Entrepreneurs

B2B Stories

Government contracts and financial management. Need to know more?

Who is the world’s largest customer? Our government. The federal government alone, typically purchases $400+ BILLION in goods and services, from light bulbs to PR, and from landscaping services to food products. Last year, over $100 billion in contracts were awarded to small businesses. Small business contracts are growing by 50% within the next two years. Is your business ready to reap some of those rewards? The UGA Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will present an online webinar with the 411 on what you’ll need to know on Wednesday, August

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B2B Stories

Local sports training facility to host open house

Tedrick Hudson offers the CSRA’s only group volleyball skills training program for kids as young as 7, but people often stop by his business to find out what he does. Hudson, owner of Next Level Training Academy located at 3839 Martinez Blvd., Suite 1 in Martinez, will host an open house on Saturday, Aug. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. He said the event will be an opportunity to show the community his sports training facility, which specializes in not only volleyball, but also basketball and athletic performance training

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Awards/Celebrations

Local financial planner smokes his way into the national BBQ spotlight

Editor’s note: I’ve written hundreds of stories over the years, but I will never forget when I interviewed Kurt Mueller, prior to his speaking at the ABD Expo in October 2022. The subject was financial planning for Apollon Wealth Management. At one point, I asked him what he was passionate about, and his reply was my family, helping people with their finances, and barbecue. That threw me for a loop, but here’s the rest of the story. There’s no doubt you’re passionate about barbecuing when you travel 2,000 miles from

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B2B Stories

Locally owned pediatric urgent care celebrates first anniversary

Carlee Leopard, MSN, APRN, CPNP opened NiteOwl Pediatric Urgent Care one year ago, and it’s one of the first urgent care clinics specialized for children in South Carolina. According to a press release, NiteOwl’s vision for the clinic is to complement the pediatrician. Staffed by board-certified pediatric nurse practitioners, Nite Owl Pediatric Urgent Care treats children from newborns through age 21. They accept Georgia and South Carolina Medicaid plans, as well as most major private insurances. Leopard is also one of the first nurse practitioners in the state to open

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B2B Stories

CSRA coffee biz keeps pouring and growing

A coffee business first spotlighted in ABD in May 2022 as a pop-up coffee cart, then again in October when they opened a brick and mortar is growing again, this time with a drive-thru which opened on June 22. “It’s been a whirlwind to get to this point, but we are excited,” said Mallory Adkison. They have an app so you can order ahead of time and still get to work on time the next day. “It keeps traffic moving smoothly and the employees and customers seem to love the

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B2B Stories

Augusta native launches Stella’s Pawtique

Just in time for the dog days of summer, locally owned mobile dog grooming business, Stella’s Pawtique is making its way around the CSRA. Kristin Lee, owner of Stella’s Pawtique, wanted to share her passion for caring for animals by offering a unique experience in the world of dog grooming. Born and raised in Augusta, Lee has also been a registered nurse for over 10 years. “Being the owner of a dog who has a lot of social anxiety, I know the importance of needing one-on-one grooming care,” she said.

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B2B Stories

Creative couple collaborates for business success

She is an event coordinator and bakes custom cakes. He designs and builds wood and metal products. Together, Angela and Glen Dragano are a match made in Heaven. They run two separate businesses, but often work side by side to ensure the success of both. She met her future husband many years ago in Texas. Even though he moved to Aiken, they remained friends. Angela followed him in 2016 and got a job making cakes for MacK’s Deli on Laurens Street. A year later, she and Glen married and last

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B2B Stories

Owners of successful dog apparel business to launch storefront next weekend

If you throw birthday parties for your dogs, Nic and Bretta Farina have the supplies you need to let your four-legged family members have their cake and eat it too. For the last 11 years, the Farinas have owned Puddle Jumper Pups, which until now, has been a home-based, online business that creates and sells a variety of products, including leashes, collars, harnesses, and accessories. More than 150 retailers nationwide, including Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, which has locations in Augusta and Evans. “Our B2B business has really grown,” Bretta

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B2B Stories

New therapeutic massage and spa could take your stress away

Business owners are the ones who get in early and stay late, sometimes skipping lunch breaks, heading off to meetings, and never getting to the bottom of their inboxes. Sound familiar? The need for relaxation and stress relief is real. Maria Cardona understands that better than most. She worked in the medical field for 21 years, first as a CNA and then as a phlebotomist. During that time, she also had a side job as a massage therapist. “I finally decided to open my own business. My husband has been

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B2B Stories

Gourmet grocery and wine shop soon to open in CSRA

It’s been four years since Wine World closed in Aiken, but a store with something more is coming soon. Town Square Olive Oil & Wine is set to open in the next few weeks. The shop will offer olive oils, a variety of vinegar, wine, craft beers, and charcuterie boards. Owner, Tia Harville and her husband, Joey, are excited about the location, 509 Georgia Avenue in Aiken. “My husband’s family is from the area and the concept for the shop stems from his aunt’s Town Square Olive Oil business in

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