Client Pictured:
Evans General Contractors 

 Pictured above: Maura McKenna (left), SVP of Corporate Banking, Sonny Deriso (middle), Chairman of Atlantic Capital Bank, and Tim Evans (right), President of Evans General Contractors.  

 

 Evans General Contractors is a 12 year old privately held company that provides comprehensive design/build and general contracting services to corporate, institutional and developer clients. They are committed to meeting their clients' needs and exceeding their expectations by delivering quality facilities, on schedule, at the most competitive prices.


Visit the Evans General Contractors website: evansgeneralcontractors.com

 

New Team Member 
Atlantic Capital Bank is pleased to announce that
Nathan Ottinger has joined the bank as SVP, Corporate Financial Services.  
 
Contact Nathan at
404.995.0223 
 
Follow us on Linkedin and Twitter
For up-to-date news and the latest Knowledge Center articles, 
follow us:
 
Twitter: @atlcapbank

 

Linkedin Company Page:
linkedin.com/company/atlantic-capital-bank
 
Catch us on WSB radio 
Atlantic Capital Bank sponsors the Closing Bell report on WSB radio (95.5FM and AM750). Listen at 6pm weeknights to hear a message from Doug Williams and other members of the Atlantic Capital Bank team. 

Popmoney:  
The fast way to send money online - to anyone!
Popmoney
Popmoney is a fast and secure person-to-person payment service that lets you send money to another individual's bank account through ACB's online bill pay service.  Use Popmoney to reimburse a friend for dinner, send money to a child at college, pay a babysitter, and more!
 
To learn more, visit atlcapbank.com/popmoney
 
Contact Us
Atlantic Capital Bank
3280 Peachtree Road NE
Suite 1600
Atlanta, GA 30305
404.995.6050
atlanticcapitalbank.com

Atlantic Capital Bank's eNewsletter

First Quarter, 2013

Economic and Business Outlook
Equity Markets Hit New Highs; Will the Economy Follow?
by Doug Williams, President and CEO of Atlantic Capital Bank
Doug Williams
Douglas Williams, President and CEO of Atlantic Capital Bank
US equity markets are robust with the Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting new highs and other major market indices surging near historic peaks; however, economic data remain mixed and most economic forecasters expect 2013 US GDP growth of around 2%.  What accounts for this divergence of performance and are financial markets indicating a brighter future than economists expect?

Since 2008, first in response to the global financial crisis, and more recently in efforts to stimulate a weak economic recovery, major central banks have flooded markets with liquidity.  Through aggressive open market operations and an accommodative bank reserve policy, the Federal Reserve System has grown its balance sheet by 243% since the end of 2007.  Artificially low interest rates have driven investors out of cash and short term maturities to the riskier environs of longer bond maturities, speculative grade debt, and equities in search of higher returns.

Equities and riskier fixed income investments have performed well on the strength of this flow of funds, but without a corresponding improvement in general economic fundamentals, these returns are unlikely to be sustained, at least at the current pace.

Although the housing sector has improved and more jobs are being created, economic growth in the US and other OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries will remain constrained by high debt levels in the public and household sectors, costly social welfare programs, and aging populations.

Despite these obstacles, strong financial market performance enhances economic morale and builds wealth.  Improved psychology and new wealth will flow into the general economy and will, perhaps, result in higher growth than the data would suggest.  This is the central bankers' bet and while the risks in exiting this bet are substantial, real benefit may be realized in the months ahead.  We are beginning to see some evidence of this benefit in our banking business with a stronger loan pipeline than we have seen for 2 or 3 years.  In any event, it is good to feel optimistic again and time will tell if the central bankers' bet pays off.
Is your company's GPS set to "innovate"?  
by Kurt Shreiner, EVP, Corporate Financial Services
Kurt Shreiner
EVP, Corporate Financial Services
As a frequent traveler, I rely more and more heavily on my GPS.  Can it be any simpler than getting in the car, inputting my destination, and letting the GPS direct me to my destination? Most of the time it works perfectly, but every now and then, the GPS leads me astray.  Is there anything more frustrating than following the GPS blindly and ending up at the wrong destination?

Following your company business plan can be like relying on the GPS; if your business plan is kept up to date and adapts to changing conditions, it is an extremely useful tool for guiding your company to your stated objectives.  But, a stale business plan in this era of rapid change can lead your company to an unplanned or wrong destination.

Successful companies today must plan for the future and be ready to innovate in the present.  It is increasingly important that companies build for a successful future yet remain nimble enough to adjust to unforeseen opportunities presented by new technologies and innovation.

A former boss once asked me, "How much time do you take each week to think about the adjustments you need to make in order to get your business to where you want it to be?"  It was a great question because we often find our day consumed by following the tasks required by the current plan without any regard to the changes in the operating environment or the larger economy.  Are we reacting in today's world without ever having time to think?

Avoid following the road to an unplanned destination by periodically taking time to think about your business or personal plan.  Retreat to a space where you have time to read your latest industry news, join an industry group to follow new ideas, or ask your banker and other advisors (CPAs, Lawyers) about ideas and innovation that can help your business adapt to opportunities in the market.  In other words, reset your GPS to "innovate" and avoid the wrong destination for your company.
When Disaster Strikes: Planning for the Unexpected 
by Jeff Balsman, SVP of Technology, and Maura McKenna, SVP of Corporate Banking

ACCESSING ONLINE INFORMATION IN AN EMERGENCY


In today's digital world, most company information, like banking accounts, financial information, and other data, is stored online on password-protected sites. Often one person in the company - the business owner or CFO - controls these accounts. But, in case of emergency, such as the sudden death of the CFO - or more likely, the extension of the boss's Siberian fishing trip - contingency plans should be made so that others in the company are able to access online and password-protected information.

First, bank accounts should be titled in the company's name and there should be at least two individuals who are signers and at least two people who have access to the online administration of banking.

Secondly, full listing of all accounts, passwords and special instructions that occur daily in the company's business should be recorded by the CFO, controller or business owner and kept in a company safe in the office. Access to the safe should be given to a highly trusted individual in case of such an emergency. Alternatively, this information can be safely stored with the company's legal counsel or accounting firm/CPA.



Is your business ready for the unexpected? A flood. A tornado. A fire. A pandemic. Theft.  If an emergency situation happens at your company, will you have the peace of mind knowing that you're prepared?

 

Business continuity planning is the process of identifying and planning for potential exposure to internal and external threats to your company.  Such threats can range from damaging natural disasters to power outages, fraud, loss of data, or even the death of a member of upper management.  In order to effectively address emergencies when they arise, a business should have a continuity plan in place.  The plan should direct the actions of employees and take into account how to productively respond to almost any situation.  

 

How to build your business continuity plan:
1. Document Business Processes. Create a document outlining the logistics of daily business processes.  What processes/tasks are performed daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually?  What employees and materials are crucial to performing these tasks?

2. Conduct a Risk Assessment. Conduct a risk assessment within each of your departments, ranking and scoring each business function according to the number of days or hours your business can survive without its performance.  For example, how long would your business function if its e-commerce site is down?  How much money will you lose each hour or day that a certain function is unavailable?  How long will clients stay with you before finding an alternate provider?  Document all business functions and risks.

3. Develop a Contingency Plan. Build multiple contingency plans based on possible scenarios in the event of an emergency.  For example, what will your company do if your computer servers flood or employees are unable to get to work due to inclement weather?  Be specific and document solutions for many possible scenarios.

4. Make Preparations to Carry out the Plan. Assign someone to be in charge of executing the emergency plan.  Additionally, make sure that you have all of the materials and details in place in case of emergency. Is your data backed up offsite?  Do the necessary employees have laptops that are able to access your servers remotely?  Is your phone tree ready?  What other preparations do you need to make to carry out the plan?

5. Communicate the Plan. Once you've created your business continuity plan, share it with key employees.  All employees should know the basics of emergency communication and what to do in certain situations that involve their safety and the security of the company.  Constant review and awareness of the plan is essential to its effectiveness.  If feasible, practice or conduct regular drills to make sure the plan runs smoothly if any emergency situation arises. As technology changes and new departments are created, the plan should be reviewed and revised.

These basic steps will help you to begin thinking through a business continuity plan for your company, which will help you protect your business, your employees, and your clients from the effects of a potential crisis.  We also encourage you to consult a risk management professional - someone trained in creating business continuity plans - to ensure that you have covered all of the necessary areas.

Atlantic Capital Bank

atlanticcapitalbank.com

Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender