Fostering Sustainable Growth for Small Businesses

Joe Zirkel, a business consultant with the UGA SBDC, answers questions from a GrowSmart participant.

On the final day of the UGA Small Business Development Center’s GrowSmart program in Atlanta, a handful of business owners put the finishing touches on their strategic plans. During the five-week program, these entrepreneurs have had the chance to stop and think about how to grow their businesses, while swapping ideas and business cards with like-minded business owners.

“[Being a business owner] can feel lonely sometimes,” says April Wright, co-owner of Cobb County-based marketing agency 524 Creative. “However, just seeing the challenges the others were experiencing made me think, ‘I’m not the only one.’”

Finding the bandwidth for growth

Launching a new business often comes with the surge of excitement of executing fresh ideas and finding early success. But once the initial momentum fades, established owners face the complex task of managing operations, leading teams, and planning for sustainable growth.

Time for strategic thinking gets swallowed by daily urgent demands.

That’s where the University of Georgia steps in. The Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a UGA Public Service and Outreach unit with 18 statewide offices, offers the GrowSmart program. The course prepares seasoned entrepreneurs to take their business to the next level by helping them pause, refocus, and create a roadmap for long-term success with the support of SBDC faculty who have decades of real-world business experience.

Lessons in action

For restaurateur Cesar Correa, timing was everything. After buying out his partners at Rico! Tropical Grill in Kennesaw, he was planning a second location.

“The leadership and management portion [of the program] taught me that I can’t do everything,” he says. “I’ve learned to delegate and train staff so I can focus on growth. GrowSmart showed me how to be a better leader, not just a boss.”

The program gave Correa confidence to expand.

“You need strong foundations before you grow,” he said. “GrowSmart convinced me that now is the time.”

For Charli Mason, GrowSmart was about building a foundation for a new venture. Already a Solution Specialist at New Creation Labels and Packaging, Mason recently co-founded Lemons, a start-up spun off from New Creation to help businesses create and source creative marketing collateral.

“The first module motivated me to bring my co-owners together for a weekend-long strategic planning session,” Mason says. Using tools from the course, they defined their mission, vision, and values. “You can leave GrowSmart and put something you learned into practice that same day.”

She found a finance panel featuring bankers from multiple institutions to be a surprising highlight.

“They were relatable, and that is rare in the finance space,” Mason says. “It changed how I think about funding growth.”

A GrowSmart participant shares her insights during a class discussion focused on business financial planning and identifying key performance indicators.

Supporting Georgia’s business ecosystem

UGA SBDC faculty bring the hard-won lessons of their own experiences—many have launched companies, managed operations, and navigated the same challenges their clients face. That real-world perspective shapes every module, making the program practical and immediately applicable.

“So many business owners find themselves working in the business; they don’t take time to work on the business,” says SBDC faculty and program instructor Robbie Parks.

Using a one-page strategy map, participants identify growth goals and build actionable plans. Modules cover marketing, leadership, finance, and operations, with expert panels offering insights into everything from HR compliance to securing capital.

“Business owners don’t know what they don’t know, and the UGA SBDC provides the education and training to help close those gaps,” says Parks. “That’s the value of GrowSmart.”

Since 2012, nearly 600 business owners have graduated from GrowSmart, fueling Georgia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Participants leave with more than just a plan. They also gain confidence, clarity, and a network of peers who understand the challenges of growth.

“The magic of GrowSmart happens when business owners realize they’re not alone,” Parks says. “They start learning from each other—and that’s when the transformation begins.”