Economics

B2B Stories

More pain coming at the gas pumps

In the coming months, you may be able to increase the value of your car simply by filling the gas tank. The average national per gallon price of gas is now at a record $4.589, but experts predict it will go higher – may be significantly higher. Georgians have enjoyed some of the lowest per-gallon prices in the country, thanks to a suspension of the state’s gas tax. But that suspension is supposed to end on May 31 and if it’s not extended, on June 1 gas will increase by

Read More »
B2B Stories

Economy bouncing back from pandemic swoon but not all businesses affected equally

Despite inflation and supply chain issues, the economy is showing signs of bouncing back to normal from the two-year malaise of the pandemic. According to the most recent Advance Estimates of U.S. Retail and Food Services issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce, retail and food services sales increased by 0.9 percent in April from March, but were up 8.2 percent over April 2021. The biggest gains came in the areas most affected by lockdowns and the general wariness caused by covid. The generic retail stores’ category grew 4 percent

Read More »
B2B Stories

Simon says: Georgia ranked first or eighth or 22nd best for business. Who’s right?

Area Development Magazine ranked Georgia as the No. 1 state for business for the eighth consecutive year in October 2021. They polled 50 private consulting firms and Georgia received top scores for the cost of doing business, government cooperation, and labor market competitiveness. CNBC, however, said Virginia was the top state for business with Georgia coming in at eighth. CNBC uses 85 metrics across 10 categories of competitiveness, including access to capital, education, and technology and innovation. When economists study choices we prefer to see revealed preferences rather than surveys

Read More »
B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: Customer interaction a key to a successful business

  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 one of the important aspects of running a business, the first of a two-part series. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: You’ve talked before about how a business can be divided into two parts, the front of the store and the back of the store. How do you define that? Rick: The front of the store is anywhere there

Read More »
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Disputing a website’s ranking of Augusta’s affordability

GoodHire has just released its list of the most affordable cities to live and work in 2022 (https://www.goodhire.com/resources/articles/americas-most-affordable-places). They analyzed data from 155 cities with a labor force greater than 150,000. Top of the list is Sioux Falls, S.D. and Los Angeles was bottom. Georgia cities are represented by Atlanta (11), Savannah (47), and Augusta (117). What?! Atlanta is more affordable than Augusta? Something doesn’t seem right, so I looked at their methodology and the data they used. They used data from seven factors to establish their ranking. Wage growth

Read More »
B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: Efforts to increase financial literacy

Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, with statistics showing that less than a third of Americans qualify as financially literate, he discusses some proposals to increase financial literacy, especially among students. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: Let’s start by defining what is meant by financial literacy. Rick: Financial literacy is being able to manage your finances. It’s understanding things like budgeting, credit, investments, interest rates, and savings. ABD:

Read More »
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Numbers don’t always match the words spoken about them

I am sometimes a little skeptical of some numbers bandied around by politicians and economic development folks, but I do understand they are cheerleaders and need to present information in the best light. So, it was with interest that I read in Augusta Business Daily last week that Pat Wilson, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, said Georgia had added 35,000 jobs in the Fiscal Year 2022. The state fiscal year began in July 2021. I looked up the job numbers on the Federal Reserve Economic Data website

Read More »
B2B Stories

Masters Tournament 2022 numbers return to normal levels

After two pandemic years, local merchants and hotels were glad to see crowds and income on par with pre-covid years. It was standing room only at TBonz during the 2022 Masters Tournament, according to Henry Scheer. The restaurant drew much larger crowds than it did in 2019 and 2020. Scheer, co-owner of the well-known restaurant located just blocks from the Augusta National Golf Club, said he was very pleased with the turnout for the first full tournament in three years. The crowds were so large that customers had to wait

Read More »