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B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: Hull College students help local businesses solve problems

  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

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Gary Kauffman April 25, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Inflation is now the top concern of small businesses, according to a survey

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

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Gary Kauffman April 25, 2022 No Comments
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Old and new: North Augusta antique mall thrives in a new location, opens a second building

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

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Josh Heath April 22, 2022 No Comments
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The call center director says the key to happy customers is happy workers

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

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Josh Heath April 22, 2022 No Comments
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Faith Friday: Sending gifts from Augusta businesses with help from above

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

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Monique Williams April 22, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Partridge Inn renovations combine original style with modern conveniences

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

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Josh Heath April 21, 2022 1 Comment
B2B Stories

Business owners, the public can weigh in on Project Pascalis today

Another piece of the puzzle for the Pascalis development project will come together today when businesses and the public can voice their opinions. Project Pascalis is slated to bring a hotel, parking garage, conference center, apartments, and retail space to downtown Aiken. Public input and fully approved plans are two stipulations required by the City’s Design Review Board before moving forward with the demolition of the dilapidated Hotel Aiken, as well as properties on Laurens Street to make room for the development. The seven parcels that make up Project Pascalis

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Mitzi Oxford April 20, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Entrepreneur renovating the historic home for unique event space

If you’re looking for space with historical significance to host business meetings and other company events, James O’Neal’s got you covered. O’Neal, an Allstate Insurance agent with an office in Augusta, bought the historic Charles Hammond House, 908 West Martintown Road, North Augusta in June 2018. He plans to use the 4,200-square-foot, six-bedroom Greek Revival house, which was most likely built in the 1770s, for not only events but also Airbnb, Vrbo, and Masters housing. O’Neal has renovated several homes, which is why he decided to invest in this project.

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Josh Heath April 20, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Home ownership in CSRA varies from state to national levels

Buying a house is one of the largest purchases most people will make in their lifetime. In Georgia, 63 percent of all housing is owner-occupied; in Columbia County, it is 80 percent, and 53 percent in Richmond County. Evidence suggests that homeowners are more satisfied with their homes and neighborhoods and have more stable neighborhoods. It is therefore an interesting research question to understand the determinants of homeownership. Fortunately, Vanessa Wimberly, an undergraduate student in the Hull College of Business at Augusta University, has studied this question and presented her

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Economics Professor April 20, 2022 No Comments
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