B2B Stories

B2B Stories

Business Leaders Can Master the Art of Cooking

Some of the most powerful business leaders have interesting hobbies. Hiking, chess, and gardening rank high on the list of diversions from the stressful world of business. Former President, George W. Bush took up painting after leaving office. He took lessons from Bonnie Flood, a Georgia-based artist. Former Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer bakes in her time away from the office. She says the best cooks are chemists and baking gives her innovative ways of looking at business solutions. If that sounds like your cup of tea or in this case,

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B2B Stories

CSRA to host huge U.S. entrepreneurial event

The start-up business world is coming to Augusta later in 2025. Until then, leaders at Make Startups are visiting start-up incubators all over the country. It has been almost a year since ABD first told you about a local entrepreneurial group getting ready to crisscross America to learn and share best practices. Make Startups is based in theClubhou.se and is an offshoot of HACK Augusta. It is in the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center. Eric Parker, CEO of Make Startups, told ABD they have been visiting from the West

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B2B Stories

2024 Predictions: How Did My Crystal Ball Do?

Publisher’s Note: Tomorrow is December 31st, both New Year’s Eve and the official end of 2024. In case you missed a previous article, Dr. Rick Franza took a break from grading his students and graded himself on predictions he made about a year ago. Last Thursday, my esteemed colleague, Dr. Simon Medcalfe, provided another of his informative and amusing talks at the annual Hull College of Business’ Economic Forecast Breakfast. His presentation at this time last year inspired me to consult my “crystal ball” and make my predictions for 2024

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B2B Stories

Hurricane Helene canceled business event re-scheduled for 2025

Organizers of a series of workshops and training sessions canceled by the sudden arrival of Hurricane Helene have regrouped for 2025. BsidesAugusta 2025 is set for Oct. 20 through Oct. 25. It will follow the outline planned for the 2024 event that was canceled. “It’ll be four days of training classes that we’ll offer, and that’ll be the 20th through the 23rd and then the Security Onion conference on October 24,” BSidesAugusta organizer, and COO of Security Onion Solutions, LLC, Phil Plantamura explained for ABD. “Both of those events, the

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B2B Stories

Air Show Augusta coming back for a third year

Augusta Regional Airport will have a busy April in 2025 with two events generating visitors. First is the 89th annual Masters Tournament, which will run April 7th – 13th next year. However, from the first arrivals to final departures, it has expanded to nearly two weeks with the addition of the Drive, Chip, and Putt Competition for young golfers, and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) tournament. Augusta Regional Airport staff will have less than two weeks to catch their respective breaths before Air Show Augusta 2025 roars into the

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B2B Stories

Synovus Sponsored Article: ‘Tis the Season to Protect Your Business from Fraud

Commercial fraud – from phishing attacks and identity theft to check fraud – has been on the rise, affecting businesses of all sizes, including those in Augusta. In fact, in 2023 80% of surveyed organizations were hit by actual or attempted payment fraud attacks, according to the 2024 AFP Payments and Control Survey Report. While the holidays are a time of cheer and joy, it can also be a time when businesses are vulnerable to the seasonal spike in fraud and scams. To protect your business, follow these tips. Verify

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B2B Stories

Chamber Prepares for 2025 Business Opportunities

As 2024 begins to wind down, the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is looking ahead to programs for 2025. One of the largest will be the Business Expo which will be held Jan. 9 at the Columbia County Exhibition Center. Russell Lahodny, President and CEO of the Columbia County Chamber, told ABD this inaugural event was prompted by a request from Columbia County. “Columbia County came to us and asked us, ‘Would you want to do a business expo and we said, ‘Why not?’” he explained. “With the way we

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B2B Stories

Augusta MSA #s a Christmas gift

Economics has always been interested in what creates wealth ever since Adam Smith wrote An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Many of my columns for Augusta Business Daily have examined the nature and causes of the wealth of the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Recent research on economic freedom across all MSAs in the US sheds some light on which MSAs are growing the fastest and creating the most wealth. Dean Stansel of the Birdwell Institute, has been compiling an index of economic freedom

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B2B Stories

History Meets the Present at New Shop

The CSRA is somewhat of an antique picker’s paradise and Edgefield, South Carolina has a new option for finding old treasures. The Magnolia Barn opened earlier this month in the original Hartley Barn built in 1920. For owner Sheree Tuttle, finding the location at 817 Buncombe Street, and opening the shop fulfilled a dream. It’s more than just about selling antiques. “The Magnolia Barn brings to life my three favorite things. I love antiques but I had a 20-year medical career, so I’m also offering a line of health supplements

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B2B Stories

Growing the workforce in Georgia and South Carolina

Governors in Georgia in the two-state area are both taking steps to develop the workforce to fill critical jobs for the future. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) recently announced a commission he created through the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). Kemp is chairman of the commission which includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. In a news release announcing the commission, Kemp said the goal is to work with leaders across the South to improve educational opportunities

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