Mon, May 04, 2026

Facebook-f Youtube Instagram
Newsletter Sign up
Show Support
Menu
B2B Stories

Government Contracting 101

By actively engaging with the government contracting process, businesses in the CSRA can tap into a valuable source of revenue and contribute to economic growth. If the task seems daunting, help is on the way. The government is the largest customer in the country, generating more than $400 billion in goods and services, and more than $100 billion in contracts are awarded to small businesses. Is your business ready to reap those rewards? Tomorrow, Thursday, August 7, from noon until 1:00 pm, Piedmont SCORE will host a webinar on Government

Read More »
Mitzi Oxford August 6, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Competence can be undermined by lack of honesty and accountability

While it has been a while since I have written a column on leadership, recent events have indicated to me that this is an appropriate time to address what I consider some of the most important and necessary leadership traits. Understandably, we put significant emphasis and priority on a leader’s competence. We expect a good leader to demonstrate expertise, relevant knowledge, and the ability to make sound decisions. Such competence is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for effective leadership. In my opinion, and the opinion of many others, a

Read More »
Dr. Rick Franza August 6, 2025 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Part 2: Video gaming translates to billions of dollars

From Pong and Mario Brothers to today’s high-level titles, video gaming has turned into a multi-billion-dollar industry in the U.S. Part of that is due to the growing popularity of esports. A recent report from Research and Markets (www.ResearchAndMarkets.com)  found that esports is a fast-growing sector within the entertainment industry. The U.S. market size is currently $2.55 billion. It is projected to grow to $18.85 billion by 2035. “The gaming industry in general makes more money than the music industry and the film industry combined every year, eSports is just

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre August 5, 2025 No Comments
Consumer Stories

New grocer opens in area ignored by other supermarkets

It’s been more than 15 years since Gurley’s supermarket was open at 464 Greene Street in downtown Augusta. For Kroger at 501 15th Street, it has been more than eight years since it closed. Now, a Broad Street entrepreneur has opened the Downtown Corner Store in a modest 3,000 square foot building. The building at 1018 Broad Street used to be “Flowers on Broad.” It’s in between an art gallery and a gift shop in an eclectic block in downtown Augusta— and a few doors down from the owner’s other

Read More »
Neil Gordon August 5, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: 2025’s Been a Good Year!

It has been a while since I updated the Augusta Labor Market Index (LMI) because the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis had not updated its website since December. Recently, it did so through April, and the Augusta LMI has increased by 0.5 percent from December and is 1.2 percent higher than April 2024. The LMI measures labor market vitality through five components: employment, unemployment rate, labor force, average weekly earnings, and average weekly hours worked. Over the past five months, employment increased by 1,200, and the unemployment rate fell

Read More »
Dr. Simon Medcalfe August 5, 2025 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Part One: Not your father’s video games

Augusta University (AU) has added to its sports lineup, but not in the traditional sense. This team does not need to even step outside, and it is calling for new members. AU’s Esports program is based in the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center, complete with a dedicated room as an arena for activities. It provides opportunities to participate in competitive esports leagues and tournaments using a shared passion for video games to meet other students. Esports at AU had gone dormant following the 2019-2020 season. It was revived in

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre August 4, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Busy late July for Augusta banker and parent company

The Augusta market president for a Southeastern Bank has had a busy few weeks, from a trip to the New York Stock Exchange, also to receive an honor across the Peach State. All while the parent company of his bank acquired another bank! Chris McLaughlin from Colony Bank in Evans will be serving a three-year term as a member of the Leadership Georgia Bankers Association Board of Directors. Leadership GBA supports the advancement of career bankers by providing leadership development training, serving as a forum through which career bankers can network and

Read More »
Neil Gordon August 4, 2025 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Add On for Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas

A new service center is now open between Bass Pro Shops/Cabelas and Top Golf at the far end of the Village at Riverwatch. Power Pros is the installation and service arm of the outdoor-focused businesses. Technicians specialize in marine and ATV electronics and accessories. They are equipped to service and handle a variety of needs, such as the setup of fish finders, TRACKER motors, GPS systems, and much more. Their certified technicians are there to ensure that your boats and ATVs are ready for peak performance. Jordan Trotter Commercial Real

Read More »
Neil Gordon August 4, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Success for sales strategies seminar coming soon

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is holding its final Business Institute of 2025 on August 7th. Russell Lahodny, President and CEO of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, told ABD the program was originally going to be called the Small Business Institute, but they realized the information offered benefits for businesses of all sizes. It provides a unique, face-to-face forum to learn tips and tricks to improve their business. “There are so many opportunities on the internet that you can sit down and watch YouTube videos all day long,

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre August 1, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Always Sunny in Augusta

Once the sun sets on the hot summer, there will be another option to keep your tan year-round. The fourth location of Palm Beach Tan between Evans and Augusta is going to replace the Cardboard Castle Games shop located between Belk’s and Larson Chiropractor in the Mullins Colony Shopping Center. Palm Beach Tan offers spray tans, tanning beds, and skincare products from its 650 centers nationwide. Local stores include one less than a mile away on 4276 Washington Road next to Publix, plus a store at 4115 Columbia Road and

Read More »
Neil Gordon August 1, 2025 No Comments
Load More