B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: Reflecting on 2022 to prepare for 2023

  Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he talks about how to review the past year to prepare for the new year. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: 2022 is almost in the history books. The end of the year seems like a good time for business leaders to review the past year. Should we just breathe a sigh of relief at having made it through it and move

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B2B Podcasting

Free Access: Giving a gift of relaxation

Massages never get old – and they make great gifts for anyone on your list looking to unwind. Neil Gordon talks with Laurie Pratt, owner of Serenity Massage and Spa about her business and the services it provides.

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B2B Stories

Local Harley-Davidson to launch much larger Augusta dealership

About a week ago, Timms Harley-Davidson of Augusta Inc. held a ceremony to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new, much larger dealership in Augusta. The 40,000-square-foot facility will be located at 129 Mason McKnight Jr. Parkway near Gander RV, CarMax, and Northern Tool + Equipment. Construction is expected to be complete by December 2023, according to the business’s Marketing Manager, Hannah Barrs. Barrs said the current location at 4200 Belair Frontage Road is 31,000 square feet. “It’s incredibly modern with glass windows from floor to ceiling,” she said. “It’s a

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B2B Podcasting

Free Access: Cleansing from the inside out

Cheryl LaRonde, owner of Serenity Wellness in Evans tells Neil Gordon about how her treatments help attain good health – and how her services can even make a healthy Christmas gift!

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Shawna Woodward

Free Access: Real Talk Real Estate: I don’t know what I need to know

My daughter and her husband are planning on buying a home this coming year, so I asked for input on what would be a good topic that would benefit her now. I was looking for inspiration on what I could share to help other first-time buyers getting ready to take the leap. When she answered, she simply said, “I don’t know what I need to know to answer your question.” This simple answer made me think, buyers are charmed by the glamour of buying on HGTV and in videos. But

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B2B Stories

A gift of sage advice to young entrepreneurs in the CSRA

This story started as a question for business leaders in the CSRA who have found success: What advice would you give your younger self? To some extent, this 411 is incorporated into the stories ABD offers every day – the “how to” of putting together a strategic plan, marketing your business or dealing with a possible recession. The interviews are with those who’ve walked the walk and the advice isn’t just for professionals looking to stay on their “A” game. Whether you are a seasoned business owner, an employee or

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Faith

Faith Friday: Thinking about Christmas

Part 1 The celebration of Christmas is unlike anything else. All of us are impacted by it. The birth of Jesus, God coming to earth as a baby, is the most incredible true story ever conceived. Mixed in with the celebration, we’re often wrapped up with gift buying, party planning, family events, concerts, and many other activities. It can be a crazy time of year for sure. That said, it’s easy to “major in the minors.” Too often, we miss the profound simplicity of the birth of a baby in

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Consumer Stories

Local chef’s business takes flight at Augusta airport location

Lance Smith has owned a food service business for nearly three years, but on Monday, his new brick-and-mortar location took off at the Augusta Regional Airport. Smith owns Bearded Chef, which operates a local food truck that specializes in smash burgers and provides both catering and private chef services. He officially launched the business in January 2020. Smith’s airport restaurant, located in the baggage claim area, specializes in soul food, such as fried chicken, fried cornbread, and macaroni and cheese. “We rotate specialty items,” he said. “We bring in a

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B2B Stories

Small businesses increasingly pessimistic about economy, poll finds

Small businesses have an increasingly pessimistic outlook about the economy and where it’s heading, according to the Job Creators Network Foundation (JCNF)’s latest Small Business IQ poll. According to the poll, 72 percent rate the U.S. economy as either fair or poor, but among companies in the South, that percentage is 80 percent. Also, 55 percent say the direction of the economy is getting worse, with 64 percent in the South saying so. JCNF has been polling small businesses monthly since May 2021. In November, JCNF contacted 500 small businesses

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