At last month’s ABD EXPO, Derek May shared the impressive footprint from Azalea Investments that has created “homes” for some of Augusta’s largest businesses.
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 theorizes what may happen with the economy during the second half of 2023. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: We’re at the halfway mark of 2023. Can you give us an idea of what might happen with the economy in the second half of the year? Rick: Sure, with the caveat of “Who really knows?” But we can read as
He came from the land of “Leaf Peepers” aka Barrington, New Hampshire, and settled in the “Winter Colony” aka Aiken. The path to opening a restaurant was at the end of a long and winding road for Samuel O’Lone. “My degree is in theology. I worked for eight years at a food service company which taught me a lot about food, but not cooking, and then I worked in student housing in Athens, GA. My sisters were into riding and showing horses and they would come to Aiken during the
As we know, the world has changed since the start of the decade. We take a look back at the economic panel discussion from ABD’s Conference and Expo in May as Davis Beman, principal of Beman Real Estate Company, responds to a question about how businesses should pivot and remain true to core values following the pandemic.
Amen Corner at Augusta National sports one of the more challenging, but beautiful three holes in golf. With a stone bridge across Rae’s Creek, it provides iconic “beauty shots” during the Masters. Augusta National has trademarked the name, “Amen Corner.” That Amen Corner was born in 1958. Ethan Hammond wasn’t even a glimmer in his parents’ eyes back then. His business, Amen Corner Ponds, while a nod to his community, stems more from his church upbringing and honoring his faith, because to be successful in business and life, we all
You’ve probably witnessed children having the time of their lives on a bounce house, but it’s not every day you see their parents and grandparents bouncing with them. Molly Daley and Kelsye Butters want to change that. Local sisters, Daley and Butters, launched Elevate Evans | Luxury Bounce House Service in February. The mobile business provides bounce houses for not only birthday parties, but also more formal events, such as weddings. “We promote that we’re for all ages,” Daley said. “We would love to do retirement parties – we’re open
Focus on what you do best! We take a look back at the economic panel discussion from ABD’s Conference and Expo in May. Davis Beman, principal of Beman Real Estate Company, speaks about the importance of maintaining great relationships and confidence as businesses face high interest rates.
A sprawling cyber attack late last week compromised data for millions of people including state and federal agencies. On the list of those hacked was the Department of Energy. The Savannah River National Laboratory is under the DoE umbrella. The University of Georgia was also impacted by the breach. How many of you have kids that attend UGA or donate to the University? What does this mean for us and what is the potential impact? How does Fort Gordon’s Cyber Security Center fit into the mix? ABD turned to our
A drawn-out sales process can be the downfall of an otherwise healthy business – or at the very least, a huge drain on efficiency and profitability. Slow sales cycles are more expensive than their streamlined counterparts and profoundly impact the cash flow and financial stability of the company due to the delayed influx of sales dollars. Eager customers who find themselves trapped in a slow sales process often lose interest and perhaps look to even higher-priced or lower-quality competitors to fulfill their needs. Even if a drawn-out deal does eventually
Davis Beman discusses what folks who are starting a business share with him, “I have a great idea but not money.” So, what’s next?
