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B2B Stories
B2B Stories

AI and the Future of Your Business

An old truism advises it is all in how you word it. Small businesses are finding that it is especially accurate as they venture into using artificial intelligence (AI). The North Augusta Chamber of Commerce kicked off its Power Lunch series for 2025 with “AI: The Future of Business Starts Here.” Matthew Jay, Chief Operating Officer with PC Techware, explained the importance of being accurate and precise when giving instructions to AI. He said successfully using AI is no different from a basic principle for any business. He said it

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Dana Lynn McIntyre January 23, 2025 No Comments
Awards/Celebrations

CSRA Chamber Celebrates 20th Year

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce will host its 20th Anniversary Celebration Banquet & Awards Ceremony on Thursday, February 6, 2025, from 4:30 PM to 8:00 PM at the Columbia County Exhibition Center in Grovetown, Georgia. The evening will begin with a silent auction, followed by a catered dinner, live music, and a special presentation. During the ceremony, the Chamber will recognize outstanding local businesses and individuals through the presentation of its prestigious Annual Awards. Categories include the Leadership Columbia County Award, Ambassador of the Year, Volunteer of the Year,

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Staff Report January 22, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Different Way to Access Health Care

The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce kicked off its 2025 Third Thursday series with a look at a different option for receiving health care. Dr. Rob Lamberts of Welcome Health presented Cut Costs, Not Care, a way individuals can access healthcare, and business owners can provide benefits to employees. Lamberts leads an Augusta area medical practice that provides what is called Direct Primary Care (DPC). It is a membership-based alternative payment model that uses a flat, monthly, or annual fee to access unlimited primary care and preventive services. “There are

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Dana Lynn McIntyre January 22, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Tech Tips: You Won’t Believe the #s for Data Theft in the CSRA!

It’s a proven fact that technology can reduce business costs. BitLocker, MDM, and Intune are programs that can help protect your business. Sharon Martin explains in today’s Tech Tips. But wait, there’s more! Here is a guide to theft protection that could save your business some big bucks. Click here.

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Sharon Martin, owner Managed Nerds, serving the CSRA January 22, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Assessing Your Value Proposition

I kicked off each of my three new semester courses this past week. As I indicated in a recent column, these courses focus on the topic of Operations and Supply Chain Management (OCSM).   OCSM is the part of a company that is responsible for the production and delivery of the goods and services sold to customers. Those goods and services clearly determine how a firm competes in its markets. Therefore, I spend the beginning of my courses discussing the competitiveness and strategies of companies and the intersection of OCMS with

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Dr. Rick Franza January 21, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

CSRA Businesses Impacted by Snow and Sub-Freezing Temps

Twice since the aftermath of Helene, winter weather has hit the CSRA – it impacts businesses, employees, and the consumers who support them. “Several businesses across the CSRA opted to close early on Tuesday and today’s schedule is yet to be determined. What matters most to these small businesses is the safety of their employees and their customers,” said John Porter, Director of Downtown Soul City. Ironically one of the events that was supposed to happen on Tuesday was a book release party for the Onyx Storm at the Book

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Mitzi Oxford January 21, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Businesses Wanted for Black Chamber Event

The Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce (GABCC) is preparing to host an annual Resource Business Fair and is calling for vendors to participate. This marks the third year the Chamber is sponsoring the event. Shagraila Hammond, GABCC Program Manager, told ABD the first was December 2023 and the second in April 2024. They chose February this year, making it the kick-off to the Chamber’s yearly activities. “It is essentially something that was created through a program that we had running in 2023 where we wanted to put everything that

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Dana Lynn McIntyre January 21, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Legislative session underway in the Palmetto State

South Carolina lawmakers have converged on Columbia for the start of the 2025 Legislative Session. In a news conference coinciding with the start, Gov. Henry McMaster (R), joined by Lt. Gov. Pamela Evett (R), laid out his proposals in his $14 billion executive budget proposal as the session began. High on his agenda are income taxes and education. He pointed to a time when South Carolina had the highest personal income tax rate in the southeast and the 12th highest in the nation. Three years ago, he signed legislation to

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Dana Lynn McIntyre January 20, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Augusta AI Growth

Augusta is set to benefit from the increasing use of Large Language Models (LLMs), a type of artificial intelligence (AI) model that can understand and generate human language (so says Google AI Overview!). According to recent economic research by Scott Abrahams and Frank Levy, Augusta is ranked second in a list of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) that may benefit from the technological change. Their analysis follows from the observation that 15% of all tasks currently performed by humans could be completed by generative software such as ChatGPT, and 19% of

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe January 20, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

AI Classes for Small Business Owners

As the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) expands, small business owners have the opportunity to gain experience in how they can use it to grow their business. Managed Nerds, an IT managed services company based in the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center, is offering a class on Jan. 28 called EntrepreAI Tuesday. “We help small businesses manage their IT, from planning on what their technology purchases are to maintaining the computers, ensuring that they’re regularly updated, to providing remote or onsite support, and cyber security protection to make sure

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Dana Lynn McIntyre January 16, 2025 No Comments
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