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B2B Stories

Increased demand prompts popular pet care business to expand

On January 1 at midnight, Eric and Anne Dysinger began accepting pet boarding reservations for Masters Week. Thirty minutes later, they were completely booked. As a result of that demand, the Dysingers, owners of Paws in Paradise Luxury Resort & Spa, a 24/7 full-service facility, located at 4319 Evans to Locks Road in Evans, are expanding their business. Anne said they currently have more demand for their boarding and daycare services than they can handle. The couple has been forced to turn customers away due to a lack of space.

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Josh Heath June 8, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Wage increases alone may not be enough to entice employees

The labor force in Augusta is below 267,000 (March 2022) compared to almost 271,000 pre-pandemic. Traditional thinking and economics suggest that employers should raise wages and that will increase the workers’ opportunity cost of staying at home and at least some workers will be enticed back into the labor force. Unfortunately, as I mentioned last week, average weekly earnings in Augusta have not kept up with increases at the state and national levels, and even declined in 2021. Nationally, earnings have increased by 5 percent in the same period. But

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Economics Professor June 8, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Local shopping center sold for more than $20 million

For nearly 17 years, Eddie and Carol Kennedy have owned and operated Great Deals on Furniture in the Village Plaza shopping center on Bobby Jones Expressway. The busy center, previously owned by an Ohio-based company, has been sold for a little over $20 million. Carol said she and her husband haven’t met the new owners yet, but they have received emails and phone calls from them. The couple isn’t worried about possible changes that could affect their business. “We had a great working relationship with the previous owners, and we

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Josh Heath June 6, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Banking leaders warn of an economic ‘hurricane’ on the horizon

Several leaders of major banks recently warned about a looming financial crisis that could plunge the United States into a major recession. This reflects the same sentiment of a gloomy economic forecast as Hull College of Business economist, Simon Medcalfe made in his ABD column on Wednesday (see his local report here). “It’s a hurricane,” JP Morgan Chase CEO, Jamie Dimon said at a recent banking conference in describing his view of the economy. Like with a natural hurricane, where it is sunny and peaceful in the days ahead of

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Gary Kauffman June 6, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: Tips on recruiting and retaining good employees

  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 recruiting good employees and the importance of retaining them. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: It seems everyone these days is looking for employees. What’s going on? Rick: We’ve always had a good relationship with the local community but we’ve never had so many businesses, both small and large, be as proactive with us because they’re so in need

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Gary Kauffman June 6, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Fifth Street Bridge project expected to draw large crowds to downtown Augusta

Once the Fifth Street Bridge reopens later this month, it’s expected to attract more people to downtown Augusta, and Greg LaBelle looks forward to turning some of those people into customers. LaBelle co-owns Two Dudes and a Boat Kayak Rentals located near the bridge in the Fifth Street Marina. He and his business partner, Steven Cox, not only rent out kayaks but also offer guided kayak tours of the Savannah River for groups and corporations. “We are so fortunate that the pedestrian bridge will have a bird’s eye view of

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Josh Heath June 3, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Local college wants to help you become a more effective leader

If you want to increase your company’s productivity or become a more effective leader, Aiken Technical College may have just the course you need. The college has begun offering The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Signature Edition 4.0 course. The two-day, in-person class covers each of the habits, which include Be Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind and Put First Things First. Nikasha Dicks, Aiken Tech’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations, said it incorporates a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, videos, interactive discussions, and small-group activities.

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Josh Heath June 3, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Augusta coffee pioneer opens new downtown location

The people who started the local coffee scene opened their third coffee shop today in downtown Augusta. Buona Caffe opened this morning at 520 Reynolds Street. Although it’s a new location for a retail shop, the building has been home to Buona’s bean roasting since 2018. The building also serves as a warehouse, an equipment showroom, and a training classroom. Owner, John Curry said opening a coffee shop at the location had always been part of the plan for the building, which is located next to the Augusta Museum of

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Gary Kauffman June 3, 2022 No Comments
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