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B2B Stories
B2B Stories

How to Best Use Your “Spring Training”

For those of you who have been reading my columns in various venues during the past six years, you know that I am an avid sports fan and that Major League Baseball (MLB) is among my favorites.  Therefore, when I heard those magical words, “Pitchers and catchers report,” a couple of weeks ago, signifying the start of MLB’s pre-season “Spring Training,” my excitement for the coming season began to build. If you don’t follow MLB, Spring Training takes place from mid-February to late March, with some MLB teams training in

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Dr. Richard Franza February 28, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Augusta LEI falls for sixth month in a row

The Augusta Leading Economic Index (LEI) recorded its sixth consecutive month of decline in December 2022. It finished the year 2.3 percent lower than December 2021. Although the overall index was down, there was some good news in some of the indicator variables. For example, seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance declined 10 percent in December from November. Job openings in South Carolina increased. There were 169,000 job openings in October, 182,000 in November, and 187,000 in December. Unfortunately, in Georgia, job openings fell sharply from 392,000 in November

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Economics Professor February 28, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

First air show in 20 years brings Thunderbirds and economic boost to Augusta

Look! Up in the sky! An air show will return to the skies over Augusta Regional Airport, pumping money into the economy, costing the airport nothing, and creating opportunities for vendors and sponsorships. The two-day event will be on May 13 and 14. It will feature attack helicopter demonstrations by the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation, stunt pilots, and the United States Special Operations Parachute Team. The centerpiece will be the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, flying F-16 Fighting Falcons and performing solo maneuvers and in formation. Members of the Aviation Commission

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Dana Lynn McIntyre February 28, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

USC Aiken to offer on-the-job training program for students with intellectual disabilities

Students from three area high schools are about to begin an opportunity that could change their life. USC Aiken will launch Pacer LIFE this fall. It’s the first postsecondary program in the region for people with intellectual disabilities. Pacer LIFE offers not just coursework but also job training, on-the-job training, and independent living skills like banking, cooking, and laundry. Pacer LIFE students are also full-on Pacers, enjoying student life and living on campus in USC Aiken dorms. Nationally, only 18% of adults with intellectual disabilities are employed, and of these,

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Staff Report February 27, 2023 No Comments
B2B Podcasting

Understanding Liberty’s new business model

Liberty Insurance is famous for its “emu” spokesperson. ABD Publisher, Neil Gordon sits down with the local face of Liberty— and she shares how Liberty is now part of a larger company that allows her to take care of most every insurance need.

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Neil Gordon February 26, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Legacy entrepreneurs reveal their success stories to Chamber audience

Perseverance, hard work, and customer service were the common theme of three CSRA business leaders honored as Trailblazers at the 114th annual Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce meeting on Feb. 23. The Chamber hosted a panel discussion of three entrepreneurs who started iconic CSRA businesses: Larry Jones, founder of Universal Plumbing; Vera Stewart, founder of the Very Vera cooking empire; and Ray Carnes, founder of recteq grills. WJBF News Channel 6 anchor, Brad Means moderated the discussion about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. Jones went from growing

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Gary Kauffman February 26, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: Increase your business opportunities through digital marketing

  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 the importance of digital marketing. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: We hear a lot about digital marketing, but I think for many companies that is still a somewhat vague and confusing term. What is digital marketing and how does it differ from traditional marketing? Rick: Marketing is any way of providing your message and can be done through

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Gary Kauffman February 26, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Construction begins on Golden Harvest Food Bank expansion

Business leaders broke ground yesterday on a new facility with a simple goal: increase healthy food options at the Augusta Golden Harvest Food Bank. Called the Produce Rescue Center, it will substantially increase the amount of perishable food, particularly produce, the food bank can store. The $5.5 million facility will take about a year to complete. It will increase access to more meat, produce, and dairy products to families across the food bank’s coverage area. Golden Harvest President and CEO, Amy Breitmann said $3.7 million came from a COVID-19 relief

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Dana Lynn McIntyre February 23, 2023 No Comments
Entrepreneurs

FREE webinar today offers minority-owned business coaching in the CSRA

Whether you are an entrepreneur or you’ve been in business for decades, one of the biggest challenges is how to effectively reach and engage with your target audience. A great product or service won’t matter if you aren’t reaching the customer who needs or wants what you’re offering. As ABD recently reported there’s a large disparity in the number of minority-owned businesses in the CSRA. Less than 10% of all businesses are owned by minorities and most are sole proprietorships. In a partnership with Google, business coaches like Angelina Darrisaw

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Mitzi Oxford February 22, 2023 No Comments
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