
Free Access: The trickle-down effect of rising medical costs
Tom Mastny of The Pennant Group says that as the cost of medical procedures rises, the resulting insurance increases will trickle down to employees.

Tom Mastny of The Pennant Group says that as the cost of medical procedures rises, the resulting insurance increases will trickle down to employees.

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”. Food

I often report economic data for the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area because the federal government releases this data in a timelier manner than for each individual county. It also makes sense to consider the metro area, as it is defined, in part, by commuting patterns between the constituent counties. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has just released the county-level data for the first quarter of 2022. I know this is not particularly timely or useful for business planning, but it is useful to think about the heterogeneity of our metro

After more than four months of waiting, planning, and rebuilding, a local business damaged by a car accident is ready to reopen its doors. Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming Augusta, located at 2701 Washington Road, Suite 22 in the National Hills Shopping Center, has announced its soft re-opening on Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. That day, customers can tour the facility, buy retail products, meet the staff and enter giveaways. For example, the first 50 people will receive Woof Gang Bakery treats for a year. No grooming services

In recent weeks, we have seen a steady increase in the percentage of workers returning to the office. Workers are returning to the office at the highest rates since early 2020, as companies increase their efforts to bring back their employees from remote work. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, office use is up to 47.5 percent in 10 major metropolitan areas, the highest it has been since late March 2020. I am encouraged by this because I think there are many benefits to being back

Phil Stanley, the owner of Brightworx Media, tells Amy Richardson how his hobby of making videos has turned into a full-time passion for helping businesses tell their stories.

What started as 38 acres of overgrown shrubs and gnarly pine trees covering an abandoned sand and chalk mine is now a nine-hole golf course. It doesn’t feature the beauty shots of Augusta National or the Aiken Golf Club, although the team that renovated the latter, Three Amigos Golf, was responsible for bringing life to Chalk Mine 9. It’s a private golf facility for the exclusive use of USC Aiken Men’s Golf and First Tee-Aiken, but as of Tuesday, September 27, the course can now be played by community and

One of our stories from July is relevant today.

I found this while browsing the web last night. It’s a great start for our topic today. A manager in the board meeting after poor customer reviews and brand reputation results: “If it gets worse, it may force us to make reliable products and provide better customer service.” (Source: https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-customer-service-jokes/) That’s how some people feel about reputation management. It is something that can only penalize you. The fact is, reputation management is something to embrace and positive reviews can have a big impact on your business. Here are three jaw-dropping

One of our stories from August is relevant today.