B2B Stories

B2B Stories

New shop will capture the spirit of Aiken

Like many visitors, Sarah Dodge and her husband came for the horses but fell in love with the community. Four years ago, after visiting friends in the Winter Colony, the dressage horse trainer and her farrier husband packed up their bags in Colorado and moved to Aiken. When she went looking for Aiken-themed products at the request of friends and family, she couldn’t find them. Her entrepreneurial skills took over and in a few weeks, she will open True Aiken. “I’ve always thought about opening a shop and I thought

mitzi-oxford December 4, 2023 No Comments

B2B Podcasting

Sparkling holiday shopping news

The weather outside was not frightful and the shopping was delightful for retailers between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Mike Petchenik has a sled full of good news in today’s Biz Bits.

mike-petchenik December 4, 2023 No Comments

B2B Stories

Simon Says: Finally, a small ray of light in the recent LMI report

Editor’s note: If you read Dana Lynn McIntyre’s story from the Georgia Chamber Foundation, you know the struggle is real for finding workers. However, there is a bright spot in the latest employment numbers for Augusta. The Augusta Labor Market Index increased 0.2 percent in October from September. This constitutes five consecutive months of growth. The index now stands 0.3 percent higher than a year ago, the first time it has shown year-on-year growth since October 2022. Three components of the index grew month-on-month. Employment increased by 1,000 to stand

dr-simon-medcalfe December 4, 2023 No Comments

B2B Podcasting

Don’t be afraid of AI

If your company is gearing up to Do More in 2024, listen in as cyber security expert Patrick Reynolds addresses the fear of Artificial Intelligence moving forward. Ready or not, it’s coming as Reynolds explains at the recent ABD Business EXPO.

patrick-reynolds December 3, 2023 No Comments

B2B Podcasting

Small business holiday shopping kicks off with a bang!

If home is where the heart is, small businesses in the CSRA benefitted when the shopping season kicked off after Thanksgiving. Learn more about how local businesses fared in the Small Business Saturday Crawl from Mike Petchenik in today’s Biz Bits.

mike-petchenik December 3, 2023 No Comments

B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: Reflecting on the good, the bad and the ugly of the past year

Dr. Rick Franza, Professor of Management at the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he gives tips on reviewing the past year in your business. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: It’s December, nearly the end of the year, a time often used to reflect on the past year. It’s also when businesses can take some time to look back at the previous 12 months at the good, the bad, and the ugly. Why is

gary-kauffman December 3, 2023 No Comments

B2B Stories

New CSRA nursery decking the halls of businesses and homes

They might be the new kid on the nursery and landscaping block, but Southern Carolina Palms in Aiken is ready with all things Christmas. Located at 22 Gunter Road, the business opened in July and now six months later, they boast of one of the largest selections of holiday decorations in the CSRA. “Most of our sales come from families looking for a Christmas tree, wreath, swags, or inflatables,” said Annaleyse Black who handles customer questions and deliveries for Southern Carolina Palms. “We have all of that, but we have

mitzi-oxford November 30, 2023 No Comments

B2B Stories

Augusta Tech to facilitate hiring through Georgia’s new online portal

As one of the 22 schools in the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), Augusta Technical College (ATC) is ready to help students use the new Labor Exchange Platform (LEP). The platform, announced on Nov. 21 by Gov. Brian Kemp, is part of the state’s WorkSource Georgia program, which is administered by TCSG’s Office of Workforce Development. ATC President, Dr. Jermaine Whirl said they are waiting for some final instructions from the state to create portal access on the school’s website. “That information will be housed under our Career Services

dana-lynn-mcintyre November 30, 2023 No Comments