Georgia seeks a state chamber of commerce to advocate for chambers in Augusta and other smaller cities, and there’s a push to stop a planned electric vehicle plant east of Atlanta. – Augusta Business Daily by Mike Petchenik
Don MacNeil is the former Marketing Director of Windsor Jewelers and long-time on-air radio professional. Is it just me, or… Small Think Small think. Short term it may better allow us to sleep at night, but guarantees we’ll never be a Steve Jobs (Apple) or a Jeff Bezos (Amazon). In a nutshell, it’s a risk-averse fear of going broke that informs every business decision we make and ultimately decides the path of our lives. When I first had the thought to take this up with you, I envisioned
Economic development and improved community health are the goals of the 2022 Georgia Outdoor Recreation and Trail Summit to be held at the Augusta Convention Center on May 15-16. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, 58 percent of Georgians participate in outdoor activities. Georgia’s outdoor recreation generates $27.3 billion in consumer spending and creates 238,000 jobs. The 2022 Summit will bring together nonprofit leaders, city planners, elected officials, greenspace advocates, recreation enthusiasts, and others to discuss new ways toward improving Georgia’s trails. “Investing in outdoor recreation and trails is a
Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he discusses unique ways Augusta University students interact with local businesses. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: You recently were involved in two events that brought Hull College students in contact with the “real world” of local businesses. Tell us about the first one. Rick: The first one involved the Jessye Norman School of the Arts. They held a Shark Tank-type contest
With the nation’s inflation rate at 8.5 percent – the highest since December 1981 – it’s no surprise that inflation is now the biggest concern of small businesses, topping even the labor shortage issue. According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), 31 percent of small business owners surveyed in March reported inflation as their top concern, a 5 percent increase from February. The labor shortage was the top concern for 22 percent of businesses. According to the survey, 72 percent of business owners reported having to raise prices
Cyber attackers are developing new email phishing tricks. Patrick Reynolds of Crosslink Consulting offers advice on the best way to stop them.
Before Riverfront Antique Mall in North Augusta closed its doors permanently in September 2021, Richard Mayson wanted to keep the business afloat. On October 1, he launched his own business called Riverside Antiques & Treasures. “We had two options: find somewhere else or shut down,” Mayson, who served as a vendor at Riverfront for almost four years, said. After looking at 30-40 places, he decided to lease a 9,500-square-foot building located at 646 East Buena Vista Ave. in North Augusta. On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mayson, his
Imagine walking into a call center and hearing music or seeing employees dressed up for an indoor Mardi Gras parade. If that sounds a little too far-fetched, those kinds of things happen at T-Mobile’s Augusta call center, according to Rachel Romero. Romero, the center’s director, was the guest speaker for this month’s Third Thursday Business Builder, hosted by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. The topic was “The Art of Customer Care Post-Covid.” As a director, she oversees a team of more than 800 Customer Care Experts, as
Randall and Janice Williams truly believe the part of scripture in James 1:17 that says, “Every good and perfect gift comes from above….” They prove it daily through their shared labor of love, Augusta Gift Baskets, a home-based e-commerce business founded in January 2021. He’s a former restaurateur. She’s a retired nurse. They not only blended their families (five children and 10 grandchildren) when they married three years ago but also their love for serving others. “It is our job to deliver easy, thoughtful gifts and ensure our customers are
The historic Partridge Inn originally opened in 1910, so naturally, it has undergone numerous renovations over the last 112 years. But after the 140-room Curio Collection by Hilton Hotel was renovated in 2015 and 2016, some guests complained it was beginning to look a little too modern, according to Holly White. White, who became the Partridge Inn’s General Manager in December, said the latest renovations, which have cost about $10 million so far, corrected that. To complete the project, the hotel, located at 2110 Walton Way, was closed from mid-September
