ABD Publisher Neil Gordon continues his discussion with Augusta Industrial Services CEO, David Beckum. Today, David answers some important questions on how to set up your company to be employee-owned!
Today’s business minute is about being in the right place at the right time to launch some internal and external marketing to define your company. David Beckum had a “nice” experience in line grabbing a meal!
In a world where 70 percent or more of restaurants fail within the first year, Rae’s Coastal Café in the heart of Augusta is a rarity. The popular restaurant celebrated 30 years in business this month. Owner Walter Clay, who also owns French Market Grille, said he never thought he’d one day end up owning two restaurants. It was simply a career evolution that started as a cook at Calvert’s and progressed to being the first manager at French Market Grille after Chuck Baldwin opened it. He worked there for
When Jessica Jones realized that marketing costs transcended the budgets of many small business startups, she felt a need to create a space for those businesses to connect affordably – in this case, free. “Especially with the pandemic, new businesses and restaurants have tight profit margins and can’t afford to advertise,” Jones said. “I wanted a way to bring business owners together.” Jones, Regional Sales Manager at Elevated Payments, started a Facebook group with Tiffany Justice of Vandermorgan Realty called Augusta Business Connection and out of that grew a monthly
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
Charles Cypress enjoys turning steel into useful multipurpose tools. As the owner of Cypress Custom Knives, he creates and sells knives for a variety of purposes, such as hunting, fishing, cooking, and collecting. Cypress has a shop in his backyard and a forge near his home in North Augusta. He launched the business about four years ago following his retirement from the South Carolina Highway Patrol. “I start with designs I thought up in my head, and I draw out a knife,” Cypress said. “The forging process is putting the
In his Business Minute, Neil Gordon reports on Mary Kay’s regional career event that will make a big impact on Augusta’s economy.
Overall employment for the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area has increased by just 0.3%, or just 600 jobs, from December 2020, according to employment data for 2021 published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). There are currently 239,300 jobs in the local economy. However, some sectors of the economy have done exceptionally well. Retail jobs, for example, are up 11.9% compared to a year ago. There are more than 3,000 additional people employed in the retail sector than a year ago. Other sectors that have more jobs than a year
The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce will host its 3rd Annual Career and College Expo, presented by Georgia Power, on Tuesday, March 8 at the Columbia County Exhibition Center in Grovetown. This event runs 4-7:30 p.m. The purpose of the event is to expose parents and students to career opportunities for the future. The initiative will align the educational, technical, and trade sectors with the businesses, showing parents and students the pathways to obtain a future quality career. Any business interested in hosting a booth should contact Taylor Williams, the chamber’s Director of Programs and Events,
Many women would rather go to the dentist than ask for a raise or promotion, according to Wendy Perry. Perry, Principal and co-founder of KATALIS, a professional consulting and business coaching firm, was the guest speaker for this month’s Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce Women in Business luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 15 at the Enterprise Mill Events Center. Perry admits she’s no master negotiator. But that certainly hasn’t stopped her from trying. In her presentation, “More Than Words: The Art of Negotiation,” she discussed the role gender differences play in
