

FREE COVID-19 Safety Training to Georgia Restaurants
ATLANTA, GA: The Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA), working with Atlanta-based digital learning company MLevel, is offering THRIVE Georgia – a training program that allows businesses with up to 500 employees in the Georgia restaurant sector to educate their employees virtually on the latest state regulations to ensure they are compliant and safe.
THRIVE Georgia courses cover dining room configuration and layout; employee safety; and environmental safety and sanitation, ensuring employees understand what is expected of them and to keep themselves and their colleagues safe.
For 10 weeks, restaurants will have access to complimentary training, developed in collaboration with various restaurant and legal partners, and the powerful analytics on the MLevel platform. The goal of the training is to quickly achieve content mastery and for everyone in the restaurant to feel better prepared to get back to business. Updates to content will be made in real-time as Georgia regulations evolve with the nature of the pandemic.
Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp signed an order, effective June 16, 2020, relaxing some restrictions on restaurants. In restaurants and dining rooms, there is no longer a party maximum for the number of people who can sit together, according to the governor’s office. There is no longer a limit on the number of patrons allowed per square foot. Workers at restaurants, dining rooms, banquet facilities, private event facilities, and private reception venues are only required to wear face coverings when they are interacting with patrons. In a bar, now you can have fifty people – up from twenty-five – or thirty-five percent of total listed fire capacity, whichever is greater. For salad bars and buffets, a worker can use cafeteria-style service to serve patrons or the establishment can provide hand sanitizer, install a sneeze guard, enforce social distancing, and regularly replace shared utensils to allow patron self-service.
“Safety is and has always been our industry’s number one priority. It is a critical time for restaurants to do everything they can to elevate customer confidence, including employee education,” said GRA CEO Karen Bremer. “The THRIVE Georgia COVID-19 mitigation training program perfectly aligns with Governor Kemp’s latest executive order, and will continue to be updated as regulations change. This is an opportunity I hope every restaurant in Georgia takes advantage of.”
To apply, businesses simply need to visit the THRIVE Georgia website and fill out the waiver and information form. Once submitted, applicants will receive their login credentials within two business days from the MLevel team. Upon competition, restaurants will receive a THRIVE Georgia certificate to display in the restaurant.
“We are excited to be able to partner with the Georgia Restaurant Association and help our fellow small business owners reopen. We want to provide confidence to our fellow community members in Georgia so they can return to enjoying the pleasure of eating out and support our local businesses,” said MLevel CEO Jordan Fladell.
About MLevel: MLevel is an industry leading, digital learning platform based in Atlanta. Utilizing microlearning and gamification backed by powerful analytics, they empower their clients and learners to achieve job mastery. Learn more at www.mlevel.com.
About the Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA): The GRA’s mission is to serve as the voice for Georgia’s Restaurants in Advocacy, Education and Awareness. The GRA is sanctioned by the National Restaurant Association (NRA) to operate Georgia’s only not-for-profit representing the state’s foodservice industry. From large chains to start-ups, the GRA helps make Georgia a better place for restaurants to do business and helps make restaurants better for Georgia. For more information, visit www.garestaurants.org.
FREE Courses and Resources from ServSafe®
New, free, on-demand training videos: ServSafe Takeout, ServSafe Delivery, ServSafe Reopening Guidelines
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Learn Simple, Effective Marketing Success Secrets on Aug. 21



Diane Conklin is an internationally known author, entrepreneur, coach, consultant, marketing and business strategist, implementation specialist and speaker.
Find out how you can harness a simple, effective marketing strategy to grow your business when internationally known author, marketing and business strategist Diane Conklin speaks on Wednesday, Aug. 21, to the Georgia Association of Business Brokers. The GABB is the state’s largest association of professionals dedicated to buying and selling businesses and franchises.
Diane’s topic, “Marketing Success Secrets: How To Grow Your Business & Attract More Ideal Clients With Simple, Effective Marketing Strategies,” will include tips specifically aimed at business brokers and their clients.
The GABB meets at the Georgia Association of Realtors at 6065 Barfield Road, Sandy Springs, GA, 30328, and the meeting will last from 10:30 a.m. to noon preceded by a free light breakfast networking session at 9:45 a.m. Rob Tamburri, CPA PFS, managing partner of Balog + Tamburri, CPAs, is the sponsor of the meeting.
Diane is a direct response marketing expert who specializes in showing business owners how to turn their businesses into money making machines using rapid profit acceleration, leveraged business growth and strategic implementation by integrating their online and offline marketing strategies, media and methods, to get maximum results from their marketing dollars with Complete Marketing Systems.
For more than 25 years Diane has been leading small businesses to bigger profits through her coaching, consulting, marketing funnels, systems, live events and by providing done-for-you services to clients all over the world. As the founder of Complete Marketing Systems, Diane has been involved in many campaigns grossing over $1,000,000.00 several times in her career, and she routinely helps people grow businesses to six figures, and beyond. Diane was voted Glazer-Kennedy Marketer of the Year for her innovative marketing strategies and campaigns and was nominated for Atlanta Business Woman of the Year.
The monthly meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. and is preceded at 9:45 a.m. by a free light breakfast and networking session. There is networking with coffee and pastries from about 9:45 to 10:30 and the meeting will last from about 10:30 to somewhere between 11:30 and noon.
The GABB is the state’s largest and oldest association of professionals who specialize in brokering the purchase and sale of businesses and franchises. Broker members help owners determine the asking price of their business, create marketing plans and strategies for selling their business, identify and qualify buyers, and have the knowledge, experience and skills needed to help maintain the confidential nature of the process. The professionals of GABB relentlessly pursue professional development so they can provide superior, ethical services for all customers and clients. Affiliate members include bankers, lawyers, appraisers, insurers and other professionals who work closely with brokers to help owners and buyers get to the closing table.
For more information about GABB, please contact GABB President Dean Burnette at 912-247-3209 or dean@b3brokers.com, or GABB Executive Director Diane Loupe at diane@gabb.org or 404-374-3990.


Business Buying Scams to Avoid


1. They want you to hold money in your escrow account (usually a large dollar amount so the deal is attractive). The risk is that the deal or client requires you to transfer some or all of the money out of your account before you bank has time to verify the funds are legit and can cover the transfer. This actually happened to a Georgia attorney awhile back and it was in the AJC. Talk about bad publicity for the attorney who got suckered; he was very embarrassed.
2. The transaction involves an overseas or out-of-state company wanting to do a deal with either an individual or a business in located Georgia, and they need a Georgia attorney or other professional to represent them.


Embracing Technology to Boost Your Business
Technology can help business owners get top dollar when selling their business, according to Keith Gregg, Chairman/CEO of Chalice Wealth Partners, a San Diego-based wealth tech member organization for independent wealth advisors.
Gregg, in February 8, 2019 article in Forbes, “Using Tech to Enhance and Sell a Business,” says some small business owners limit their search for a potential buyer to their professional network or rely on an appraisal service to determine what their business is worth. He writes that the right technology can help avoid these pitfalls. He explains how important it is to address three important areas before placing your business on the market.
Upgrading Systems
Before looking for a buyer, Gregg recommends upgrading aging software and hardware. Upgrading systems can be particularly important for attracting younger buyers. It is common for businesses to be successful without proprietary technology or procedures, but that doesn’t mean that technology should be ignored.
Important information should be digitized, as this data will be vital for the new owner to grow the business over the long haul. Incorporating software that can track and analyze data across the business is likewise valuable. Using software, such as customer relationship management and financial management software, will showcase that your business has been modernized.
Business Valuations
Determining the value of your business can be tricky and laborious. Gregg recommends opting for a professional business valuation, as he feels, “business valuation calculations can remove much of the guesswork from the process.”
You should expect a business valuation calculator to include everything from verified data on comparable business deals, including gross income and cash flow figures and more. There are even industry-specific calculations that can be used as well. The main point that Gregg wants to convey is that business owners should use tangible and proven data to sell their businesses. Like upgrading systems appeals to younger buyers, the same holds true for using verified data to sell.
Take Advantage of the Digital Marketplace
Gregg’s view is that perhaps the single greatest technology for business owners to leverage is that of the digital marketplace. Sites that link businesses with prospective buyers can help to streamline and expedite the sales process. Through such sites, it is possible to go deeper than a specific industry and even explore sub-sectors, thus enhancing the chances of finding the right buyer.
Technology can be used to help sell businesses in a variety of ways. An experienced and proven business broker will leverage a whole range of tools to assist business owners when selling their businesses. When you opt for a proven business broker, you can expect to receive offers from serious and vetted buyers and, in the process, save a great deal of time while maintaining confidentiality.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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Marketing Strategist to Speak Aug. 21



Diane Conklin is an internationally known author, entrepreneur, coach, consultant, marketing and business strategist, implementation specialist and speaker.
Find out how you can harness a marketing strategy to grow your business when internationally known author, marketing and business strategist Diane Conklin speaks on Wednesday, Aug. 21, to the Georgia Association of Business Brokers. The GABB is the state’s largest association of professionals dedicated to buying and selling businesses and franchises.
The GABB meets at the Georgia Association of Realtors at 6065 Barfield Road, Sandy Springs, GA, 30328, and the meeting will last from 10:30 a.m. to noon preceded by a free light breakfast networking session at 9:45 a.m. Rob Tamburri, CPA PFS, managing partner of Balog + Tamburri, CPAs, is the sponsor of the meeting.
Diane is a direct response marketing expert who specializes in showing business owners how to turn their businesses into money making machines using rapid profit acceleration, leveraged business growth and strategic implementation by integrating their online and offline marketing strategies, media and methods, to get maximum results from their marketing dollars with Complete Marketing Systems.
For more than 25 years Diane has been leading small businesses to bigger profits through her coaching, consulting, marketing funnels, systems, live events and by providing done-for-you services to clients all over the world. As the founder of Complete Marketing Systems, Diane has been involved in many campaigns grossing over $1,000,000.00 several times in her career, and she routinely helps people grow businesses to six figures, and beyond. Diane was voted Glazer-Kennedy Marketer of the Year for her innovative marketing strategies and campaigns and was nominated for Atlanta Business Woman of the Year.
The monthly meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. and is preceded at 9:45 a.m. by a free light breakfast and networking session. There is networking with coffee and pastries from about 9:45 to 10:30 and the meeting will last from about 10:30 to somewhere between 11:30 and noon.
The GABB is the state’s largest and oldest association of professionals who specialize in brokering the purchase and sale of businesses and franchises. Broker members help owners determine the asking price of their business, create marketing plans and strategies for selling their business, identify and qualify buyers, and have the knowledge, experience and skills needed to help maintain the confidential nature of the process. The professionals of GABB relentlessly pursue professional development so they can provide superior, ethical services for all customers and clients. Affiliate members include bankers, lawyers, appraisers, insurers and other professionals who work closely with brokers to help owners and buyers get to the closing table.
For more information about GABB, please contact GABB President Dean Burnette at 912-247-3209 or dean@b3brokers.com, or GABB Executive Director Diane Loupe at diane@gabb.org or 404-374-3990.
Meeting Attendance
People who are not GABB members may sign up to let us know they will attend a GABB meeting.