Entrepreneurs

B2B Stories

Faith Friday: Twin beauty duo says God rewards their faith doubly

They answer to Jocelyn or Jasmyn, depending on which one you’re attempting to talk to. They’ve become accustomed to answering “Hey, Twin!” Even their husbands’ names, Bryan and Ryan, rhyme, though they’re not brothers. However, the title Jasmyn Wright and Jocelyn Budgett are most proud of and prefer is “business owner.” It’s a blessing they say came only from God, with a little inspiration from some faithful clients early in their business. “We actually started in college,” said Jasmyn. “Jocelyn was already taking clients and I had started playing in

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B2B Stories

Retired educator launches collaborative workspace in downtown Augusta

After retiring as a principal in Aiken County in June 2021, Natonia Tillman decided to launch a business that would provide space for other small business owners to work, network, and market their products and services. In February, Tillman opened that space, 10Twenty-Eight located at 1028 Broad St. She made the transition from education to business for various reasons, including the stress of being a school administrator and wanting more flexibility to spend time with her grandchild. Tillman also had experience hosting business events. But she makes a disclaimer about

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B2B Stories

Faith Friday: Sending gifts from Augusta businesses with help from above

Randall and Janice Williams truly believe the part of scripture in James 1:17 that says, “Every good and perfect gift comes from above….”  They prove it daily through their shared labor of love, Augusta Gift Baskets, a home-based e-commerce business founded in January 2021. He’s a former restaurateur. She’s a retired nurse. They not only blended their families (five children and 10 grandchildren) when they married three years ago but also their love for serving others. “It is our job to deliver easy, thoughtful gifts and ensure our customers are

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B2B Stories

Entrepreneur renovating the historic home for unique event space

If you’re looking for space with historical significance to host business meetings and other company events, James O’Neal’s got you covered. O’Neal, an Allstate Insurance agent with an office in Augusta, bought the historic Charles Hammond House, 908 West Martintown Road, North Augusta in June 2018. He plans to use the 4,200-square-foot, six-bedroom Greek Revival house, which was most likely built in the 1770s, for not only events but also Airbnb, Vrbo, and Masters housing. O’Neal has renovated several homes, which is why he decided to invest in this project.

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B2B Stories

Giant sculptures help businesses make a big first impression

Outside of the clubhouse of The First Tee in Augusta is a colorful tee worthy of a Paul Bunyan-like drive. The one-ton, 30-foot-long sculpture is made of steel and solid foam. Ed Durant, the former owner of The Frame Shoppe on Walton Way in Augusta, created the concept to give the course its own unique identity. The project took about 14 months to complete and was unveiled in December 2021. “I went by First Tee, and there was no signage,” Durant said. “They needed an expression of what they do.”

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B2B Stories

Golf club engineer techniques build better golfers from tee to green

Dan Burnfield builds highly-customized golf clubs in his shop on Gordon Highway but his goal extends beyond merely selling equipment – he wants to make people better golfers, physically and mentally. “Maybe the answer to getting an extra stroke or two out of you isn’t new equipment,” he said. Make no mistake about it, Augusta Custom Clubs does make and sell equipment that practically requires an engineering degree to understand. The small shop contains a putting lab with lasers, a fitting bay with a golf simulator to track shots, and

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B2B Stories

Faith Friday: Local man driven by faith, works to get vehicles driving again

If a name indicates anything about a person, the same could be said about a business. For Matthew Jones, calling his mechanic shop Heavenly Touch Automotive, LLC, just felt right. He knew his steady, years-long rise from high school graduate to eventually becoming a local store manager for a nationwide auto and tire repair company wasn’t just because he’s skilled, talented and Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)-certified. It’s because of his faith. “As the company where I worked was starting to change, I wanted to be able to provide a fair,

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B2B Stories

Local entrepreneur starting over again with the same business

The adage is that you can’t go home again, but sometimes you can go back to a former business. Laura Boshell is proof of that. Boshell started her cleaning business in 2011 but eventually put it aside to focus on other priorities, such as raising her children. She recently relaunched the business and changed its primary service. Boshell originally launched Gleam Clean Services of Augusta, LLC as a side business to clean rental homes after tenants moved out and prepare homes to go on the market, but she said it

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B2B Stories

Branding expert begins 5th year in CSRA business

Good business owners find creative solutions to customers’ problems, according to Laura Morris. If Morris, owner and Creative Director of Design Aesthetic, LLC in Augusta, can’t find those solutions on her own, she connects her clients to people who can. Her company provides a variety of services to small businesses, including branding, marketing strategy, graphic design, and even interior design. “We focus on all the creative aspects of a business,” Morris said. She uses a variety of media to help businesses connect with potential customers. For example, she designs and

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B2B Stories

Faith Friday: Developing through the negatives: Pandemic pivot produces profitable photography business

In her 40’s, Crystal Smith Miller found herself in the same position as many others amid a global crisis that crippled a nation for the past two years. The question she asked herself repeatedly before deciding to pivot from a previous career was, “What’s going to happen now?” Her answer: Pick up a camera and help others make unforgettable moments. “I started in May 2020 because I was afraid that I would be furloughed due to the pandemic,” she recalls. “I have never thought about doing photography in my entire

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