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  • 20 Dec 2019 12:54 PM | Executive Director

    Great times had by all at BABC-Georgia's Annual Christmas Luncheon! This is one of our favourite events each year, and 2019 did not disappoint! 

    Guests enjoyed a fabulous traditional Christmas feast while being serenaded by an incredible musician. Raffle prizes galore, including round trip airfare on Virgin Atlantic! One of the very best parts, that we look forward to all year, is our special BABC rendition of 12 Days of Christmas. Each table joins in and hams it up as they sing their day. Check out the video here...it's hilarious! Prizes are awarded to the table with the best animations/loudest proclamations. 

    See all the photos HERE.

  • 20 Nov 2019 1:10 PM | Executive Director

    What a humbling and eye-opening experience, we can be proud of what we achieved in such little time : we salvaged over 10,000 pounds of food, and made boxes of 8283 meals, in addition to donating $1000! We cannot thank everyone enough! 

    It was incredible to work with all of our Women's Series partners across Atlanta and combine efforts to make a significant impact for Atlanta Community Food Bank! 

    Check out the photos HERE


  • 18 Sep 2019 1:04 PM | Executive Director

    The Lords and Ladies were dressed to the nines and enjoyed cocktails and networking before the movie! Special thanks to Consul General Andrew Staunton for joining us. 

    We were given an advanced copy and were able to arrange an early screening of the film. The Springs Cinema & Taphouse provided excellent appetizers and themed cocktails, and we held a raffle after the film with incredible prizes. 

    This is a great example of the unique programming that BABC-Georgia offers. We hope you'll join us for our future events! 

    Check out the photos HERE

  • 01 Sep 2019 8:00 AM | Executive Director

    “Don't make transactions, make relationships” -Vijay Bahl

     

    Bruce Cotterman and Vijay Bahl both joined the BABC in 2013. In 2017, what had started simply as networking with like-minded businesspeople grew into Bruce helping Vijay and his clients walk through the often-complicated world of visa applications and immigration affairs.

    Anyone who has had to work with USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) will know the importance of a 'Do it once but do it right' approach. Even in cases where it is a simple family petition for a spouse or parent, the crossing the T's & dotting the I's is imperative. Add the complexity of applying for business status with employment opportunities and partnering with professionals becomes a necessity.

    Vijay, who is Broker/Owner, of Lotus Property Investments LLC, needed someone with familiarity to help with EB-5 applications in his growing business. As an experienced EB-5 business plan developer, Bruce, founder of global management business advisory service BAS Group LLC, was a great fit. The partnership allowed Vijay to provide more EB-5 services across the U.S. with a focus in Georgia. For more than two years, the duo has serviced clients seeking EB-5 business plans, ranging across the globe from Bahrain to Vietnam.

    Their story is a perfect example of the partnerships that can develop through being active in the BABC. Often, working as an Expat or a representative for a foreign company can be isolating. Having the support system of others that face the same challenges as you do, or who can address a specific need you may have, is invaluable.

    Both Bruce and Vijay say the reward is having a variety of satisfied clients that trust in the services they are offering, from the moment they realize there is someone there to help them. “Each client is our favorite as their country, business concept, foreign investors, timing and approach differs - with each being interesting as well as challenging,” emphasizes Bruce.  

    A Successful EB-5 (Employment Based 5) Partnership

    The United States offers an Investor “Green Card Holder” Visa Program called EB-5 to encourage foreign investments and economic growth in the U.S. By investing a minimum $500,000 (sourced funds) to finance a business in the United States that will employ at least 10 American workers, eligible Immigrant Investors and their families with children under the age of 21 can become lawful permanent residents. A key initial step for an EB-5 investor is to provide a detailed EB-5 business plan that is legally compliant for submission to the USCIS. This plan must include a strategic employment plan with employment opportunities, hiring dates, responsibilities, and compensations and contributions.

    Successful EB-5 business plans require an advisor who is experienced and knowledgeable with USCIS regulations for establishing businesses, construction, foreign and local financing, cash flow pro-formas, employment, supply chain, market analysis and more. These plans must have significant detail over a month, by month period for the first few years and then extend further over a 5 to 10-year period. Bruce leverages his decades of experience with global clients in building and leading businesses to add crucial information to a plan, including potential ROI and number of jobs expected to be generated, both direct, indirect and induced employment.

    The working relationship between Bruce and Vijay is one of mutual respect for the other’s experience in the world of international business. Vijay especially praises Bruce’s thoroughness in preparing a comprehensive, yet very specific business plan on behalf of the investor client. “Bruce has shown to have the in-depth knowledge and the extra layer of formulating critical data for different business models, specifically to support the critical employment component of the business study. While Bruce's credentials speak for themselves, the way he engages his business relationship is more vital. If you want a seamless experience then let Bruce take the helm and pen the business plan for your needs, in or out of USCIS.”

    Complementary Services

    Vijay brings to the partnership 25 years of commercial real estate knowledge in both England and the United States. Vijay is a board member of the ACBR (Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors) with a niche in the hotel industry. A business, which creates a large interest in the number of domestic & foreign clients applying for EB5 status. He has consulted with international investors and foreign agencies to help facilitate the process in the United States from a wide variety of countries, including Vietnam, India, Germany and Kazakhstan.

    Bruce Cotterman is President Emeritus of BABC of GA and Past President, Managing Director and founder of the BAS Group LLC, a global management business advisory service. He is presently a management and corporate leadership consultant following his sale of BAS’s client base assets to other management firms.

    The BABC congratulates Bruce and Vijay for their successful business partnership. If you are interested in joining the BABC and expanding your networking opportunities with other British businesses and leaders, please contact Lindsay McCabe at exec@babcga.org.


  • 14 Jun 2019 12:19 PM | Melinda Schmiedeknecht

    BABC Corporate member, HLB Gross Collins, hosted our June Lunch and Learn event presented by social media consultant and Director of Business Development, Melinda Schmiedeknecht. Not only did participants walk away with specific actions to improve their business building activities on LinkedIn, but they also were able to network and nurture relationships with fellow BABC members at the event.

      

      

        

      

  • 15 Feb 2019 3:32 PM | Executive Director

    BABC-Georgia in the news! 

    Check out the article HERE 

  • 08 Jan 2019 10:52 AM | Executive Director

    The US is a major trade and investment partner for the UK - by some measures the biggest of all. 

    One issue on President Trump's agenda while he is in Britain will be whether - and how - to deepen that relationship. 

    So just how intertwined are the two economies? 

    As a single country the US is the largest export market for the UK. It is, however, well behind the EU when the bloc is viewed as a single market. 

    There is some logic to viewing the EU in that way, as it has a single external trade policy and most of its members share the same currency. 

    As a supplier of goods and services to the UK, the US comes in second, behind Germany.

    Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44802666

  • 18 Jul 2018 3:32 PM | Executive Director

    BritishAmerican Business responds to keynote on UK trade by Secretary of State for International Trade, the Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox

     

    London – On 18 July 2018, at a speech given at the Royal Society, London, the Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade, the Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox announced that the UK government will be starting formal consultations on a potential free trade agreement with the United States of America (USA). In response, BritishAmerican Business CEO Duncan Edwards made the following statement:

     

     “Today’s speech certainly marks a historic moment in UK-US trade relations as it reflects the ambition of the UK government to strengthen economic ties with the US, the UK’s most important single-country trading partner."

     

    “We welcome the announcement that the US will be one of three priority markets for which the UK Government is launching formal consultations, and we hope that this positive momentum continues in the coming months towards opening a new chapter in economic relations between both countries."

     

    "As this consultation comes in the context of the UK leaving the EU, we also welcome the Secretary’s comment that the UK government is working to maximise the UK’s trade with the rest of the world without impeding its current trade relationship with Europe which is so important for many of our businesses and workers on both sides of the Atlantic.” 

     

BABC-Georgia is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization. 210 N Interstate Pkwy, Atlanta GA 30339
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