Scott Beckwith, VP and Director of Sales & Marketing for  Southern Capital Mortgage Group (GA & FL) was our guest today. An expert in residential lending up and down the east coast, Scott brings many years of experience linking mortgagees with specialty lenders, private lenders and traditional mortgage firms. An owner of his own 11 state mortgage company, Scott helped many hundreds of new homeowners find the perfect mortgage.

The experience of going through good times and tough times before gives Scott an advantage, he has developed many direct sources of funding besides the mortgage companies, a distinct advantage when serving jumbo loans with special situations and homeowners with unique needs.

With private sourcing and multiple conventional sources, Scott does the legwork for you to find the very best mortgage product for your situation. As a direct writer, you won’t be working with a faceless committee in Timbuktu who sees you as “application #1,434,330,911 C”.  For those with special situations, Scott and  his company are the go to guys.

First time homeowner? Figure a mortgage is impossible? Scott has been very successful matching new homeowners up with mortgage products and putting them in a home. In fact, Scott admits that helping people get the financing for their home is a huge reward and why he has loved every minute of the 17 years he’s been in the business.

Freddie or Fannie mortgage holder? Have you checked what HARP can do for your payments? Go online at www.scmgonline.com and use their HARP calculator to see how HARP can benefit you.

Refinance? You should also talk to Scott and his team first. Maybe your best solution financially is to not refinance, they’ll work the numbers to show you what is the right course for you… even if it means forgoing a loan they could have made.

But then, that’s Scott’s attitude and one of the things that sets Southern Capital Mortgage Group apart – putting their client first and doing what’s very best for them.

You can contact Scott at 678-905-9605 email: sbeckwith@scmgonline and on the web at www.scmgonline.com.

Today’s show investigates how to best staff, hire, motivate, retain and lead high performance teams in growing companies and cost-effective solutions for today’s distributed workforce that provide the high level of administrative support as enjoyed in the best corporate offices (maybe even better).

Randall Lucius, Ph.D. with the Turknett Leadership Group was in the studio today along with the Gurl Friday Services team of Theresa Widmann and Victoria Hunter. Both are experts in helping expanding businesses deal with growth and a more demanding work environment. Randy’s company does that by applying the tools of Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology to optimize the interactions and management of people while the other brings the host of support services growing companies need to run a business smoothly, efficiently while minimizing their costs.

Dr. Lucius is Vice President of Turknett Leadership Group, and Director of the Human Performance Division. He has over 15 years of progressive consulting experience that spans such diverse areas as executive assessment and coaching, job analysis, competency modeling, employee selection, litigation support, performance management, 360 degree feedback, frame-of-reference training, organizational re-structuring, employee opinion surveys, personality assessment, and leadership development. He has worked for numerous organizations of all sizes and types from small to the Fortune 500, government agencies, and non-profit.

He is a graduate of The University of Georgia with a doctorate degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Prior experiences include Employee Relations specialist with United Parcel Service, research director for the Center for Leadership and Career Studies at Emory University, Research Director for Fitability, and Project Manager for Applied Psychological Techniques.

Dr. Lucius is the co-author of the Fitability 5, a personality-based assessment administered to over a quarter-million individuals across the U.S. Dr. Lucius’ co-founded Organizational Diagnostics Online, a company acquired by Fitability in 2001.

Dr. Lucius is a licensed psychologist, has served as an adjunct faculty member at Oglethorpe University, and once served as the President for the Atlanta Society of Applied Psychology.

You’ll want to find out how professionals can dramatically transform individual, team and company effectiveness, innovation, nimbleness and creativity and transform small, medium and large firms into fearsome competitors.

Explaining that many small family firms and even companies with 4 or 5 individuals can afford their services and set themselves up to avoid conflicts while maximizing individual contribution…

I/O psychology is heavily business based and focused and is assuredly not the stereotypical “on the couch, chin-stroking” type of psychologist asking about your childhood. The Turknett Leadership Group works to improve the business effectiveness of senior executives, manager and employees using the principles of psychology. This approach helps people understand themselves and their coworkers better, assemble the right teams of the right people and form cohesive, goal oriented teams that excel, compete and win. A necessity in today’s ever more competitive international business community.

You can reach Dr.Randy Lucius at 770-270-1723 rlucius@turknett.com and online at www.turknett.com.

The  “Gurl Friday Services” team delivers the suite of services today’s distributed business can’t get along without. Teleworkers, remote sales agents operating from small offices and home offices, startups and many growing businesses need administrative support for accounting and bookkeeping, managing email, setting appointments, making travel and event arrangements, dealing with expense reports, taming accounts receivable and accounts payable, correspondence, etc., but they can’t afford to nor they need all those people full time, sitting around and costing money.

They need a service that delivers an on demand, al la carte menu of business services at reasonable prices. That’s what Gurl Friday Services does for their customers.

Both Theresa and Victoria have broad experience and backgrounds with large and small companies and they and their team of people bring put business expertise and experience in the hands the small companies while saving them money over other alternatives.

If you are being buried in the details, tax time means reaching for the grocery bag of receipts, you have a big marketing program and need to send out a thousand invitations, plan a conference or the pile of to-do’s is robbing you of handling your real business and has you working in, not on, your business, then you’ll want to call your own Gurl Friday.

Contact Theresa Widmann at 770-315-8613 theresa@gurlfridayservices.com and Victoria Hunter at 678-643-3132 victoria@gurlfridayservices.com and on the web at www.gurlfridayservices.com

Our two guests today were Yvonne Riner with Uber Trade LLC, who explains the advantages of using barter in your business, including using it to get new clients. And, Todd Burkhalter, a Financial Planner and Partner at Ashworth & Sullivan Wealth Management Group, who discusses how financial planning can help individuals and families meet their goals for wealth creation, preservation and create a legacy.

Yvonne Riner is the Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Uber Trade LLC, an online barter exchange based in Alpharetta.  With over 500 members and 25 non-profit members, Yvonne and her husband Preston have plans to rapidly expand their concept nationwide.

Business owners are consistently challenged to do more with less and to seek ‘multiple’ and ‘creative ways’ to promote their business. The times of relying on one medium as your revenue source no long exist.  Find out how business owners are introducing ‘bartering’ as a new marketing channel and means to more to their bottom line when you listen to Yvonne discuss Uber Trade and how you can use it too.

If you are a non-profit, you’ll certainly want to tune in and learn how non-profits are using barter as a way to raise money and gain support for their causes.

Yvonne says she is a transplant from Florida, and a GA Bulldog alum where she earned her Executive MBA. She serves as a board member and an ambassador for the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce, volunteers with the Alpharetta Business Association, is an ambassador for the UGA MBA Alumni,  and as marketing co-chair for the Hospitality Industry Ministry. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish Riner Associates, which provides marketing and business services for local non-profits.

You can contact Yvonne at ypriner@comcast.net or 770-329-3276. Their website is www.UberTrade.com.

Todd Burkhalter, partner in Ashworth & Sullivan Wealth Management Group, is a standout among wealth managers having been named five times as an Atlanta Magazine Five Star Wealth Manager for Best in Client Satisfaction in 2008 through 2011 and now again in 2012. Five Star Best In Client Satisfaction Wealth Managers are selected as a result of a rigorous research process. The resulting list represents no more than 4% of the wealth managers within a specific market area. Also, in 2010 named as a Top Wealth Manager in the Southeast by Newsweek Magazine. In 2011 and 2012, was recognized by The National Association Of Insurance and Financial Advisors as a member of The Top 40 Advisors Under 40 in Atlanta. These recognitions and awards are indicative of the passion he has for helping others achieve more reflect the skill, depth of expertise and competence of the team backing up Todd in serving his clients.

Todd says he’s been privileged to assist families, business owners, and professionals in realizing their financial dreams. Through a commitment to excellence, he has been fortunate to build a solid client base throughout the United States, which continually expands through referrals from satisfied clients.

Saying his company is very focused on serving its current customers best by understanding their needs, goals and situation in depth, Todd emphasizes their dedication to in-depth personal service to clients is a defining difference between his company and so many other. That, and their philosophy of costing a client a net of zero through sage investing, wise management of assets and careful planning gives you yet another reason to contact Todd.

You can reach him at 404.429.4132 On the Web: www.toddburkhalter.com or at www.ashworthsullivan.com Email him at: todd@ashworthsullivan.com

Timothy McFadden, Club President Atlanta for CEOSpace and Gene Hammett, Business Coach with Core Elevation were our guests. Our show today focused on ways business owners can dramatically grow their businesses. Each guest explained powerful strategies you can put to work to dramatically improve your business results.

Timothy McFadden explained CEOSpace is a new form of a trade show where you meet top executives and business owners face to face, developing new customers and making contacts who will refer business to you.

With a blend of local meetings and several national meet-ups each year, CEOSpace provides a blend of high level networking between company owners as well as CE Credits in many industries in every state. It is why the annual meeting attracts hundreds of top business people, educators and governmental leaders including John Kerry and Barack Obama who have spoken at their meetings.

They give back with a program for students in high school and college where 90% of their fee is paid. Imagine the life-altering experience spending a few days meeting with people who are successful business owners, heads of major corporations and top governmental leaders would do for the future of your son or daughter.

CEOSpace’s structured combination of networking, education and deal making fulfills an important function and is something progressive business owners and parents who understand the value of exchanging ideas and meeting other successful business owners and civic leaders will want to learn more about.

You can reach Timothy at 404-775-9606, email tmm@ceospaceatlanta.com or the web www.ceospaceatlanta.com.

Gene Hammett, Business Coach and owner of CORE Elevation, specializes in helping business owners grow their business using a four step process so they see sales grow and their company thrive.

A successful business owner before he turned to coaching, Gene brings the mindset of a former entrepreneur and business owner to coaching and his orientation toward promotion, differentiation, growth through purposeful action and commitment. His unique program is an outgrowth of his experiences in his business… and with having his own business coach. He credits that decision with being one of the major reasons he was doubling sales year over year. Today, he has two coaches working with him because a coach makes even a coach more effective and focused.

Gene has a special focus on the web and digital world of programmers, web developers and creative agencies but has clients in other businesses as well. His focus on the digital sector gives him an understanding of the unique challenges of those companies and the jargon used. In a word, he understands.

If you are serious about changing the results in your business this year, you’ll want to talk with Gene or catch one of his free webinars.  You can reach Gene at 678-242-9957 or email gene@corelevation.com and www.coreelevation.com.

Web development has come a long way since the early 90’s when sites were hand crafted and developers were designers and coders and sites were carved seemingly in granite, rarely changed and seldom being more than an electronic version of an old business phone directory ad.

Wow, has all that changed! Today sites are dynamic and evolving continually, content is user updateable by almost anyone who can use Word. Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines use  fresh content and social media as part of deciding where your website will rank when people search.

How sites are developed has also matured with free “open source” technology platforms that streamline web development so for a fraction of what things cost back when, your site can have Facebook like features, shopping carts, catalogs, photo and video galleries, event management….

You no longer need to start with a blank sheet of paper to add features and extend capabilities so you reduce risk and increase ROI.  There are well over 10,000 “plug ins” – ready to use code – today that you can use to add features like those for just a few dollars  None the less, it still requires IT professionals who know the technology and who come with the skill to extend or modify how things work to meet business requirements.

Now one of Atlanta’s largest web development companies, if not the largest, 3by400.com was founded by long time IT professional, Brent Laminac and his partners, at the end of GA 400 back in the early 2000’s and hence the 3by400 name. A GA Tech Grad in Physics, Brent teaches continuing education classes for Emory and GA Tech and many owe their careers to him.

3×400 has developed countless sites and applications for some of Atlanta’s top organizations and have a reputation for creating and delivering responsive sites that meet business needs. In fact, Brent says that one of the challenges business owners face is finding a developer who has an in-depth knowledge of business to guide and help them think through what to have on their site, how to make their firm stand out and get viewers to take the step of buying or contacting the company.

Go to the 3×400 website at www.3by400.com or call 678-379-9321 for complete information.

The Royak Group, headquartered in Johns Creek, helps companies, large and small, find skilled technology professionals who are a perfect fit to the culture while possessing the technology background and business skills to do the job.  Direct placement of candidates, retained search, career guidance and a broad range of business oriented services for technology dependent companies set The Royak Group apart from other firms.

Tim Brennan, Latonya Jackson Cecile Francis and Todd Tolford are recruiters for The Royak Group who explain what makes their company consistently get rehired by firms and recommended while candidates tell their friends and colleagues that when the time for a career change is needed, they must work with this company.

The Royak Group takes on the task of finding top performers who are technically solid so firms see great matches, even in a highly competitive hiring market like today and candidates go on interviews that result in offers.

The recruiters say their secret is their company’s disciplined, person and client centric and data driven approach that puts people and culture front and center. This helps create a perfect fit between employer and candidate.  Helping find those hidden technology wizards is the firm’s detailed database of people they have interviewed and placed, all available to fill positions or to recommend people who are a great fit.

Working with candidates and the hiring companies, there is a strong focus on ensuring there is cultural, personal and career fit before anyone ever interviews. They do that through a 19 point process that includes fact to face interviews and screening of candidates so no one wastes time running to interviews or sorting through stacks of electronic applications.

In other words, The Royak Group delivers time-efficient, comprehensive solutions for both clients and candidates. Following up with them and helping put people where they can excel.

Beyond recruiting, The Royak Group has a solutions consulting group who can bring teams of technologists together on a project basis to help firms take on critical projects on an as needed basis.

You can find the full story and reach The Royak Group at www.theroyakgroup.com or call 770-772-5111.