Entrepreneurs

B2B Stories

Sister act paints their way to curbside success

Painting curb numbers in the summer heat may sound like a brutal way to make a buck, but for young entrepreneurs, Bailey and Reese Kirkland, it’s the perfect summer job. The twin sisters started their business in mid-May. They had little input and a lot of support from their family. Think of it as a summer gig to make a little pocket money. So far, these young ladies surpassed their goal of a couple of hundred dollars by a long shot, with earnings of a couple of thousand. “The idea

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B2B Stories

A love for plants turns into a growing business

Carrie Turner has always had an affinity for raising plants, but it turns out she’s also got a green thumb when it comes to growing a business. Turner owns The Plant House in Martinez, a mecca for those who love house plants, and the business is thriving as much as the plants she sells. But Turner, who is a hairstylist by trade, is an “accidental entrepreneur.” It started with her love for plants. “I’ve always loved working in the yard,” she said. “Any place we’ve lived, I always tore out

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B2B Stories

Faced with slumping sales, Onnie Sanford reinvented her business

What do you do when the business you started, the one that brought you success, begins to sink? For Onnie Sanford, it meant reinventing her business. Sanford began and operated Paleo Num Yums five years ago in The Centre at Furys Ferry Road in Martinez with paleo diet meal plans. For four years, she rode a wave of success. Then things changed. The normal August and fall boost her business usually experienced didn’t materialize, despite tweaks to advertising and scrutiny of P&L statements. Then, the anticipated January spike in business

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B2B Stories

Entrepreneurs cook up a successful oil business

Unlike the Beverly Hillbillies who struck crude oil, Craig Doughtery and his partner, Bob Thrift, owners of High Country Olive Oil, aren’t millionaires but they have found their niche in the oil business. They have two locations for High Country Olive Oil, in Aiken and Pawleys Island, where they sell high-quality olive oil and a variety of balsamic vinegar. Thrift had retired and Doughtery was winding up 20 years in the car business when they partnered to look for a small business concept. The idea came from visiting an olive

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B2B Stories

Family-operated yard business is the hottest ticket in town

This time of year, with temperatures hovering near the 100-degree mark, The Yard Barber Land and Development Company may indeed be one of the hottest jobs in the CSRA. “Yes it’s very hot, but we try and stay hydrated and start our workday as early as possible,” said co-owner, Harvey Holloway. Holloway handles the fence building and installation part of the business, a skill he picked up after serving 20 years in the Air Force. His cousin, Carlos takes care of lawn maintenance, hedging, mulching, and tree removal. All those

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B2B Stories

Local program manager discusses supporting future female entrepreneurs

Female business professionals can’t always provide college scholarships, but they can provide support and mentor for the next generation of businesswomen, according to Revellee McNeil. “Women can provide their time and their presence,” McNeil said. “Make a phone call or meet for lunch.” McNeil, program manager for IntelliGenesis, LLC’s Augusta office, spoke about the importance of women helping women at the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Program on Tuesday, June 21. Company President and CEO, Angie Lienert was originally scheduled to speak, but she was unable to

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B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: What it takes to be an entrepreneur

  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 entrepreneurship and whether it can be taught. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: How do you define entrepreneurship? Rick: I define it as the ability to start a new business, of being able to bring a product or service to market and make money from it. It could be a new product or it could be a new way

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B2B Stories

Music sets the tone for up-and-coming North Augusta business

Kevin Isham is an HVAC tech by day but he is a musician at heart who plays guitar, drums, the harmonica, and banjo. His main goal as a music lover is to provide a venue for listening to good music and that led to Julio’s Cantina in his backyard. He and his wife, Heather, have hosted about 15 small concerts in their backyard. They don’t have a fancy stage, but their backyard draws a crowd of 30 or 40 folks who appreciate live music. The neighbors don’t seem to mind

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B2B Stories

Trash bin cleaning business does the dirty work for you

It’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it. CSRA Bin Cleaning, based in North Augusta, is open for businesses to do the job that most of us don’t want to do – clean our trash bins. Owner, Ben Clark explained why people should want clean bins. “Trash bins attract rats because they are a food source, spiders sometimes nest around the bin or the handle, and the bin itself creates a breeding ground for all kinds of germs and pathogens, including E-Coli, Listeria, and Salmonella, among others. Stuff

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B2B Stories

Entrepreneurs open scuba diving training shop in an unexpected location

Of all the locations you would expect to find a dive shop, Harlem is probably not one of them. But Rose Bennett and her late husband, Bob, opened Bubbles or Not in the small Georgia town in June 2016. Located off Gordon Highway at 211 North Louisville St., Bubbles or Not offers a variety of scuba classes for both beginners and advanced divers. The business also offers the Open Water Diver certification class, which prepares students to dive anywhere in the world. Training typically begins in the pool at Bennett’s

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