B2B Stories

B2B Stories

Simon Says: Economic value of your holiday gifts

“Father Christmas, give us the money Don’t mess around with those silly toys” The Kinks, Father Christmas At this time of gift giving, it is worth considering whether the exchange of presents is efficient. Well at least to an economist it is! Famously, if only in economic circles, Joel Waldfogel in 1993 suggested gift giving was inefficient because it destroyed about 10 percent to a third of the value of the gift. Think of the aunt or uncle that gave you that wonderful (read terrible) sweater last year. They bought

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B2B Stories

Unemployment in CSRA counties slightly above state rates

Citizens of both Georgia and South Carolina are having more success at finding work than in some other states. As of October, the unemployment rate for the United States was 3.7 percent, but both Georgia and South Carolina are doing better; Georgia is at 2.9 percent, and South Carolina is at 3.3 percent. In general, the local economy performs at about the state average. Stacker, an internet news gathering site, recently listed the 50 counties with the highest unemployment rates in each state. The good news for the CSRA is

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B2B Stories

Gratitude through societal impact and community engagement

We, at Augusta University’s Hull College of Business, are extremely proud to hold the most prestigious accreditation for higher education schools of business (held by only 5 percent of all such schools worldwide!). We are accredited by the Association to Advance College Schools of Business, known familiarly as AACSB International. Every five years, AACSB-accredited schools, such as AU/Hull, go through a Continuous Improvement Review (CIR), based on AACSB’s Accreditation Standards, which were most recently updated in 2020. Since we just went through our latest CIR in October, these standards are

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: Investing in ‘human capital’ is important

Universities and K-12 schools are in the business of human capital development. Human capital is education, training, and other forms of learning. Human capital is seen as an investment, just like physical capital, where the costs are paid upfront and the returns are received later. A recent paper by David Deming in the Journal of Economic Perspectives reviews our knowledge of human capital. An extra year of schooling increases earnings by about 10 percent. Given that the share of the world’s population that has at least some secondary school education

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B2B Stories

Downtown marina hosts weekly holiday market

If you’re looking for unique handmade items to give family and friends as Christmas gifts, you can probably find exactly what you’re looking for in downtown Augusta. The sixth annual 5th Street Marina Holiday Market is being held every Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. until Dec. 18. It opened Oct. 30. The market’s vendors sell a variety of items, including soaps, candles, clothing, and crafts, as well as health and beauty products, according to marina’s owner, Beth Christian. There’s also a food truck that sells a variety of menu

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B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: Small businesses are the backbone of a community

  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 supporting small businesses for a strong economy. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: We hear a lot about the need to shop at small businesses to help the community. Why are small businesses so important to the CSRA? Rick: It’s the most important thing. There are big businesses that won’t make the investment to come to

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B2B Podcasting

Free Access: Data security starts at the top

Security for your data isn’t the sole responsibility of the IT department. Patrick Reynolds of Cross Link Consulting says leaders of an organization have to take ultimate responsibility for data integrity.

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B2B Stories

Tips to make the most of Small Business Saturday

There are more than 33 million small businesses in the United States, and Saturday is a chance to celebrate them – and buy from them – during Small Business Saturday. American Express started Small Business Saturday in 2010 as a way to promote the impact small businesses have on local economies. Last year, 51 million people participated in Small Business Saturday, spending $20 billion according to American Express – an average of almost $400 per person. Small businesses are especially popular with women and with Millennials. A Lending Tree survey

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B2B Stories

Downtown businesses plan Small Business Saturday Crawl

For the second year in a row, several downtown businesses are collaborating to bring their customers a unique shopping experience. Downtown Soul City, a Facebook page, has announced its second annual Small Business Saturday Crawl, which will be held on Nov. 26 beginning at 10 a.m. at Augusta & Co., located at 1010 Broad St. Many businesses, including The Book Tavern, Fetch 501, Grantski Records, and Tiffinie Bleu Bridal Boutique, will participate in this year’s event. Sponsors include Kruhu and Mod Ink. Each of the first 200 shoppers will receive

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