B2B Stories

B2B Stories

Local photographer to provide headshots for Chamber members

A local photographer and the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to provide professional headshots exclusively for its member businesses and their employees. Crystal E. Smith Photography, LLC will take these photos on Monday, July 11 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, July 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Chamber boardroom. Various timeslots are available on both days. “There is availability for five sessions per half hour, and each person will receive three digital images for $65,” said Chamber Executive Vice President, Angie

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B2B Stories

Branding Your Small Business

  Don MacNeil is the former Marketing Director of Windsor Jewelers and long-time on-air radio professional.   Is it just me, or… Branding Your Small Business Editor’s Note: This first ran a year ago in ABD but it still offers timely advice for any business. No, this isn’t going to be some highfalutin’ cerebral slog. Branding your business should be fun, but please, do me (and yourself) a favor by not trying to do it yourself, and then too late, call in a pro after you’ve blown through the cash

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B2B Stories

Local young professionals selected as top future business leaders

Dalton Self is a local entrepreneur with a passion for creating opportunities for future business leaders. Self, Vice President of Jani-King of Augusta, was selected by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce and Augusta Magazine as one of the Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch. Self, who is also responsible for overseeing other Jani-King locations, including Macon, Savannah, and Memphis said in the future, he will be one of the top business leaders in the CSRA because he strives to help others become successful commercial cleaning franchises. According

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B2B Stories

Sister act paints their way to curbside success

Painting curb numbers in the summer heat may sound like a brutal way to make a buck, but for young entrepreneurs, Bailey and Reese Kirkland, it’s the perfect summer job. The twin sisters started their business in mid-May. They had little input and a lot of support from their family. Think of it as a summer gig to make a little pocket money. So far, these young ladies surpassed their goal of a couple of hundred dollars by a long shot, with earnings of a couple of thousand. “The idea

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B2B Stories

A love for plants turns into a growing business

Carrie Turner has always had an affinity for raising plants, but it turns out she’s also got a green thumb when it comes to growing a business. Turner owns The Plant House in Martinez, a mecca for those who love house plants, and the business is thriving as much as the plants she sells. But Turner, who is a hairstylist by trade, is an “accidental entrepreneur.” It started with her love for plants. “I’ve always loved working in the yard,” she said. “Any place we’ve lived, I always tore out

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B2B Stories

Faced with slumping sales, Onnie Sanford reinvented her business

What do you do when the business you started, the one that brought you success, begins to sink? For Onnie Sanford, it meant reinventing her business. Sanford began and operated Paleo Num Yums five years ago in The Centre at Furys Ferry Road in Martinez with paleo diet meal plans. For four years, she rode a wave of success. Then things changed. The normal August and fall boost her business usually experienced didn’t materialize, despite tweaks to advertising and scrutiny of P&L statements. Then, the anticipated January spike in business

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B2B Stories

Thoughts from the General: Thoughts about Top Gun: Maverick

First of all, Top Gun: Maverick is a great movie and will remain a classic for many decades in the future. Like the first movie, it will be a great recruiting tool for anyone interested in military aviation in the United States and nations throughout the world. The first Top Gun movie was first-rate but Top Gun: Maverick is better. Here are some areas of accuracy, some questionable areas, and some areas of total nonsense. Accuracies  Pulling 9 Gs will cause most pilots to black out. The air-to-air film in

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B2B Stories

Nonprofit director encourages business leaders to help the next generation

In 2020, Shanteka Glover was selected as one of the Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch and Georgia Trend Magazine’s 40 under 40 award recipient. Glover, senior IT technical and business analyst for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, attended this month’s Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce Member Economic Luncheon yesterday. She has a passion for helping the next generation of business leaders. “If our youth can see, they can be it,” Glover said. “We must allow them to stand on our shoulders to reach greater achievements.” The luncheon honored

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: First quarter labor stats look good for Georgia, up slightly in Augusta

Data through the first quarter of 2022 suggests that the Georgia economy remains strong. The Labor Market Index (LMI) for Georgia increased by 2.4 percent in March 2022 from March 2021. The corresponding number for the fourth quarter of 2021 was 2.2 percent. Savannah saw the largest year-on-year increase at 3.6 percent. All metro areas, except Hinesville, saw improved labor market conditions in the first quarter of 2022. The LMI for Augusta increased by 0.8 percent. Employment has increased by 2,300 over the last year and the unemployment rate has

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