ABD Extra

Simon Says: Looking at the labor market

The Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area had the worst labor market over the last year of all metro areas in the state of Georgia. The Labor Market Index (LMI) for Augusta fell 0.4 percent from March 2022 through March 2023. Only Hinesville and Warner Robins also saw declining LMIs. The Georgia LMI grew by 0.9 percent over the past year. Columbus had the best labor market over the last year. Across the state, employment increased by 2.8 percent, or 133,400 jobs over the last year. By contrast, Augusta lost 1,100 jobs

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Consumer Stories

CSRA ice cream shop celebrates 10th anniversary by giving back

Who doesn’t love ice cream? Neither rain, sleet, snow, nor hail stops the love for the frosty treat which has been popular since the 1700’s. Flanigan’s Ice Cream is celebrating its 10th anniversary under the current ownership, quite an accomplishment since 65% of businesses fail in the first 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “My parents retired in Aiken and my husband, Jay, and I moved here in 2002. The following year, the previous Flanigan owners moved further south. My husband had done some landscaping work for

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Consumer Stories

Local barbecue team to compete in national championship series

Kurt Mueller and his brother, Aleki Fualau have been busy preparing barbecue for CSRA events and fundraisers, but this summer, they’ll hit the road to test their culinary skills against other teams in various cities throughout the United States. Mueller, a local certified financial planner, and Fualau, pitmasters for Ironhead BBQ, formerly known as Atomic City Smokers, have been invited to participate in the Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que of America All-Star Series as “celebrity” pitmasters. Famous Dave’s is a popular chain of barbecue restaurants that had a location on Washington Road

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B2B Stories

Local entrepreneurs pedal fun experiences into the CSRA

Anthony Jones and his wife, Charity loved pedaling around Atlanta and Nashville on a bar on wheels so much that they decided to bring the business concept to Augusta. In early Dec. 2022, the couple, along with Charity’s sister, Syderist Manuel, launched Pedal Pub Augusta located at 305 12th St. “We always went outside of Augusta to do fun activities, so we decided to bring a little more fun to Augusta, the city we love,” Anthony said. They have two 15-passenger bikes that they use to take customers on 90-minute

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Cyber Security

Mobile security options

Say, you have a job where you will be out and about and away from a secure internal network and want to know how you can protect your system better. One option that you can consider is a product called Firewalla. This is an affordable way to add extra protection to your network when you are on the go. This company produces a number of different products to meet your specific needs, but the concept of the product is that it gives you a way to connect to Wi-Fi through

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B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: Networking has many dimensions

Dr. Rick Franza, Professor of Management at the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he talks about the importance of networking and peer groups. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: We just held our successful business networking event, the ABD Spring Expo, last week. Why is networking important for businesses? Rick: Too often, people see networking as a direct vehicle for the benefits they can get from it, but I see it as an indirect

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B2B Stories

CSRA business owner helps customers get back on the road in tight economy

Daniel Shaffer not only repairs cars, but also strives to help his customers facing financial difficulties get back on the road as quickly as possible. Shaffer owns Keep it Rolling Automotive located at 1726-B Barton Chapel Road in Augusta. He will celebrate the business’s second anniversary on Friday, June 9, from noon to 2 p.m., by hosting a free cookout for his new and existing customers. Shaffer said Keep it Rolling specializes in vehicle restorations, but he also provides a variety of other services, including tire installations, brake repairs, oil

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Consumer Stories

“Lending” a hand? A look at new mortgage rules

New mortgage lending rules have stirred up a heated debate, with some critics arguing these regulations unfairly target homebuyers with good credit. According to Fox News, under the new rules which took effect May 1, “borrowers with lower credit ratings and less money for a down payment will qualify for better mortgage rates than they otherwise would have, while those with higher ratings will pay increased fees.” Critics of the new rules claim they disproportionately affect, for example, Asian homebuyers, who have the highest credit scores of any demographic group,

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B2B Stories

Young entrepreneur takes over CSRA workout business

At just 26 years old, Cody Melvin has moved from one educating job to another. He started out teaching sixth grade in Hinesville, GA. Now, his classroom is the gym, and helping members achieve their fitness goals. In February, Melvin bought the Workout Anytime franchise in Aiken. For the young man who loves teaching and grew up going to the gym, it was a great fit. “I loved teaching kids, but Covid was a huge challenge for teachers and students. That’s when I started looking for a different kind of

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