The School of Accountancy at Georgia Southern University is creating a pathway for entrepreneurs to get feedback on accounting and tax issues that they may face. Establishing an effective accounting system is a critical tool for small businesses to successfully track business transactions for performance evaluation and tax reporting. Entrepreneurs need to understand the importance of tracking revenue and expense transactions so that they can make informed decisions related to pricing and future investments. Simultaneously those entrepreneurs need to understand the tax environment in which they operate including self-employment tax, payroll taxes, sales taxes, and how state and federal income taxes will be handled.   

For accounting & taxation assistance, please email: AccountingHelp@georgiasouthern.edu.

Faculty Sponsors:

Dr. Dwight Sneathen                dsneathen@georgiasouthern.edu

Dr. Brian Dowis                         wdowis@georgiasouthern.edu 

Accounting and tax advice available:

• Business structure and tax impacts
• Business information and documentation
• Other business tax issues (self-employment tax, payroll taxes, sales taxes)
• Product Cost, Cost of Goods Sold, Breakeven and Target analysis
• Performance analysis and cash management

Legal support is essential for navigating the incorporation process, understanding regulatory requirements, and ensuring compliance. A partnership with Georgia State University’s law school, which is piloting a legal clinic specifically focused on entrepreneurship will be an important resource in this initiative. This clinic assists students in completing articles of incorporation through the Secretary of State’s Office and addresses legal questions related to startup formation. Making this resource available system-wide would provide consistent legal guidance and reduce barriers for student entrepreneurs.

For legal assistance, please email the faculty sponsors below:

Faculty Sponsors: 

Professor Julian Hill                   jhill152@gsu.edu

Professor Susan Chase             schase@gsu.edu

Transactional legal services offered:

• Entity counseling and formation (i.e., non-profit and for-profit organizations) 
• Governance document drafting (e.g., bylaws, operating agreements, policies) 
• Contract drafting and negotiating (e.g., commercial leases, service contract, loan agreements) 
• Advising on limited local, state, and federal regulatory compliance 
• Limited labor, intellectual property, and tax law advice 

Terry College’s marketing department and Grady College’s Talking Dog Agency, of the University of Georgia will join forces to assist in developing marketing support for entrepreneurial startups within the USG system. 

Marketing is a foundational component of a startup’s success, identifying customers and value propositions, building brand awareness, defining a brand’s identity, differentiating it among competitive offerings, and driving revenue and growth. 

For marketing assistance, please contact Mary.Barto@uga.edu.

Faculty Sponsors:

Scott Cuppari                            Scott.Cuppari@uga.edu 

Mary Ellen Barto                       Mary.Barto@uga.edu

Marketing Advice Available:

• Brand Strategy
• Market Research
• Target customer segments and how to best reach them
• Brand guidelines and logo design
• Website design, copy and analytics
• SEO Best Practices
• Social media and content strategy and performance analysis
• Paid advertising (Google, Meta, etc.)
• Creative advertising strategy
• Public Relations strategy and media pitches
• Tracking and measuring performance
• Working with marketing agencies