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When the Columbus Lions were announced in 2006, the local owners held a minority position in the team. On April 26, 2007, John Hargrove, co-owner of the Columbus Lions, made the following announcement:

"We are excited to announce the Columbus Lions are now wholly owned by our local partners," said John Hargrove. "We are owned locally, many of our players are local and we focus on bringing a quality family event to the community." The Columbus Lions are in first place in the World Indoor Football League.

John Hargrove, co-owner of the Columbus Lions, announced on April 26, the team is now completely locally owned. Fellow owners are Tom Hargrove, Joe and Angela Wagenti, Kike and Skip Seda, Keith Norred and Shep Mullin.

Joining Mr. Hargrove in Lions ownership are Tom Hargrove, Joe and Angela Wagenti, Kike and Skip Seda, Keith Norred and Shep Mullin.

"We are focusing our efforts on making the game an event for families and the community," said Hargrove.

Plaza Barber Shop named Hometown Hero for May

Linda Wall received the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce Hometown Hero Award at the May 10 Power Lunch. Wall became the third owner of the Plaza Barber Shop 2 years ago though the Plaza Barber Shop first opened its doors in May 1957.

Plaza Barber Shop first opened its doors in May 1957. Celebrating 50 years of service, Plaza Barber Shop is one of the oldest continuously run barber shops in the Chattahoochee Valley. Plaza Barber Shop is eager to serve the Columbus area for another half century. Plaza Barber Shop has maintained and proudly serves many long-term patrons while expanding its client base through quality and customer service.

Linda Wall graduated from Phoenix, Arizona Cosmetology School in 1968. After styling hair for 23 years and working for others, she decided to make a change. She got away from chemical hair treatments and styling and went back to school. Attending Kincheloe Barber College in Tucson, she learned and mastered the art of the strait razor. Following graduation in 1991, she immediately opened her own barbershop. The shop grew quickly and became one of the busiest barber shops in the area. However, Linda was seeking a "greener" place to retire. Her youngest son, Mark had settled in Columbus after getting out of the Army. This inspired Linda to research the Columbus market and utilize the services of the BOSS office at the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce.

Linda sold her shop in Arizona and in 2005, she and son Mark bought Plaza Barber Shop.

To be eligible for the Hometown Hero award, recipients must be members of the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce, have a current business license, be locally owned or operated and have been in business for at least one year. For more information, please contact Marie Cordero at mcordero@columbusgachamber.com or 706-327-1566.

What's in a Name… A Domain Name, That Is.
Mark Lupo SBDC Consultant, Columbus, GA

The process by which one can set up an online identity for a business has simplified in recent years. Now, with a click of a few buttons, one can have a website up and going within hours and at minimal cost

As you set up an online identity, one of your first and most important decisions will be what name to use online. This particular collection of letters, words and/or numbers is known as your domain name, and can range anywhere from 1 letter to as many as are appropriate. The domain name is actually linked to a series of numbers (IP address) that locates your particular domain name on the Internet. The words are simply an easier way for us to remember where you are located. Each domain name is composed of a series of letters and/or numbers, separated by periods (dots). The right most label, which we know as .com or .org, for example, is called the top level domain, or TLD. Traditionally, ".com" TLD's are more popular, easier to remember, and more commonly chosen for commercial businesses, thus easier for your customers to find you.

Through the years, different people throughout the world have purchased the right to use certain words for their domain names and to develop web sites around those names. Even though you might have a certain word, or group of words, that you would like to use to name your website, the availability of those words might be in question. Therefore, one of the first things you want to do is to begin searching for your domain name.

When one does a search on www.google.com for 'domain name search', the search engine delivers 304,000,000 different results. This tells us there a number of web sites dedicated to allowing you to search for your domain name. For example, a person can go to one of the more commonly accessed of these sites and search to see if a particular domain name is available to purchase. The search is free and one can search for as many different names as they would like. If a particular name has already been acquired, the site will let you know. Many times, if a site is owned by someone else, you may approach the existing owner of a domain name and make an offer to purchase the name from them. You must use caution and go through a reputable site to complete this transaction, though it is a rather simple process. Domain names have been purchased from a few dollars into the millions of dollars. The value of a site all has to do with how appealing, how memorable, and how well known that site is or could be.

If your domain name is available, the search site will let you know and will also provide you a way in which to purchase the rights to that name for a duration from one year to 9 years, on the spot, for around $3.00 to $30.00 per year (depending on the site and the services that might come along with the name purchase). Most sites these days are set up to auto renew the following year so you do not lose your site to someone else who might want it. There's nothing worse than to acquire a domain, build a web site around it, start conducting business online, only to have the rights to your domain name expire within a year or two and to have someone else acquire the rights to use it.

So, as you begin the process to develop your website, you want to first start thinking of what name you want to use. I even recommend to my clients to really brainstorm for particular names and if there is one that you really want, and it is taken, think of variations of that name; something that potentially relates to your product or service, is relatively short, and which is easy for your customer to remember. Since domain names have become so popular, be aware that most of the one-word domain names have already been purchased.

I also encourage those of you desiring to set up a web site to acquire not only the domain name of your choice, but also other names that are close to your domain name in spelling or sound. If a particular customer only remembers part of your web site name, or misspells it, would they find you, or your competitor?

So, to begin doing business online starts with identifying what name, or names, you want to use for your web site, searching for that name, purchasing the rights to use that name, and insuring that your name will be secure each year through an auto renewal program. The process of purchasing the rights to a domain name is simple, fairly inexpensive, and can be completed before you actually need your site. If you have an idea for a domain name, acquire that name as soon as you determine it is available and you can afford it. Names are being purchased daily, and that special one you have in mind might not be available tomorrow. Your domain name can then wait until you decide to develop it with a web site. Start today in building your dream business on-line and purchase your first domain name.