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Free Access: How do I make the right choice between contractors?

Sometimes, we have to hire a professional and it can be a daunting task. Even referrals are no guarantee that all will be well with your choice. The other day, a client was in my office sharing a negative experience with a local contractor. My client had gotten a referral from a neighbor. The experience the neighbor had, had been a good one. My client – not so good. When I asked what had happened, the client informed me that the job dragged on for months, the work wasn’t done

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J.D. Norris July 7, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Local businessman brings old items back to life

If you’re looking for a hard-to-find VHS tape of your favorite horror movie or a classic 1980’s toy, Angel Zapata probably has you covered. Zapata owns Dead Media Collectibles, a packed 500-square-foot business located at 2128 Central Ave. in the heart of Summerville. He sells a variety of items, such as DVDs, toys, comic books, and other collector’s items he buys exclusively from local customers, flea markets, and estate sales. Prior to opening his shop at the end of 2017, Zapata sold items at the Barnyard Flea Market in Augusta

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Josh Heath July 7, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Monterrey Mexican

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

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Wes Hennings July 7, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Best labor markets in Georgia, S.C. are on the coasts

Last week, I compared the labor market in Augusta to other metro areas in Georgia. However, two counties in the August metro area are in South Carolina (Aiken and Edgefield), so how does Augusta stack up against South Carolina cities? Like Georgia, the fastest-growing labor markets in South Carolina are on the coast. The Labor Market Index (LMI) for Charleston grew at 2.5 percent over the last year and by a whopping 4.7 percent in Myrtle Beach. (The fastest growth in Georgia was Savannah at 3.6 percent). Over the past

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Economics Professor July 6, 2022 1 Comment
B2B Stories

Local business owner invests in three downtown properties

A local business owner and investor has added three more properties to his growing portfolio of dozens in downtown Augusta. Rafy Bassali has purchased 1293, 1296, and 1297 Broad St., according to the Finem Group with Meyboym Commercial Properties, which represented the seller in this transaction. Bassali, who owns the building next door to these businesses, said all three are currently occupied. “It’s the gateway to downtown Augusta, and I think in the future, it can be beautified,” he said. The Girl Cave Boutique occupies 1293 Broad St.; Johnson, Laschober

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Josh Heath July 6, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Thoughts from the General: Insights from flawed leaders and their enablers….

I may be one of the few folks in our area who watched, on live TV, the McCarthy, Nixon, and Trump hearings. There are some interesting comparisons between and among these powerful political leaders and their close advisors. As a cadet at West Point, I watched the McCarthy hearings in 1953. I was in the hospital and a black and white TV was at the far end of my ward. Twenty years later, I watched intently many of the 1973 Watergate hearings. Within the past couple of weeks, the January

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Ret. Maj. General Perry Smith July 6, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Local photographer to provide headshots for Chamber members

A local photographer and the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to provide professional headshots exclusively for its member businesses and their employees. Crystal E. Smith Photography, LLC will take these photos on Monday, July 11 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, July 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Chamber boardroom. Various timeslots are available on both days. “There is availability for five sessions per half hour, and each person will receive three digital images for $65,” said Chamber Executive Vice President, Angie

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Josh Heath July 6, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Branding Your Small Business

  Don MacNeil is the former Marketing Director of Windsor Jewelers and long-time on-air radio professional.   Is it just me, or… Branding Your Small Business Editor’s Note: This first ran a year ago in ABD but it still offers timely advice for any business. No, this isn’t going to be some highfalutin’ cerebral slog. Branding your business should be fun, but please, do me (and yourself) a favor by not trying to do it yourself, and then too late, call in a pro after you’ve blown through the cash

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Don MacNeil July 5, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Local young professionals selected as top future business leaders

Dalton Self is a local entrepreneur with a passion for creating opportunities for future business leaders. Self, Vice President of Jani-King of Augusta, was selected by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce and Augusta Magazine as one of the Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch. Self, who is also responsible for overseeing other Jani-King locations, including Macon, Savannah, and Memphis said in the future, he will be one of the top business leaders in the CSRA because he strives to help others become successful commercial cleaning franchises. According

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Josh Heath July 5, 2022 No Comments
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