuisance and danger of mosquitoes by focusing on the areas of your property where mosquitoes are most likely to feed and harbor. Once applied, Mosquito Squad provides even greater protection as mosquitoes attempt to feed off your greenery, as the residue from the treatment will knock them down as well.

Mark Butler/UGA Small Business Development Center

The mission of the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is to enhance the economic well-being of Georgians by providing a wide range of educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. The SBDC provides one-on-one consulting, continuing education, and access to research for its clients. One-on-one consulting services are provided at no cost to the small business owner.

Dawn Poplawski/PCC Innovative Solutions

PCC Innovative Solutions believes in taking a personal approach by getting to know their clients and a full knowledge of their business to develop the right course of action based on their needs. Their goal is to assist with all your credit and collection needs. They are here to find solutions that will protect your assets and teach you how to manage your accounts receivables.

Michael Ehmke/Heritage Golf Links

Heritage Golf Links is the premier semi-private golf club in the metro Atlanta area. Located in Tucker, Heritage features 27-holes surrounding a 20-acre lake with no encroaching development that provides stunning vistas over our rolling terrain. Complementing their course is an all-grass driving range replete with simulated greens and bunkers. In addition to golfing options, Heritage Golf Links features a full service bar & grill open to the public for lunch and dinner. They look forward to hosting you!

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Mark Farmer with the Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development & Partnership Gwinnett, Mark Butler with the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center, and Peter Hildebrandt with SCORE

April 24, 2015 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Mark Farmer with the Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development & Partnership Gwinnett, Mark Butler with the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center, and Peter Hildebrandt with SCORE

00:00 /

Mark Farmer, Mark Butler, Peter Hildebrandt

Mark Farmer/Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development

The Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development department is tasked with implementing the Partnership Gwinnett initiative, which is the community and economic development strategy for the county. The department works to foster business growth in the county.

Mark Butler/University of Georgia Small Business Development Center

Peter Hildebrandt/SCORE

SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. They have been doing this for over 50 years. Since their work is supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and thanks to a network of over 11,000 volunteers, they are able to deliver their services at no charge or at very low cost. Anyone can sit down for mentoring sessions with a SCORE mentor and it’s always free. The SCORE mentors are all successful business people who have either started their own business or been executives in larger organizations.

Robert J. Yancy with SCORE Atlanta and Lloyd Atkins with University of Georgia SBDC

June 10, 2014 by kristaberutti

Let's Talk Small Business

Robert J. Yancy with SCORE Atlanta and Lloyd Atkins with University of Georgia SBDC

00:00 /

Small business owners, do you have a strategic plan for business growth? How about for succession planning? Learn the how’s and the why’s of these business imperatives during our interview with Lloyd Atkins of the University of Georgia SBDC and Robert Yancy, Ph.D., of SCORE Atlanta. A wealth of FREE information and resources are within your reach! Listen in and then take advantage for the success of your business.

Robert J. Yancy, Ph.D. / SCORE Atlanta

Robert J. Yancy is the current Chairman of SCORE Chapter 48 (SCORE Atlanta). He has been a SCORE volunteer for 8 years.

Yancy retired in 2006, after 23 years as Professor and 15 years as founding Dean of the School of Management at Southern Polytechnic State University. He was elected “Professor Emeritus” and “Outstanding Faculty of the Year” for 2005-2006, and received the university’s nomination to the “University System of Georgia Hall of Fame” in 2006.

During his tenure as an administrator in the University System of Georgia, Dr. Yancy served as Chairman of the Regent’s Council of Business School Deans, and as Chairman of the Regent’s Advisory Committee on Graduate Affairs.

Prior to working at Southern Polytechnic he served the faculties of the University of West Georgia, Clark Atlanta University, Hampton University, Albany State University, and Southern University.

He has a number of research publications relating to small business and management, including a six-part series entitled “Managing Business” that appeared in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, and a book entitled Federal Government Policy and Black Business Enterprise. He also co-authored (with Dr. Edward D. Irons) a series of case studies on African American entrepreneurs.

Dr. Yancy’s business experience includes the following: partner in Park Space, an airport shuttle parking facility in Atlanta; ownership/management of residential rental properties, President and CEO of ZEBRA Corp., a pioneering manufacturer of industrial paints and coatings, and consultant with FRANNET (a franchise sales organization). He is currently managing partner of Yancy’s Place LLC an on-line referral service for home healthcare. He has also consulted for a number of businesses, large and small.

Dr. Yancy has participated in the Babson College, “Seminar in Entrepreneurial Education” and has done post-graduate work in Higher Education Administration. He earned the B.A. degree from Morehouse College, the M.B.A. from Atlanta University, and the Ph.D. from the Northwestern University, “Kellogg School of Management”. (He defended his Ph.D. dissertation on the day before his 29th birthday).

Dr. Yancy is a member of a number of civic and community oriented organizations including100 Black Men of Atlanta, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, SCORE, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. He is listed in a number of reference publications including; “Who’s Who in Finance and Industry in America,” “Outstanding Young Man in America,” “Who’s Who in the South and Southwest,” the “International Directory of Distinguished Leadership,” “Black Georgian of the Year in Business,” “Pioneer Businessman of the Year’,” and “Living Legends in Black.”

Lloyd Atkins / University of Georgia SBDC

Lloyd Atkins is a consultant with the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center’s Office of Minority Business Development. Prior to joining the staff of the Office of Minority Business Development, Mr. Atkins was a business consultant with the Georgia State University SBDC in Atlanta for 26 years. He is an experienced small business

advisor specializing in procurement issues. Atkins has made presentations on the subject at the ASBDC Annual Conferences and more recently at the Association of Procurement Assistance Centers Annual Spring Training Conference in Atlanta in April 2013. Additionally, Atkins does quarterly workshops on SBA 8(a) certification for the SBA Georgia

District office as well as other certification workshops for SBDC offices around the state of Georgia.