1 18 16 buzz on biz january february 72 pages

JAN. 21—FEB. 17, 2016 • THE CSRA’S MONTHLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Employers, job seekers meet under one roof

By Kelsey Morrow If you are searching for a job, Buzz on Biz has some great news for you.

Several companies in the CSRA are searching for prospective employees, and the Buzz on Biz Career Expo on Feb. 9 from 1-5:30 p.m. at the Legends Club will bring them all together at the same time and place.

The event is being sponsored by ATC Healthcare Services, Real McCoy Brokerage Firm, WRDW News Channel 12, and Pruitt Health.

“PruittHealth is very excited to be sponsoring this event for the second year in a row,” Lance Danko, area vice president, said. “We are looking forward to recruiting new talent and adding to our team of highly skilled professionals throughout the CSRA.”

Buzz on Biz Career Expo Feb. 9, 1-5:30 p.m.

The Legends Club Last year’s career expo saw 180 job candidates come through the doors of the Legends Club, which was a 33 percent increase from the year before. Buzz on Biz founder Neil Gordon is hoping for an even bigger increase in attendance this year.

“We believe that to be the best you have to hire the best,” Gordon said. “Our Career Expo gives quality job candidates the chance to find the right fit, which benefits the business-

es looking for quality employees. Best of all, they can do it all in one convenient location.”

There was a steady flow of job seekers for most of the four hours of the Expo, coming from a variety of backgrounds and age ranges. Most of the candidates coming the Career Expo presented themselves well and were well qualified.

In an effort to draw even more talent to the Career Expo, Buzz on Biz has beefed up its advertising efforts.

“Buzz on Biz recognizes in our own business the importance of excellent people,” Gordon said. “We are blessed to have talented, independent thinkers. At one of our annual retreats we discussed the importance of being more active in the business community by sponsoring more events, See CAREER EXPO, page 2

Taking an alternate route to a career Once on her way to medical school, Amanda Clements chose a less traditional path

By Millie Huff To look at Amanda Clements, you might guess her career to be any number of roles well-suited to a 29-year-old woman with long blonde hair, a bright smile and an MBA from Augusta University. You would probably be pretty far down on a list of careers options before guessing she’s an auto shop manager.

For Clements, who considers herself to be a “tomboy” and risk taker, being the vice president of C&C Automotive and manager of its West Augusta location is perfectly suited for her.

“It was not always my dream to go into the family business, but once I saw how I could be a part of the future, it became a passion for me,” Clements said. “Since I was a little girl, I’ve enjoyed learning how things fit together and being a part of the business.

My leadership role allows me to do what I love, utilize my education and build something important with my family.”

Clements graduated from Evans Christian Academy in 2003 before enrolling in pre-med at Augusta University. While working toward admission to medical school, Clements was encouraged to take some business classes so that she would be a more “well rounded” student. Once she began the business classes, she realized a career in medicine wasn’t for her and that

Amanda Clements is making her mark in a field normally viewed as a male profession. Photo by Gary Kauffman

she enjoyed learning what makes a business successful. She ultimately graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a minor in business.

Armed with business expertise, an insider’s knowledge of the family business and a dream of expansion, her father agreed to open a second location of C&C Automotive in West Augusta with Clements as the manager. The shop, located on Wrightsboro Road off of Jimmy Dyess Parkway close to

Fort Gordon, has drawn a different clientele than seen at the downtown location.

“Our first five years of business at this new location have been great,” Clements said. “In four years, we doubled the annual revenue of the previous shop that was located here.”

Clements credits the shop’s success to a great team of frontline staff and technicians.

The West Augusta location has a reputation for offering the same customer service

and quality repairs as the downtown shop.

The high standards of the business earned them the designation as the “Top Shop in the Nation” in 2008, voted on by a panel of automotive experts and featured in Motor Age magazine. They have also been voted as “Best of Augusta” by readers of a several local publications over the years.

C&C Automotive was opened in downSee AMANDA CLEMENTS, page 2

AMANDA CLEMENTS continued from page 1 town Augusta in 1977 by her grandfather and father. Her grandfather, John Clements, was already an experienced mechanic. When her father, Aaron, got out of the Air Force, the father and son decided to go into business together and opened their own shop. Multiple members of the family have contributed to the successful business, including Amanda’s grandmother. The downtown location has moved to larger locations four times and is now located on Telfair Street.

The family is known for their automotive expertise and community service. Aaron Clements and C&C Shop Foreman J.R. Mooney do a two-hour, call-in radio show on WGAC on Saturday mornings, offering free automotive advice to listeners. They can be heard from 8-10 a.m.

“My father taught me at a young age that you have to work hard to be successful. Just because my family owns the business doesn’t mean anything is given to me,” said Clements. “I learned about the business by being hands-on with every part of it. My first job as a teenager was at the front door, opening the door and greeting our customers as they entered.”

While managing a successful business, she’s also made time to pursue her MBA degree from Augusta University, which she completed in December. Life will become even busier this spring as she is expecting her first child in May with fiancée, Morris.

While some people might be surprised by Clements’ success in the automotive repair business based on her appearance and age, Amanda isn’t surprised at all.

“I’m the kind of girl who doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty,” said Clements. “I’ve

CAREER EXPO continued from page 1 attending more Chamber functions and speaking more in the community. To that end, we have beefed up promotions for our 3rd Annual Career Expo to encourage even more professionals to attend our event.”

This year, Buzz on Biz has a high-profile billboard on Washington Road and Alexander Drive near the Legends Club where the Expo will be held.

In addition to the billboard, the Expo is also running commercials WGAC and WRDW on AM radio andon BOB FM as well.

About 100 posters have been placed in area businesses reminding job seekers of the event, with an updated poster being put on display in late January.

A number of staffing agencies will be seeking qualified candidates at the 2016 Expo, including Augusta Staffing, Job Shop and Spherion.

“Since the beginning we’ve been part of the Buzz on Biz Career Expo,” Robert Kelly

2 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

always been outdoorsy – I love to ride motorbikes and four-wheelers. While women aren’t typically involved in automotive repairs like I am, I love it. I think some female customers are more comfortable bringing their cars to us knowing that a woman is the manager.”

Clements has become a minor celebrity among the automotive repair industry. She was featured on the cover of “Ratchet and Wrench” trade magazine in 2015, recognized as unique for her age and gender in the industry.

What she thought would be a small feature and photo, turned into her becoming a cover girl. She found out when a friend called to compliment her on her picture.

“I feel lucky that people have accepted me and trust that I know the business,” Clements said. “Having a great support system certainly helps, too!”

Clements has a great vision for the future of C&C Automotives, which may include additional locations in Augusta and the surrounding region.

“Augusta has blessed us by supporting our business for almost 40 years,” she said.

“We are proud of the service we provide to our customers and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”

of Augusta Staffing said. “Our team really likes the Buzz Expo because there’s enough time to get to know each candidate and the candidates are very high quality.”

There will also be schools on hand to discuss both educational opportunities and job openings. Schools in attendance this year will include Georgia Military College, Troy University, Augusta Technical College, Southern Wesleyan University and Brenau University.

Additional companies seeking to fill positions include Northwest Mutual, ResCare HomeCare, Kenneth Shuler, Dumpster Depot, Augusta University Health, Busby’s, 88.3 WAFJ, Comfort Inn, Tri-Development Center of Aiken County, PDQ, Advanced Services Pest Control, Nuclear Care Partners, Transamerica and Mary Kay. For more information about the upcoming Career Expo, visit buzzon.biz or the Buzz on Biz Career Expo Facebook page at facebook.com/buzzonbizcareerexpo.

Publisher’s Notes Neil Gordon

Career Minded

Area’s economy hinges on good career, education choices When you think of a Career/Job Fair, most likely employment comes to mind. Increasingly, vendors in our Annual Career Expo feature as many colleges and schools as staffing agencies.

As of this writing, the Buzz on Biz Career Expo is trending to be our biggest ever – we hope to fill both rooms of the Legends Club with vendors.

Features

Not surprisingly, our theme this issue is Career and Education on pages 34-46. We breakdown all of the layers of this changing world including stories about: • How an anticipated nursing shortage could affect future health care • A potential lack of qualified local workers to meet the growing demand for cyber and tech jobs in the CSRA • A shift in management that has Baby Boomers working for managers half their age • The growing trend of continuing education for people already in the workforce • A reprint of our story from last summer about how the Augusta Warrior Project is helping match veterans with companies in the CSRA • How CSRA schools are adopting a BYOD program (Bring Your Own Device) • How students are becoming more fervent about tying jobs to majors • A program that is helping North Augusta Middle School students get a jump start on their future careers,

Solid Economy................. 4

Penny tax, state funds are creating a funding boon for local infrastructure upkeep.

Neil Gordon is president of Buzz on Biz, LLC and produces a daily TV segment on News 12 This Morning, a daily radio show on WRDW 1630 AM, a daily website and a weekly email business newsletter in addition to Buzz on Biz, the CSRA’s only monthly business publication.

Jobs in cyber and tech fields will be plentiful in Augusta’s near future, but finding local workers could be a challenge.

Business Lessons........... 40

Businessperson of the Month: Jeff Annis.......... 20

North Augusta students gaining practical information to make career choices.

After building a successful business, Jeff Annis now plans to help others succeed.

Role Reversal................. 42

Barbecue Heaven........... 22 Nurses Needed............... 36

CSRA will soon have three new barbecue restaurants to choose from.

Core Focus........................ 6 Business Openings...22-23 Event helps small businesses focus on 65 Years Strong.............. 32 business plan, strategies for success.

Buzz Bits....................12,13

He is our Businessperson of the Month.

I am one of dozens of young entrepreneurs he has helped throughout his 30 year career being a “Bugstopper.”

There must be a “secret sauce” in the area that attracts barbecue restaurants.

In the past month, we learned of three new restaurants opening in the CSRA. Get your car started and get your bib ready by learning who’s going where on Page 22.

Lastly, we mustn’t forget about our loved ones during the romantic month of February. Our cover story in the Social Buzz section features a “Love and Laughter” event sponsored by a local radio station that encourages stronger marriage, which studies have shown increase business productivity.

Happy Business and Valentine’s Day!

Career & Education...34-46 The Future is Now.......... 35

2016 won’t have stunning growth like 2014, but will be steady like last year.

On the Road..................... 6

including working with the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce Speaking of the North Augusta Chamber, congratulations to the business group on its 65th anniversary. On Page 32, Terra Carroll, president of the Chamber, shares some unique older photos and gives us a peek into their future.

Since it’s a new year, Buzz on Biz is also focusing on the status of the CSRA economy and initiatives. On Page 4, we report on how the 2014 and 2015 economic stats figure into what 2016 will look like.

On Page 6, yours truly was an invited guest of the Small Business Development Center and participated in a mini-strategy and planning session for business in the new year. I report the findings.

On Pages 6 and 8, we tackle the notso-sexy, yet practical look at Transportation in the Augusta area and the state of Georgia.

On Page 20, our Editor In Chief Gary Kauffman shares his 2.5 hour conversation with Jeff Annis, the outgoing CEO of Advanced Services For Pest Control.

North Augusta Chamber of Commerce plans 65th anniversary celebration.

Increasingly, Millennials are managing older workers.

Reports show that increasing health care demands could create a nursing shortage in the next 10 years.

Business Events............ 58

More workers are signing up for continuing education.

Local event encourages stronger marriages with fun evening out.

Social Buzz............... 63-71 Back to School................ 38 Love and Laughter........ 63

Columnists Charles Kelly: Six months later, Windows 10 still strikes fear in some....................................8 Kim Romaner: A look at eight drivers that determine business value................................ 10 Russell Head: ACA reporting requirements mean new paperwork..................................... 10 Dagan Sharep: Financial literacy relieves stress, helps your career...................................... 14 Eddie Kennedy: Start the new year by taking steps to get what you want...................... 16 Jame Geathers: 529 plans are great benefits to help employees save............................... 16 Christine Hall: Scammers prey on fear of Internal Revenue Service.................................... 18 Doug Parker: Good background checks can avoid later regrets........................................... 18 Gary Kauffman: Without a plan, your idea won’t sustain a business................................... 24 Steve Swanson: Faith needs to be an integral part of daily business life........................... 24 Kelsey Morrow: Thinking before posting to social media avoids faux pas........................ 26 Jeff Asselin: No one works harder at your business than your website.............................. 26 Mike Herrington: Life insurance can help with funds during liquidation.......................... 27 Mark Alison: Doing something better can offset not being first on scene....................... 28

Jeb Blount: Ask three questions to set real goals, not empty resolutions......................... 30 Justin Anderson: Simple strategies can help you see into real estate future................... 30 Samantha Shore: Colleges move toward making students bring own computers....... 34 Barry Paschal: Identifying high-demand jobs helps students pick a major...................... 34 Carolyn Ramp: Improving yourself means leaving excuses behind.................................... 48 Terry Childers: Recovery from addiction puts people back on productive track............ 50 Bethany Roley/Blake Crewe: Inactivity a leading cause of health issues........................... 52 Carol Gignoux: Answers to the questions people have about ADHD................................. 54 Susan O’Keefe: More than just coffee, Inner Bean serves satisfying food......................... 60 Ben Casella: Writer vows to taste brews with more hops in 2016........................................ 64 Samantha Taylor: Cooking shows feature some tough competition, humor................... 64 Jonathan Karow: Laments of rock and roll’s death are premature....................................... 66 Nora Blithe: Writer finds creative mind trick to deal with criticism...................................... 68

Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Augusta economy for 2016 will be solid After stunning 2014 growth, last year was slower, closer to normal; 2016 expected to be similar

By Gary Kauffman “Solid” is the word to describe the local economy in 2016.

That’s according to Simon Medcalfe, economist with the Hull College of Business at Augusta University, who spoke about the local economy at the Eighth Annual Economic Forecast Breakfast on Jan. 13.

“This year’s growth will be solid – not spectacular, but solid,” Medcalfe said.

On the heels of spectacular growth in 2014, when Augusta’s economy grew at a state-best 4.2 percent, growth in 2015 was only 1.4 percent. That was slightly below the state average of 2.2 percent, which was the 10th-best growth in the country.

Medcalfe said much of that slowing came in the second half of the year.

“In the spring and summer it was growing fairly well,” he said.

Looking at 2016, Medcalfe expects about a similar rate of growth in the local economy.

“Everything we’ve seen indicates that next year will be very similar,” he said.

In his forecast a year ago for 2015, Medcalfe had anticipated some of the slowdown in growth, partly because of world conditions out of Augusta’s control, but also because of a slowing in the leisure and hospitality sector, which includes restaurants.

In 2014, leisure and hospitality grew at a stunning 21 percent rate. In 2015, that slowed to a 1.6 percent growth rate.

“This is a sector I follow closely because it is an indicator of disposable income by the public,” he said. “It’s an indicator that they have money to spend and feel confident about the economy.”

The biggest growth in the CSRA in 2015 was in the education and health services sector at 3.2 percent. Most of that came in health services.

Transportation and utilities grew at 2.8 percent and the government sector outpaced the private sector, growing by 2.1 percent.

For the first time in several years, the mining, logging and construction sector registered an increase, at 1.8 percent growth. Professional and business services and retail each measured minor growth of less than 1 percent.

The biggest decline was in the information sector, which includes traditional media but not IT, dropping by 6.3 percent.

Manufacturing also decreased by 1.5 percent.

Medcalfe doesn’t anticipate any notable issues with inflation. He said the “headline” inflation, which includes spending on everything, will be about 2 percent with some fluctuations.

“A lot of people are worried that the things we did the last five or six years coming out of the recession will lead to inflation,” he said. “But I don’t see it going massively out of control.

Medcalfe noted that workers are doing well in the Augusta area, working an average of 36.5 hours per week, two hours more than the national average, and the average weekly earnings are $900, $30 more than the national average. Unemployment has continued its steady downward trend.

Medcalfe cautioned that there are always unknowns that can affect the future economy, such as climate issues, terrorism and stock market fluctuations.

Medcalfe was asked about information technology and cyber, both of which he said lack specifics to track accurately.

“The IT sector is really hard to measure with the information I have,” he said. “Most of that occurs in professional services, but that’s a large group that includes lawyers, pest control, etc. If this is the way we want to go (in this area) then we need to have a better idea of what that is.”

Cyber is even more nebulous.

“Cyber is not an industry but crosses a lot of different areas,” he said. “Until we know exactly what we mean by cyber it’s hard to know what its affects are.”

Local innovation needs venture capital When it comes to innovation, Augusta falls short of the baseline on the Innovation Index.

Marc Miller, executive director of economic development at Augusta University, said at the Economic Forecast Breakfast on Jan. 13 that while Augusta ranks below the baseline, it compares favorably with surrounding Georgia cities.

One reason for that is the lack of venture capital in the area. On a chart showing venture capital available in some areas of South Carolina and North Carolina, Augusta was

4 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

so low that they didn’t even appear on the chart.

Yet given the number of patents in the area for innovative ideas and processes, Miller said people here are interested in innovation.

“We have people creating, inventing, and creating wealth and value,” he said. “We need to encourage entrepreneurship.”

He noted that the process is slow, but he has a lofty goal.

“I want us to create a company per day and be a leader in that area,” he said.

Simon Medcalfe, economist at Augusta University, gave his outlook for the 2016 economy at the annual Economic Outlook Breakfast on Jan. 13. Photo by Gary Kauffman

THE CSRA’S ONLY MONTHLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE The Buzz on Biz mission is to act as an inspirational tool for those in the workplace and those who are entrepreneurs, and to provide useful, practical information to increase their companies’ bottom lines.

To order a 12-month subscription mailed to your home or office, please mail a check for $36 to cover postage to the address below.

Publisher Neil R. Gordon

Photography Gary Kauffman, Melissa Gordon

Editor in Chief Gary Kauffman/803-341-5830

Writers Millie Huff, Kelsey Morrow, Amanda King, Susan O’Keefe

Sales Manager Neil R. Gordon/706-589-6727 neil.gordon@buzzon.biz Sales Janine Garropy/803-480-2800 janine.garropy@buzzon.biz Tiffany Stone/803-640-0627 tiffany@buzzon.biz Design Gary Kauffman

Calendar Coordinator Kelsey Morrow kelsey.morrow@buzzon.biz Distribution Janine Garropy, Kenneth Brown, Tiffany Stone Submit Information gkauffman@buzzon.biz thegordongrouppr@comcast.net

Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and their respective institutions.

Neither Buzz on Biz LLC or its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for informational purposes only.

For more information, visit us at buzzon.biz or like us on Facebook

3740 Executive Center Drive, #300, Martinez, GA 30907

Jan. 21窶認eb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Area on the road to improved infrastructure Penny tax, state funds create funding boon for Augusta area

generate a lot of jobs,” Smith said. “Our short-term strategy is looking for smaller firms and local firms to be part of that equation.”

He added that this is a good time for local companies to look into ways to take advantage of that.

“If I’m putting $40 million on the street for striping (roads), then it’s probably a good idea for someone to buy a striping truck and hire someone to drive it.”

Most of the extra state funds will be used in an effort to catch up to the dire need for road and bridge repair.

Coomer said that state highways had been on a 50-year resurfacing plan – meaning a highway resurfaced in 1980 wouldn’t be resurfaced again until 2030 – but the new money significantly shortens that, to 15 years or less.

It also allows the state to repair some of the thousands of bridges that need maintenance and repair.

“This money will reach in and fix a lot of problems,” Coomer said. “But it’s not the end of the road. It’s just the first step.”

Smith agreed. “We can spend this billion easily and still be behind,” he said.

The new state money will also allow GDOT to work on some projects that had to be shelved because they couldn’t be done with federal money.

“We are pulling projects off the shelf and they’re dusty,” Smith said.

Using state funds for the projects allows cutting through some of the hurdles required to use federal funding, decreasing the time for project approval by half.

For 2016 at least, the new funds mean more orange barrels and hard hats on area roads that will lead to better infrastructure.

“There will be more delays,” Smith acknowledged. “But that’s a good thing.”

By Gary Kauffman Perhaps the best business to go into in the CSRA in the near future is providing orange barrels.

That was a joking reference by Georgia Department of Transportation District Engineer Jimmy Smith at a Transportation Summit in Augusta Jan. 7, illustrating that roads and bridges will be getting a lot of attention in the area for the next year.

The Transportation Summit was sponsored jointly by the Augusta Metro and Columbia County chambers of commerce.

Smith, Rep. Christian Coomer (RCassville) and GDOT board member Don Grantham told about 50 people attending the summit that the state has more money than ever to use to fix up roads and bridges around the state. That’s the result of the fuel tax – House Bill 170 – that was signed into law last July. That created the Transportation Investment Act (TIA).

The TIA has added about $1 billion to the state’s transportation coffers, increasing it to about $3 billion total (about a third of the total comes from the federal government).

But the Richmond and Columbia county areas have some extra money, thanks to the Transportation Special Purpose Local Options Tax (TSPLOST) they passed several years ago, a one cent tax that goes toward infrastructure work in the two counties. It was one of only three districts in the state

that enacted TSPLOST. “Augusta is reaping the benefits of the courage it had to pass that one cent tax,” Smith said.

There had been some concern that districts without the TSPLOST would get more money, in essence penalizing the Augusta area, but Grantham said legislation was passed to divide the TIA money equally between the state’s 14 districts.

“The governor included wording that those three districts (with TSPLOST) will be first in line to receive (TIA funds),” Grantham added.

Richmond and Columbia counties will be able to draw money from three sources for transportation work – TSPLOST, TIA and

federal funds.

But the increase in GDOT funds will also provide other local opportunities, such as jobs.

Smith explained that although the state will have an extra billion dollars to work with, it will have the same 4,000 employees.

That means a large chunk of that funding will be used to hire local contractors to work on projects.

One example is mowing along the state highways. GDOT plans to take state employees off that and contract it to local companies. Not only will that stimulate local economies, it will allow for an extra mowing cycle during the summer.

“When we spend money we’re going to

By Neil Gordon More than 30 small business owners and CEOs got a few surprises while attending the 2nd Annual CEO Breakfast Workshop in mid-January at the Pinnacle Club.

The surprises all came from the event sponsors, the UGA Small Business Development Center, CSRA Business Lending, an SBA provider and presenting sponsor Fifth Third Bank.

SBDC Executive Director Susan Caldwell announced her retirement after more than 10 years with the SBDC. Both of the lending sponsors announced low commercial loan rates that averaged about 4.5%.

The strategy session was led by Tim Fulton, CEO and Executive Coach from Atlanta.

Fulton has worked with thousands of existing business entities and start-ups as a catalyst for starting and growing their business enterprise. Fulton most recently completed work with the GrowSmart Augusta class of 2015.

The CEO workshop focused on looking back to business activities in 2015 and look-

ing forward to growth in 2016. Fulton asked each small business leader to focus on their core competencies.

“Spend more time on what is working than what is broken and you’ll get a better ROI that way,” he said. “Find someone to hand something off to you if it is not working.”

John Curry, president of Buona Caffe, and business attorney Ed Enoch both shared how enthusiastic they are about hiring marketing firms to help them. Both company leaders expressed relief that they could focus on what they do best and leave the rest to others.

Fulton’s talk included a handout featuring reflections, goals and strategies and a onepage business plan.

“Try to review these once a month instead of picking it up in a year,” Fulton said.

Upcoming SBDC events include a daylong Digital Boot Camp on March 9 at the Kroc Center. For more information call Rebecca Kruckow at 706-721-4545 or visit georgiasbdc.org/digital

Tim Fulton and Susan Caldwell speak to small business owners at the CEO Breakfast Workshop on Jan. 13. Photo by Neil Gordon

Orange barrels mark a roadway project on Berckmans Road near Augusta National that is being funded with TIA money. Photo by Gary Kauffman

Small business owners urged to focus on core

6 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

Jan. 21窶認eb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

7

Business Tech Charles Kelly

Windows 10 Redux Six months later, new OS still strikes fear in some

Should you stay with your current operating system or should you move to Windows 10? The answer is complicated and for some customers it inspires the fear of making a mistake, resulting in inaction that could be an even worse mistake.

Six months ago we talked about the launch of Windows 10 and what that might mean to the vast number of computer users. We predicted some stumbles, which have happened, and we also predicted that Windows 10 would be unstoppable unless it was a complete disaster.

As of the writing of this article, Windows 10 is now on 200 million devices worldwide with the goal of 1 billion devices running Windows 10 by the end of 2017. I don’t think the 1 billion device number will be achieved and, in fact, there is a significant amount of resistance to the new operating system.

People generally like what they are familiar with and Windows 7 by far is the most installed OS in the world.

With the majority of new systems being shipped with Windows 10, Microsoft will eventually push Windows 10 into first place, albeit probably two years past schedule.

Ok, so that’s great for Microsoft, but should you or your company upgrade to Windows 10? That depends on many factors, the least of which is the current software you use to run your company and what devices are connected to

your network.

For ongoing businesses that have not only time and effort involved in understanding and learning Windows 7, but also have software that will only operate well on Windows 7 we are still recommending Windows 7 Professional as the most stable and widely used operating system. Windows 7 will be supported and considered current until 2020 at least.

For the individual who has a relatively new computer, especially one running Windows 8.1, I would say that the upgrade to Windows 10 makes perfect sense. In fact, consumer dislike of Windows 8 is the driving force that prompted Microsoft to give away Windows 10.

That’s right, Windows 10 is still free to customers running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. Whether you take the risk of upgrading an older machine is completely up to you. You have until the end of June unless they extend the free upgrade program beyond this date.

If you do decide that you have to have Windows 10, just because it’s free or because you want the latest operating system, that’s fine, but make sure that you backup your data in advance.

Also, uninstall your antivirus before attempting the upgrade. You can reinstall it after the upgrade completes and at that point, you will want to make sure that you can complete all the basic functions that you use your computer for, including printing, scanning or using any external devices that you have.

One of the most common complaints that we get after an upgrade is that the computer becomes “buggy” or certain functions or software programs no longer work. The older the computer, the greater the chance that an upgrade to Windows 10 will be problematic.

In those cases, many customers attempt a rollback that often does not work and it ends up in our shop for a clean, wipe and reload.

As an IT hardware provider for 20 years, we have seen it all from Windows 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows Vista, then the current three operating systems, Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.1 and Windows 10. Add in the Professional versions of these and it gets confusing. If you are not sure, call or email me and I will be glad to discuss your situation or get an engineer to your office to help you decide what the best course of action is.

In summary, our opinion for 2016 is that we still like Windows 7 or 7 Pro for most existing businesses. For the individual, it is a more personal decision – do you want the latest and greatest? Are you willing to upgrade much or all of your older software to work with Win-

dows 10? Do you have the time and energy to learn the new landscape?

In many cases we have found that an hour or two with a trainer is worth days of frustration.

Because we believe that these decisions belong in the hands of the customer, not some enormous company, we will continue to provide Windows 7 and Windows 10 both in desktops and laptops and we will always do our best to guide our customers through the maze of decisions that need to be made to make an informed choice about what hardware and operating system to purchase.

Charles Kelly is President of Computer Exchange, with four locations in the CSRA: South Augusta, North Augusta, Martinez and Grovetown. Computer Exchange specializes in computer solutions for home and business. For answers to your computer questions, email him at charles@computerexchange.com.

Deal announces infrastructure maintenance plan Gov. Nathan Deal, joined by legislators and Georgia Department of Transportation representatives, released a comprehensive infrastructure maintenance plan made possible through the Transportation Funding Act of 2015.

The announcement included an 18-month project list, representing a $2.2 billion investment, and a 10-year list, representing more than $10 billion in investment. Deal also launched an accountability measure, available on GAroads.org to track spending and progress.

“One year ago, I stood before the General Assembly and urged members to prioritize Georgia’s transportation needs,” said Deal.

“In order to maintain our roads and bridges, improve congestion and accommodate the movement of freight traffic, we could no longer afford to kick the can down the road.

Legislators on both sides of the aisle took

8 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

action, working together to pass legislation addressing these critical needs. Today, we are delivering on our promise.”

Deal said for every dollar invested, Georgians will see four dollars in return.

“Over the next 18 months, nearly 60 percent of the projects contracted will be for maintenance of our roads and bridges,” Deal said. “We are also upholding our promise of transparency through the GA Roads website, which provides clarity through features unprecedented in state history. This infrastructure investment will continue delivering dividends for years to come and keep Georgia a top destination for business and families.”

“We are excited that we now have the ability to start addressing the back log of work to Georgia’s critical infrastructure and increase preventative maintenance across the state,” said GDOT Commissioner Russell Mc-

Murry. “Over the next 18 months, GDOT will deliver contracts that resurface nearly 2,500 miles of roads, replace more than 100 bridges, and provide critical rehabilitation to more than 300 bridges.”

McMurry said the first priority is to take care of the existing transportation system.

“Using the recent successes of the innovative Design Build and Finance method on the I-285/400 project and Northwest Corridor project as a blueprint, we will continue to deploy similar strategies to im-

prove people and freight mobility throughout our state.”

“As the GDOT board chair, I am proud of the historic level of cooperation among the department and board, the General Assembly and the governor that has led us to this day,” said Chairwoman Emily Dunn.

“At the end of the day, we all share a common duty to the people of Georgia, and we look forward to improving the quality of their transportation system for years to come.”

Jan. 21窶認eb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Business Leverage Kim Romaner

In the Driver’s Seat

A look at eight drivers that determine business value

As a practitioner of John Warrillow’s Value Builder System, today I’ll briefly outline the eight business value drivers that are both the heart of the system and your keys to exiting your business at a higher value.

In 2011, Warrillow wrote a book called Built to Sell. The next year, he developed the Sellability Score, a questionnaire developed to help readers of the book evaluate their own businesses. Today, the Value Builder System includes 12 tools to help you improve your scores on the eight drivers, and grow the value of your business.

Each of these eight drivers feature prominently in determining the value and appropriate listing price for a business. Businesses with scores of 80+ get acquisition offers that are 71 percent higher than the average-scoring business.

Take a look at the eight drivers, and then look to the end

of this article for instructions as to how you can take the Value Builder Questionnaire yourself, free of charge.

The 8 Drivers of Business Value 1. Financial Performance. No big surprise, but buyers will not only look closely at your top and bottom lines, they will also want to see the quality with which you keep your books. Unorganized financials usually mean an unorganized business and business owner.

2. Growth Potential. Is your business scalable? Sellers want to focus on past performance. Buyers are looking for future opportunity. What might be ways your business could be grown?

3. The Switzerland Structure. How dependent is your business on any one customer, vendor or employee? Diversification or lack thereof in any of these areas will impact value.

4. The Valuation Teeter Totter. How well does cash flow through your business, and how much working capital does your business require to operate? I spoke to a business owner recently who had $1 million in vendor credits that had never been applied to purchases.

You can imagine how that was impacting his cash flow!

5. Recurring Revenue. Do you have any, or is every sale a one-off? For example, a gym typically uses automatic debits for their memberships. If you don’t have a recurring revenue stream, how could you create one?

6. Monopoly of Control. Does your

Business Benefits Russell Head

Report Cards

ACA reporting requirements mean new paperwork to file

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created new reporting requirements under Internal Revenue Code Sections 6055 and 6056. Under these new reporting rules, starting this year certain employers must provide information to the IRS about the health plan coverage they offered (or did not offer) to their employees in 2015.

For many employers, this has meant scrambling to understand the requirements of the forms, and to find a

10 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

technology solution to assist with completing and dispersing them to employees and the IRS before the deadline.

Who Must File?

The new reporting requirements apply to all Applicable Large Employers (ALEs), defined by the law as those employers with an average of more than 50 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) during the preceding year, and to all employers who are self-insured.

Employers with fewer than 50 FTEs and who are fully-insured need not report. (Note that companies with common ownership have special rules and should consult a benefits attorney or knowledgeable broker for guidance.)

ALEs who are fully-insured will report on the health plan coverage offered (or not offered) each month to full-time employees, whether the plan met the minimum requirements for qualified coverage (as defined by the ACA) and whether it was affordable to the employee (also as defined by the ACA). Additionally, all employers who are self-insured are required to provide information on who was covered by the employer’s plan, including any dependents, and for which months.

business have a unique value proposition? The more differentiated your business is from its possible competitors, the more control you’ll have over your pricing and margins.

7. Customer Satisfaction. It’s important to be able to quantify customer satisfaction, not just guess at it. Tools like the Net Promoter Score will allow you to benchmark your company against others in your industry.

8. Hub and Spoke. Last but not least is how dependent your business is on you, the business owner. The more dependent, the lower the value. You can start fixing this by delegating more, training employees to do what you do,

documenting your procedures, etc.

Want to take the Value Builder questionnaire and get your business’ score?

Just send me an email at kromaner@ tworld.com, and I’ll send you a private link to do so.

Wishing you a prosperous and growth-filled 2016!

When the Forms are Due The first forms are due to employees no later than Feb. 1 (normally Jan. 31, which this year falls on a Sunday).

Forms must be filed with the IRS no later than Feb. 29 (Feb. 28 being a Sunday) or March 31 if filed electronically.

However, employers may receive an automatic 30-day extension of time to file with the IRS by completing and filing Form 8809, Application for Extension of Time to File Information Returns, by the due date of the returns. Employers should keep in mind that employees will need to receive their individual statements as early as possible in order to have the requisite information to correctly and completely file their income tax returns for that year.

What if I choose not to File?

In June 2015, President Obama signed the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 into law, which increases the penalties for failure to file correct information returns or provide individual statements under either Section 6055 or Section 6056. These changes are effective for information returns and individual statements required to be filed or provided this year. Employers who

fail to file in a timely manner could face fines up to $500 per employee form, up to $3 million.

For 2015, the IRS has said that no penalties will be imposed for employers who file on time and who can show a “good faith effort” to complete the forms, even if some mistakes are found.

However, employers who do not demonstrate a good faith effort to complete the forms, or do not file on time may find themselves wishing that they had.

Where Can I Find Help?

The IRS has published detailed Instructions for Forms 1094-C and 1095C which can be found on their website.

Some payroll providers are offering reporting services to their existing clients. As always, a knowledgeable benefits attorney or trusted broker can be helpful when navigating these and other requirements of the healthcare reform law.

Kim Romaner is president of Transworld Business Advisors of Augusta, a business brokerage and franchise consulting firm, and a MultiMillion Dollar Member of the Georgia Association of Business Brokers (GABB). To learn more about improving the value of your business, selling it, or finding the right business to buy, call Kim at 706-383-2994, x802, or email her at kromaner@tworld.com.

Russell T. Head is President with ACHS Insurance, Inc., Augusta’s largest risk management and employee benefits brokerage. He can be reached at 706-733-3459 or rthead@achsinsurance.com. Visit ACHS Insurance at achsinsurance.com.

Jan. 21窶認eb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Electronic waste collection planned If you’ve got some old electronics taking up space, Jan. 23 is the day to get rid of them.

EDTS, Dumpster Depot, the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce and Columbia County Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring eWaste day at the Columbia County Chamber office from 9 to 12 a.m. that day.

Among the electronic devices accepted are PCs, laptops, smartphones and tablets.

Romaner named top 5 broker

Kim Romaner, president of Transworld Business Advisors of Augusta, was among 10 members of the Georgia Association of Business Brokers (GABB) who were named to the 2015 Million Dollar Club on Dec. 10 for helping to broker the sale of small, medium and large businesses in 2015.

Romaner was among the GABB’s top five brokers with multi-million dollars in sales for the year.

“It’s humbling to be so honored in only our third year of business in Georgia,” Romaner said. “I look forward to continuing to serve local business owners as a member of their trusted team of advisors.”

Romaner is an alumna of Barry University in Miami, and currently lives in North Augusta with her husband and business partner, Michael. She serves on the advisory boards of the Salvation Army and the Greater Augusta chapter of the Technology Association of Georgia, is a founding member of theClubhou.se, an innovation academy in Augusta, and serves as a mentor with Startup Augusta.

Romaner has two children, ages 25 and 26. Her son, Zack, has just started his first business, and daughter Alexis is on her way to getting her real estate license.

The Georgia Association of Business Brokers (GABB) is the state’s only professional organi-

buzz bits zation dedicated to buying and selling businesses and franchises. The GABB maintains a website that lists hundreds of businesses and franchises for sale throughout Georgia in a variety of fields.

Transworld Business Advisors of Augusta helps business owners improve the value of their businesses and exit successfully when the time is right. With more than 100 offices around the globe and thousands of business transfers successfully completed, Transworld Business Advisors is the largest and most successful business brokerage company in the world.

Area companies adding jobs More jobs are coming to the surrounding area in the next few years.

Purification Cellutions in Waynesboro has announced plans to add more than 100 employees over the next three years. They make carbon honeycombs that are used for air purification.

In Aiken, AGY Holding Corp. expects to add 80 jobs in the next five years. The company makes specialty glass fibers that are used in everything from circuit boards to armor.

Metro Chamber moves to new headquarters The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce has completed the move to its new location at One 10th Street on the first floor of the Augusta Riverfront Center. Chamber leadership finalized plans to move to the new location in September 2015 from the former office location on Greene Street.

The new facility contains 5,000 square feet of office and conference space and will position the Chamber to better support Board and Committee meetings as well as the programming needs of its members. It was designed to offer a welcoming and professional presence for both

12 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

7th win for Candlewood Suites The winner of the 2015 Masters of Hospitality Award in Augusta is no surprise – Candlewood Suites won the honor for the seventh consecutive year.

The award is presented annually by the Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau. The award is based on the nominations provided by guests of the hotel. The hotel with the most nominations is given the award.

“What sets us apart is our customer service,” general manager Betty Carter said. “It’s our top priority.”

Candlewood Suites, 1080 Claussen Road, is an extended stay hotel, which means sermembers and area visitors.

The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce represents 1,100 businesses and organizations throughout the region. The organization’s mission is to lead the business community by serving as its advocate, promoting the region, enhancing the business climate and providing quality membership programs and services.

Economic Outlook series in Augusta Feb. 4 The outlook for Georgia’s economic climate in 2016 will be the subject of an event held in Augusta on Feb. 4.

The Georgia Economic Outlook series, hosted by the Uni-

vice is top priority for guests as well.

“It’s extended stay so the service we give them does not go unnoticed,” she said.

Candlewood has 80 suites with fully-equipped kitchens and a long list of free amenities. It is also a “green” hotel, with a host of energy-saving measures. The hotel recently added a free car charger for guests with electric vehicles.

The competition for the Masters of Hospitality Award is stiff, with more than 120 hotels in the area and more under construction.

Candlewood has framed its latest award and is displaying it in the lobby. versity of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, will hold its traveling forum at the Convention Center at the Augusta Marriott at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 4.

Benjamin Ayers, dean of the Terry College of Business, and Mark Vitner, managing director and senior economist for Wells Fargo, will be the featured speakers.

Terry College of Business has hosted the Georgia Economic Outlook series for more than 30 years, using reliable economic data from the college’s Selig Center for Economic Growth. It looks at how the state’s major industries, financial policies and models of growth will fare in the coming year.

Registration for the event is required by Jan. 29. For more information, email economicoutlook@uga.edu.

TAG president stepping down After 12 years of leading the Technology Association of Georgia, Tino Mantella announced that he will be stepping down as the organization’s President and CEO at the end of 2016.

“Since 2014, I’ve shared with our board’s executive officers that my desire was to take on a new challenge, to make the next impact while testing my skills.

Simultaneously, I have outlined a plan, in concert with our Board of Directors, to build on TAG’s incredible legacy as we drive to become a Top 5 state in the United States for technology.

“As a result of those discussions, I have asked the board to start the process needed to conduct a national search for a leader who will take TAG to the ’next level’ of success.” Mantella said. “I am proud that we are well on our way as an organization and a State and that TAG will be left in wonderful condition thanks to a fantastic board, staff, Leadership Council, membership and partners.”

Augusta airport starts recycling program Augusta Regional Airport has launched an initiative to help reduce waste and increase the amount of recyclable waste diverted from the Augusta Richmond County landfill.

The airport is providing the traveling public with four commingled recycling receptacles located in the high traffic areas of the main terminal building and the General Aviation Terminal. These bins allow passengers to easily recycle their paper, plastics and aluminum while at the airport.

“It is important to us to contribute to the decrease of the CSRA’s ecological footprint and help create a greener Augusta,” said Gary LeTellier, AGS’ Interim Executive Director.

You can find out more about AGS’s recycling program and bin locations by visiting flyags.com/ RecyclingProgram.

Website lists SPLOST projects For those interested in where their penny per dollar special tax is going, the city of Augusta has added information to its website about how SPLOST is being used.

SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) is a 1 percent county tax that can be used for funding capital projects.

The website provides links that give the history and overview of SPLOST, and how SPLOST has been used or is being used for public safety, buildings and technology, parks and green spaces and for infrastructure.

Another link provides statistical breakdowns.

The city is basing its design on the city of Seattle. The city’s IT department is building the site, which saves Augusta about $30,000 over using an outside firm.

Taxpayers can get free help with filing at libraries Free income tax preparation for low and middle income taxpayers, with special attention to those ages 50 and older, will be available to Aiken County area residents Feb. 1 through April 13 at the Aiken County Public Library in Aiken and the Nancy Carson Library in North Augusta.

The free tax preparation is available through AARP Foundation Tax-Aide. Taxes are prepared by volunteer counselors who are trained by the Internal Revenue Service. Tax preparation is done on computers and electronically filed.

These services will begin at the Aiken County Public Library Monday, Feb. 1 and be available every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Appointments are made by calling the library at 803-642-7575, Ext.1131.

Income tax preparation and

buzz bits

electronic filing will begin at the Nancy Carson Library Monday, Feb. 1, and be available every Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Appointments are made by calling the library at 803-2795767.

Those taking advantage of the free service should bring copies of their 2014 federal and state tax returns and year 2015 W-2s, 1099s and other relevant materials – including health insurance coverage for taxpayer, spouse and all dependents – needed to prepare Year 2015 returns. If insurance was purchased through the marketplace/exchange, Form 1095-A is also required. Be prepared to provide information on monthly coverage for those who did not have full-year coverage.

Electronic filing requires taxpayers bring their Social Security card and picture ID plus social security cards for all dependents if we did not prepare their return the previous year. Taxpayers who file jointly must both be present and sign the return before it can be filed.

Cancer Center project subject of small biz forum Local businesses will have a chance to help build Augusta University’s Cancer Center.

A Small Business Outreach forum is planned for 2 p.m. Jan. 27 for local small businesses and minority- and women-owned businesses to be part of the construction project. The event will take place at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta, 1442 Harper St. David Dewar, project manager for Gilbane, will provide information related to the project, various trades needed and prequalification requirements.

The forum is organized by Patterson-Brown & Associates.

For more information on how to register for the event, contact them at 706-945-2173.

Barry Bryant name Entrepreneur of the Year Barry Bryant, owner and president of Barney’s Pharmacy, has been named the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year. The announcement was made at the Chamber’s December Member Economic Luncheon.

Bryant is a graduate of the University of Georgia’s College of Pharmacy and has been responsible for the growth of Barney’s Pharmacy since 1984.

Barney’s is a full-service pharmacy that has been serving Augusta and the CSRA region for more than 30 years. What began as a single location is now an eight-store network of

Local artwork on display at airport The works of two CSRA painters are on display to travelers at the Augusta Regional Airport through the end of March.

The works of art by Wanda Dansereau and Danny O’Driscoll were selected by the airport’s Art Committee to be displayed in the main terminal building.

These pieces of art will provide the traveling public the opportunity to see the outstanding artistry the community offers.

Dansereau, from North Augusta, has shown her work at numerous local venues such as the Lucy Craft Laney museum, The Greenblatt Library and Augusta University. She also teaches at several local non-profits.

O’Driscoll, from Batesburg, is a wildlife artist who began his career as an illustrator for the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia.

IRS extends tax filing deadline Taxpayers will have just a bit longer to file their taxes than normal.

The IRS announced that it will begin accepting tax returns on Jan. 19, one day earlier than last year, but the filing deadline has been set at April 18, rather than

pharmacies.

Bryant has won numerous awards for his innovative approach to customer service in pharmacy including the 2014 NCPA Ownership Award, 2014 Ken Wurster Community Leadership Award and the 2014 the usual April 15 date.

This announcement came after Congress passed a $1.1 trillion spending measure last week that includes a number of tax breaks over the next 10 years, some of them permanent.

Among those provisions are tax breaks for business research and development and small business expenses. Those breaks are considered to be important to boosting economic growth and providing more jobs.

The spending measure also suspended three taxes that were designed to fund the Affordable Care Act, including a planned 2.3 percent tax on medical devices that will be delayed until 2018.

Some in Congress opposed the bill because it would add about $700 billion to the national debt.

Gas prices to stay low in 2016 Gas prices are likely to remain relatively low in the CSRA in 2016. AAA estimates the annual average price of gas in 2016 is likely to end up between $2.25 and $2.45 per gallon, which would be cheaper or at least comparable to this year’s average of $2.40 per gallon.

“Motorists enjoyed some of the cheapest gas prices in years thanks to a global glut in oil supplies which helped keep

Pharmacy Times Entrepreneur of the Year. He is a leader in his industry as a businessman and mentor. Bryant and Barney’s Pharmacy also offer two highly competitive community pharmacy residencies for those who share his passion for pharmacy and hope to be business owners themselves.

As recipient of the 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year award, Bryant receives a recognition package which includes a one-year appointment to the Chamber’s Board of Directors and a nomination for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Dream Big Small Business of the Year Award. the price of oil and gasoline production costs low,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA - The Auto Club Group. “Gas prices remained at their lowest level for the year-end holidays since the 2008-09 holiday season.

Increased demand from holiday travelers temporarily froze prices in place, but gas could get even cheaper in January as demand tapers off.”

Based on typical seasonal trends, the national average price of gas could remain relatively flat, or drop another 10 cents per gallon over the next few weeks. By late winter, the national average could rise 50 cents per gallon or more as refineries conduct seasonal maintenance in advance of the busy summer driving season. Despite the likelihood of higher prices by spring, AAA does not expect the national average price of gas to rise above $3 per gallon in 2016.

It is possible that gas prices could rise higher than expected if there are significant changes in the oil markets.

Gas prices in 2015 averaged about 94 cents per gallon less than 2014. The national average price of gas in 2015 was $2.40 per gallon, which was the second cheapest annual average of the past 10 years. Only 2009 was lower during that time.

AAA estimates that Americans saved an average of more than $550 per licensed driver in 2015 compared to 2014.

Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Business Finances Dagan Sharpe

Know to Grow Financial literacy relieves stress, helps your career President Kennedy once declared, “knowledge is power,” and indeed it is – perhaps even more than we might initially realize. For example, CBS recently revealed how more than 60 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and have little saved in case of emergency. In fact, more than 30 percent of those in this situation earn more than $100,000.

Other studies from human resource areas reveal how financially-stressed employees are costing employers in various ways. First, they have reduced productivity due to having to handle financial issues at work. Second, more than 60 percent of workplace accidents are stress related – with financial stresses serving as a key driver.

Third, health care costs tend to be higher for workers under financial duress since more than 75 percent of all doctor visits are stress related. Finally, one of the primary reasons listed for divorce is money, and clearly, family stresses combined with financial stresses are bound to distract productivity.

Thus, if the lack of financial literacy has such a profound impact on stress levels and productivity, it stands to reason that developing our knowledge and establish-

ing good habits in this area can greatly enhance our attitudes, relationships, productivity and overall well-being.

Ultimately, financial literacy can help our financial conditions become less like a bad dream and more like a dream come true.

So, here are five primary ways to help get your dream started: Determine Goals: What do you most desire to achieve? Is it getting out of debt? Saving for retirement? Saving for a home? When we identify our greatest desires, they help motivate us to take the necessary steps to achieve them. So, take time to write yours down.

Review Risks: What are the bad habits and areas of risk that might keep us from our goals? Is it going out to eat too often? Shopping splurges? We know what unique temptations we will face and what can derail us from our goal. So, identify them and then write them down alongside your goals to keep them in focus. For this can help us be aware and avoid them.

Education: We must proactively seek sources to educate ourselves financially. Unfortunately, we learn very little about sound financial principals in school. Therefore, we must take ownership and educate ourselves.

Thankfully, some churches and even some financial institutions offer free workshops and there are various books available that serve as excellent resources to help develop and improve our financial IQs. Analyze Advice: Increasing our knowledge is good, but now we must review our options, and to help us do that, it’s a good idea to seek profes-

sional advice. However, this might feel intimidating to some, or you may not know where to begin. Some employers offer services to their employees. So, you can start there, but you may also consider checking with your primary bank. Some offer free workshops and can provide sound guidance to get you started.

Make It Happen: This step is where many fail. They may have all the best intentions, but in the end, they lack the discipline to do what must be done – mostly, because it requires sacrifice, patience and diligence. However, remember your goals and leverage your new advisors, for these can help keep you on track to secure a more successful financial future.

Once you work your plan, confidence builds, attitudes improve, stresses reduce and your productivity increases.

New year good time to get financially fit Many people start the new year with leftover debt from the previous year, and additional interest month after month just makes the problem worse as the year goes on. If one of your resolutions is to create a budget or get out of debt, the Better Business Bureau has some tips and tools to help you get on the right track to a better financial future.

Track your spending. Whether you prefer an app on your phone, computer software or simply a notebook to jot down your expenses, keeping track is critical.

It helps you see where you are actually spending your money, rather than where you think you are.

Categorize your spending. Create categories based on necessities (housing, utilities, food, transportation) and luxuries (entertainment, dining out, travel). If you have credit card balances, student loans, car payments or other debt, make “debt reduction” one of your necessary categories.

Set up a budget. Once you have an idea where you are spending money, you can set up a realistic budget. There are free online tools to help you, so there is no need to spend a lot of money. Be cautious of scams, however, and never share personal identifying information unless you are sure of the site’s legitimacy.

Pay down debt. One method is to pay off the

14 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

credit account or loan with the highest interest rate first (the “ladder method”). Another is to pay off the smallest balance first so you feel a greater sense of accomplishment (the “snowball method”). Use whichever methods works best for you. The important thing is that you are doing it.

Pay bills on time. Consider online bill-paying that eliminates writing checks, buying stamps, etc. Automatic payments can be scheduled ahead of time and can help you avoid late fees and penalties for missed payments.

Save for the big things. Big purchases, such as vacation or holidays, can easily blow your budget. Avoid going into debt for these expenditures by saving up ahead of time and only spending what you are able to save. Many banks and credit unions offer savings clubs that might help.

Save for emergencies. Emergencies – car or home repair, unexpected medical expenses, job loss – can blow your budget. Financial experts suggest an emergency fund of 3-6 months’ living expenses. If that is too ambitious, start smaller and build up.

Living on a budget isn’t always easy to do but with a little work and determination, it sure beats getting caught up in an avalanche of debt. The Federal Trade Commission has some good information on budgeting and debt relief on their website, consumer.gov.

This, of course, helps people perform better at work and when they perform better, better things happen.

Since good talent can be difficult to find, an employer fortunate enough to find such an asset will want to keep them and will encourage financial literacy.

With improved financial literacy, you can begin taking better control of your financial future and if and when more money does come your way, you’ll be a better steward, less likely to waste it. Then you’ll be closer to achieving your financial dreams.

Dagan Sharpe is Senior Vice President of Queensborough National Bank & Trust. He previously served as National Director for Wells Fargo’s Wealth Management division. He is the author of a stewardship book, Bank On It. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in Augusta. He is a deacon at Warren Baptist Church. Contact him at dsharpe@qnbtrust.com.

Report: Many Americans have little in savings accounts Nearly two thirds of Americans have no more than $1,000 in their savings accounts, according to a report from personal finance website GOBankingRates.com. The report also finds that one in five Americans doesn’t even have a savings account.

GOBankingRates asked Americans, “How much money do you have saved in your savings account?” and collected demographic insights on a variety of answers relating to savings accounts and account balances.

“It’s troubling how many Americans aren’t thinking about long-term planning or retirement, with little to nothing stashed away in a savings account,” said Casey Bond, editor-in-chief of GOBankingRates. “Saving money is an uphill battle for many, but there are a number of simple ways people can consistently grow their nest egg over time, such as automating their savings.

Even a small contribution is better than nothing at all.”

Additional insights include: • Generation Xers (ages 35 to 54) are the most likely to have a savings account balance of $0.

• Of Americans who have money in their savings accounts, the most common (14.2 percent) balance is $10,000 or more.

• Men are 60 percent more likely than women to have a savings balance over $10,000 (16.4 percent to 10.4 percent, respectively).

Jan. 21窶認eb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Deeper Thinking Eddie Kennedy

See the Big Picture

Start the new year by taking steps to get what you want I just love New Year’s Day. It’s the feeling of starting over fresh and new. It’s a clean slate of new possibilities and opportunities. It can be a new start in your life or your business.

However, you need to realize that every new year comes with a caveat: You’ll only get out of it what you put into it.

Have you spent any time since New Year’s Day thinking about what you want out of 2016? If you desire this year to be better or different than the last, you’ll have to do something better or different. You cannot keep doing the same things year after year and expect different results. It doesn’t work that way in life or business.

What do you want to achieve in 2016? Do you want to expand your business, acquire more education in your field, finish your degree, take a new job or start a new career? At this point in the year, almost anything is possible for you. But getting what you want may require money, long hours, sweat equity or hiring and training more people. It won’t necessarily be easy, because there will be challenges and obstacles, but if you don’t stop, quit, or give

up, you’ll have a chance to attain your desires.

Decide now to not be satisfied with the status quo and having the same as last year. Don’t be satisfied with where you are or what you’re doing. Make 2016 a year that produces more than you’ve ever had. See the big picture on your job or your business and take the next practical step to get there.

When you decide what your next step is, do it. Go for it. Don’t wait any longer. Take action. Put everything into what you do. Make every day count. Do what you can do today.

In his book, See You at the Top, Zig Ziglar relates a story from the 1950s about two men who worked for a railroad company.

“It’s a hot August day, the sun is beaming down, and there’s a work crew out doing some repair work on the railroad track. A train approaches and pulls off onto the adjoining track.

A window comes up and a loud voice shouts to the work crew, ‘Dave! Dave Anderson, is that you?’ The work crew chief shouts back, ‘Yeah Jim, it is!’ Jim Murphy responds, ‘Why don’t you come in here and let’s talk awhile!’

Well, Dave was delighted to get out of that hot sun. He chatted with Jim in that fancy air conditioned private car for the better part of an hour. When the hour was up Dave made his departure and headed back over to the work crew.

The crew looked at him in amazement and said, ‘Dave, was that Jim Murphy?’

Dave said, ‘Yep, it sure was!’ The crew says, ‘But Jim Murphy is the president of the railroad!’ Dave chuckled and

Business Resources Jame Geathers

Saving Grace

529 plans are great benefits to help employees save for future Welcome to 2016! With each new year come resolutions to get our financial house in order. As the cost of higher education expenses continues to rise, working parents are looking for options to prepare for the future, such as pretax benefits. That’s where 529 college savings plans can

16 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

help.

An attractive enhancement to your current benefits package, 529 college savings plans are very similar to 401K retirement plans. Employees can have contributions automatically deducted each pay period and even qualify for state tax deductions.

529 college savings plans are statesponsored plans that allow employees to put aside pre-tax dollars specifically for qualifying education expenses such as tuition, books and other costs for a beneficiary. Employees can choose to select their children, grandchildren, themselves or even a friend’s child to be their plan beneficiary and even change as needed.

Whether enrolling through payroll deduction or via the self-enroll option, there are no start-up or maintenance fees and the minimum deposit is only $25.

As a small business owner I know that costs will always be high on the list of concerns when rolling out new benefits. That’s another great feature of 529

said, ‘Well, nobody knows that better than I do’ The guys asked, ‘How in the world did you get to be such good buddies with Jim Murphy, the president of this railroad?’ Dave responds, ‘Well, it’s very simple. Twenty years ago, I went to work with this railroad, and Jim Murphy went to work that same day. We’ve been friends ever since.’

The crew says, ‘Dave, we’re a bit puzzled. Twenty years ago you and Jim Murphy went to work for the railroad on the same day, and now he’s the president of the railroad while you’re still out here working in the hot sun. Why is that?’ Dave Anderson paused for a moment, then very sadly said, ‘Twenty years ago, Jim Murphy went to work for the railroad. I went to work for a dollar and seventy-five cents an hour.’”

As an employee or an employer, you

can make 2016, your best year so far.

It starts with a decision to make this year different from the rest, and once the decision is made, you look for every opportunity to do things better and different. Put everything you can into making 2016 your best year because you’ll only get out of it what you put into it.

Some tips for breaking out in 2016: Read or listen to a business book each month. Join a club like Rotary or Toastmasters. Meet regularly with a group of people in your field to challenge you and help you achieve your next step.

Eddie Kennedy is the owner of Great Deals on Furniture in Augusta. Eddie will be sharing ideas and principles he learned in over 37 years of involvement and management in small business. Contact him at eddie@greatdealsaugusta.

As an employer, you have many options in how you approach 529 plans as a benefit for your company. savings plans. As an employer, you have many options in how you approach 529 plans as a benefit for your company.

From providing information about self-enroll options to providing payroll deductions and even matching employee contributions, there are many options for providing this option to your team. Unless you opt to match employee contributions, your company can offer this benefit at no cost to you.

Your employees will still benefit greatly from having the option to plan and save for future education expenses.

The Georgia plan is the Path2College 529 Plan, managed by TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. Enrollment is easy and takes only a few minutes. For

more information on this plan and information that you can share with your employees, visit the Resources page on our website. If you need any additional information or assistance getting started, give us a call.

Jame Geathers is a Human Resources and Operations Professional with more than 12 years of experience in both the corporate and non-profit sectors. Jame has spent her career building and supporting HR infrastructures that have provided her employers and clients with the structure and policies that all start-ups need but owners may not have time to create and implement. For more information please visit the Jame Geathers Consulting website, www.jamegeathers.com or call (706) 496-9691.

Jan. 21窶認eb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

17

Business Accounting Christine Hall

Fear Factor

Scammers prey on fear of Internal Revenue Service Now that tax time is upon us, scams by those who prey against taxpayer’s fears of the Internal Revenue Service are in full swing. All of us need to be aware of the latest methods that crooks are using to try to get hard-working taxpayers to hand over their money. Here are some of the latest scams: IRS-Impersonation Telephone Scam An aggressive and sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, has been making the rounds throughout the country. Callers claim to be

employees of the IRS, but are not.

These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling.

Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.

Or victims may be told they have a refund due to try to trick them into sharing private information. If the phone isn’t answered, the scammers often leave an “urgent” callback request.

Email Phishing Scam The IRS has been alerted to a new email phishing scam. The emails appear to be from the IRS and include a link to a bogus web site intended to mirror the official IRS web site. These emails contain the direction “you are to update your IRS e-file immediately.”

The emails mention USA.gov and IRSgov (without a dot between “IRS”

Business Security Doug Parker

Backward Thinking Good background checks can help avoid later regrets

When a company begins the hiring process, they want the best person possible because that employee is the face of that company. When going through the process of hiring potential employees from a pool of candidates, one of the most important aspects of that process is a background check. Many companies, both large and small will utilize the services of an online background check company to determine if that candidate for hire goes on to the next phase of the hiring process.

Criminal Records This is possibly the most important information for an employer to have to determine if a person is eligible for hire. A company that deals with currency would not want

18 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

an employee who has been charged with a theft case or any case that would involve credit card fraud. Other companies that may have young adults or children present will not want someone who has been charged with crimes against children.

Georgia has 159 counties. Each county sheriff ’s department and police department within the state submits their arrest information to a state agency. The agency collects this information and has it available for law enforcement.

The information available to the public on anyone arrested in Georgia is adjudications of guilt or innocence only. This means that only after a case has been disposed of is that information available to the public. The information that the public is not entitled to, with some exceptions, are any pending cases.

Several major companies offer background check services on the Internet, but in my research I found that these companies are not accessing the state databases. Instead, they are merely accessing public county/city records. One company that I questioned is only accessing 13 of the 159 counties for any arrest records.

Another internet company informed me that they would run the person’s

and “gov”), though notably, not IRS. gov (with a dot). Don’t get scammed.

These emails are not from the IRS. Identity Theft Scams The IRS has issued several consumer warnings about the fraudulent use of the IRS name or logo by scamsters trying to gain access to consumers’ financial information in order to steal their identity and assets. Scamsters will use the regular mail, telephone, fax or email to set up their victims.

When identity theft takes place over the Internet (email), it is called phishing.

Avoid Being a Victim Do not let your fear or threats from a phone call or email intimidate you into doing something you will regret. The IRS will never: • call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill • demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe • require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card • ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone

name to get previous addresses. They would then only check the county records where that person had lived. If a person only lived in two different locations, the company would provide only the arrest information for those two counties and none other.

So if a business is relying on this type of information, thinking that they are getting a complete record for the state of Georgia, they are not. They’re potentially missing critical information needed to make an informed decision.

Fees Online background check companies offer “comprehensive arrest records,” contact information, liens, judgments and other information for a person.

These companies charge monthly fees from $7 up to $50 to access their databases. Some of these companies offer unlimited searches for these amounts.

After I signed up with one company for a monthly fee of “unlimited access,” I ran a test search. After the report was ready for me to view, I then had to pay an additional charge for a “Premium Report” for criminal record information.

Time of Results After logging into one of the online companies, some of the results are instant. These are only instant in the cases where the company is accessing public

These con artists can sound convincing when they call.

• threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. Taxpayers who receive email messages should not respond to the email or click on the links. Instead, they should forward the scam emails to the IRS at phishing@irs. gov.

If you have any reservations whatsoever, sign a power of attorney for your tax preparer and ask them to call the IRS and look into the matter for you.

Hall, Murphy & Schuyler, PC is a full-service public accounting firm. They have a staff of experienced professionals that stand ready to meet all of your accounting, tax and general business needs.

For a complimentary consultation, call 706-8557733 or email at cmh@HMandScpas.com.

records that they have access to.

The companies that send an actual person to the county to check the records may have a report time of up to 7 to 10 days.

A False Sense of Security Thinking that an online background check company is providing a “comprehensive nationwide background check” may lead the consumer into a false sense of security. Especially for Georgia when a company accesses only a handful of counties within the state, this is not even a comprehensive Georgia background check – and doesn’t include South Carolina, right across the state line.

Hire a Reliable Firm A reliable firm will ensure your company is getting the best possible information on each potential employee.

These reports will include not only adjudications of guilt or innocence but also any pending cases. If the person has no arrest information, the report should state that all state databases have been checked.

Doug Parker has 30 years of law enforcement training and has worked undercover, on dignitary protection and high profile background investigations. He is licenses in Georgia and South Carolina. Contact him at 706-955-8069 or through his website, www.parkerpci.com.

Jan. 21窶認eb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Businessperson of the Month Jeff Annis, Advanced Services for Pest Control

A Bugman’s Life

After building a successful business, Jeff Annis now plans to help others succeed

By Gary Kauffman When young entrepreneur Jeff Annis was looking to change his career in the mid-1980s, one thing he knew – he would never be involved in the pest control business.

Now, within a few months he’ll be changing careers again after a 30-year career in, you guessed it, the pest control business. His new career? Helping other pest control companies run their businesses more effectively.

His change of heart, as for so many entrepreneurs, involved circumstances and a bit of luck – and then taking advantage of luck and circumstances.

Annis’ entrepreneurial bent reaches back to the mid‘70s when, as a junior in high school, he began selling sailboat kits. He grew that into a full-time boat business, selling hundreds of sailboats and yachts.

“Probably the hardest way to make money is anything to do with boats,” he said.

After running it himself for about six years, he hired people to run the business and began casting around for other opportunities to work for himself.

“A couple of things I was sure of – I couldn’t work for someone and given the billions of people on the planet, no one would knowingly hire me,” Annis joked.

Then in the spring of 1986 a family friend, Frank Damiano, started a part-time business called Advanced Services for Pest Control. That fall, Annis approached Damiano with a proposition – he would turn the company into a full-time business and become a co-owner by purchasing his shares through his work. Damiano agreed.

“It turned out we had a niche for handling pests that was pleasing to the customer,” Annis said.

Now, 30 years later, Advanced Services has grown into one of the largest and most successful pest control companies in the country.

Annis could certainly rest on his laurels and coast into retirement with Advanced Services running on autopilot.

But he has bigger visions for himself and for the company.

“This is less for me than for blossoming 50 other people,” Annis said. “They’ll grow faster without ‘founder-itis.’”

He said too often founder-owners hang on long past retirement or their effectiveness, which can stall company growth or even push it backwards. He prefers to hand the reins over to people who want to move forward, Bo and Dena Thomas and his son, Justin Annis.

“I have three people moving into leadership roles who are interested in expanding,” he said. “They’re going to be so much better without me here above them.”

But he’s also looking forward to doing some things for himself, remembering the words of his godfather and mentor.

“He said, ‘Remember to do your living while you still have some life to give.’”

Annis has already devoted time to helping local entrepreneurs with advice and the results of lessons he’s learned. He plans to turn that into a specific niche with others in the pest control business with his Camp Bugstopper program.

“It’s my way of helping other people succeed like I did,” he said.

20 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

Jeff Annis holds a Madagascar Hissing Roach among a menagerie of pests and spiders. Photo by Gary Kauffman

Most pest control companies are small – Advanced Services, with 50 employees and revenue in the millions is larger than 99.3 percent of pest control companies in the country. Most of the 23,000 pest control companies consist of a few people and less than $500,000 in annual revenue.

“The reason the pest control business is so attractive is that there’s not a lot of capital needed to start it,” Annis said.

“It’s an amazingly easy business to enter.”

With Camp Bugstopper, a pest control company will bring several people to Advanced Services for a day or two of individualized training. The owner will meet with Annis for coaching, office personnel will meet with Advanced Services personnel and technicians will train with their technicians in the field.

“We’ve got people here who are very good trainers,” Annis said.

Annis said the pest control business has changed dramatically in 30 years.

Instead of taking care of pests once they appear, as it had been when the business started, it is now 90 percent about preventing pests from showing up at all.

“The consumer would rather pay less money over a long time and not have it happen,” he said.

That includes such value-added features as pest control that starts at the property fence line, not just the home, and payment conveniences like auto pay.

“What we do for people is what I call the Perfect Life,” Annis said. “We’re a value added to your life. We just want to make it a little better.”

What are you passionate about in your business?

My number one passion is to provide opportunities for our teammates. One of the things that makes me the happiest is when one of my people buys a home, or buys a car, or has a child.

They’re able to enjoy that because they have a nice job with people they like with a company they know has their back. And then the other end of that is helping other entrepreneurs.

How do you start your day?

I’m so ritualized. I sleep without twitching for seven to nine hours a night. Then in the morning I jump on the scales and write my weight down.

I check my blood sugar and write that down. Then I go into the kitchen for a glass of water and to take my vitamins. I eat something and start the coffee, then I open my emails. I look for something with people. I do all my people stuff first. Then I open my calendar to see if there’s anything quirky today. I also try to do something with the stretchy bands to activate all the muscles.

What have you learned about yourself by being in business?

The thing I’ve done that’s made me make it, maybe even when I shouldn’t have, is self-control. I never had trouble with motivation. If I didn’t have selfcontrol I would do 20 things at 30 percent and nothing of value would get accomplished. But with self-control I may only do three things but I do them at 100 percent.

How do you keep improving yourself as a businessperson?

I got addicted to reading as a learning tool in my 30s, but I probably wasn’t a lifelong learner until about 2010. I

learned more about being a businessperson since 2010 than in all the years before that. Sometimes people get so caught up in performing their job that they quit learning. My first 35 years I just worked hard. I figured if I had my nose to the grindstone I was probably beating someone.

If you could splurge on any one thing, what would it be?

My splurge is travel. A splurge to me would be a month in New Zealand with a couple of guided tours and a 150-mile walk through the mountains.

I plan to be on all the continents before my 70th birthday. I’m passionate about seeing the world.

How do you give back?

I’m proud that we’ve raised so much for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, more than $150,000 in 11 years.

My way of giving back is helping entrepreneurs. And creating opportunities for our people. When you create opportunities for people to work, to live and grow, that’s what really makes you feel good.

What does the future hold for you and your company?

The me of today will be probably about 70 percent of what I’ll be at 70 years old. In those 10 years I’ll be an instrument-rated pilot. I’ll be in twice as good shape. All my role models are 70plus and fitter than me. I’m just trying to be them. For the company, I always want to put the growth and development of humans at the front of what we’re doing. The huge difference in our making it or not making it is putting the growth of our people first.

Jan. 21窶認eb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

21

New barbecue restaurants coming to CSRA

There always seems to be room for one more barbecue place in the CSRA. In the past month, three new barbecue restaurants have either opened or are in the process of renovating buildings to open. Two of those have ties to Jacksonville, Fla., and two are recycling former WifeSaver locations.

That gives CSRA residents plenty of reason to stock up on some wet wipes.

Willie Jewell’s Willie Jewell’s Old School Bar-B-Q will be locating in Martinez in a former tae kwon do building at Baston and Old Petersburg roads. The building is in the process of being rehabbed to accommodate the restaurant.

Willie Jewell’s is a fast-casual restaurant with the slogan “Smoked for hours, served in minutes.” It uses quality cuts of meat and fresh ingredients, with all food cooked onsite. It offers a signature line of heated sauces.

It offers a variety of Southern-style sides and desserts. It also provides catering.

Willie Jewell’s is named for Willie Jewell Daniels who began her restaurant career as a homeless 16-year-old at the legendary Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, Fla. She was known for her exceptional cooking as well as her sharp wit. Although she has passed away, her legend continues with Willie Jewell’s Old School Bar-B-Q. The Martinez location will be the restaurant’s fifth, and second in Georgia. There are Willie Jewell’s locations in St. Augustine, Fla., Yulee, Fla., Kingsland, Ga., and North Charleston, S.C. Buckwheat’s BBQ An Aiken man has given his catering service – and his award-winning barbecue sauce – a more permanent home base.

Dewayne “Buckwheat” Jones opened Buckwheat’s BBQ and Catering on Jan. 4 in the former WifeSaver location, 651 Silver Bluff Road, Aiken. It is open for lunch, 10:30

a.m-3 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Buckwheat’s has already had a growing catering service for the past four years, specializing in serving large groups of up to 500 or more. But that growth also brought a need for a centralized location.

“This gives us a home base,” Jones said.

He said the former WifeSaver location was perfect for his needs.

“It was an established restaurant so everything was already there,” Jones said. “We just had to clean it up and give it a new face.”

The traffic pattern is also ideal for a restaurant and, best of all for Jones, it is only a mile from his house.

“Barbecue is not like a hamburger joint,” he said. “You’ve got to do a lot of babysitting.”

Jones has been involved in barbecue competitions, and in 2014 finished fourth out of 326 contestants in South Carolina.

His award-winning sweet heat pepper vinegar sauce will be the centerpiece of the new restaurant.

The restaurant serves pulled pork, but Jones said popular items are his barbecue tacos and barbecue nachos. It also serves typical Southern sides like hash and rice, mac and cheese and potato salad.

Buckwheat’s BBQ seats 48 and employs seven.

Jones said he opened the restaurant for lunch only for the time being because most of his catering jobs are in the evenings and on weekends.

Woody’s Bar-B-Q A Florida barbecue chain will be opening its first franchise in Augusta on Feb. 1.

Woody’s Bar-B-Q will be located in the former WifeSaver building at the intersection of North Leg and Wrightsboro roads.

Paul Patel is the local franchisee.

Woody’s Bar-B-Q was founded about 30

years ago by Woody Mills and his partner, Yolanda Mills-Mawman. Woody’s has more than 20 locations in Florida, plus one each in Tennessee and Pennsylvania. Their website lists pending locations in Colorado, Puerto Rico and Valdosta, Ga. Manager Jasmine Banks found out firsthand how good the food is when she and two others went to the Jacksonville, Fla., headquarters for training.

“The food is great,” Banks said. “We went down there for three days and I gained 10 pounds.”

Woody’s will be open for lunch and dinner, serving a variety of ribs, barbecue sandwiches, wraps and salads. Sides include beans, sweet potatoes fries with a cinnamon butter dip and corn on the cob, and desserts that include banana pudding made from Woody’s mom’s original recipe.

Food is made fresh, and they make their

own ranch and bleu cheese dressings in house. Pies and the banana pudding are also made fresh.

Woody’s will have a full bar service, and plans to have events like karaoke. In addition to the restaurant, it also offers a catering service.

The restaurant is being remodeled now and will have a local flavor.

“It’ll have some Augusta twang in there,” Banks said. “We’ll bring certain things from Jacksonville but we’ll make it our restaurant.”

Woody’s is currently in the hiring process but expects to have 45-65 employees.

The location at North Leg Road had been a WifeSaver for several decades before that restaurant moved to a new location across the street in September 2014. After that, Slicerz Pie Hole occupied the space for about six months.

Openings Palmetto Wellness and Weight Loss North Augusta is losing weight with the opening of a Palmetto Wellness and Weight Loss office downtown on Georgia Avenue.

The new office is located in Jackson Square at 336 Georgia Avenue #101 in North Augusta.

Palmetto Wellness and Weight Loss began in Aiken when the first location was opened by cardiologist Dr. Gregory Eaves in September 2013.

“Throughout my career, I have seen the end results of obesity through heart attacks and many other health issues,” Eaves said on the Palmetto Wellness website. “I want to stop these problems before my patients get to that point.”

Palmetto Wellness and Weight Loss provides nutrition and exercise counseling, progress reports, motivational messaging, regular visits and clear goals for each of its patients to help them lose weight in a safe and healthy way.

With the new location in North Augusta, Eaves and his staff look forward to working side-by-side with new clients to help them realize that a healthier life is not only in reach, but possible.

For more information about Palmetto Wellness and Weight Loss, visit northaugustaweightloss.com or call 803-646-5003.

Walmart The new Walmart Neighborhood Market on Windsor Spring Road in Hephzibah opened Jan. 6.

The new store offers a full pharmacy and fuel station and free store pickup service on products ordered at Walmart.com.

The new store employs up to 95 full- and part-time associates.

“We are proud to be a part of the Hephzibah community,” said store manager John Skvarca. “We look forward to providing our friends and neighbors with Walmart’s everyday low prices.”

The store is approximately 41,000 square feet and offers a wide assortment of prod-

ucts to meet the needs of Hephzibah residents. In addition to groceries, customers will also find a full-service deli and in-store bakery offering custom cakes and fresh baked breads.

Hephzibah residents can transfer prescriptions and order refills to the new store.

The pharmacy offers a drive-thru window.

Krispy Kreme The Krispy Kreme Hot Now sign will finally light up in Aiken. Krispy Kreme plans to build at the site of a former used car lot at 2270 Whiskey Road.

The hope is to begin construction in the spring. The new building will be about 15,000 square feet with 93 parking spaces.

Construction should take about six months.

Goodwill Store Goodwill’s newest store is under construction near Gateway Center in Evans with a planned spring completion. With the parking lot and entrance now finished, a donation attendant and Goodwill truck previously accepting donations in the Gateway

Center has relocated to Goodwill’s two-acre site.

Once construction on the site is completed, the facility will provide a 9,600 square foot Goodwill retail training store and donation drive-through convenient to residents of the fast-growing Grovetown area.

As the retail store generates sufficient revenue to support Goodwill’s mission, a Goodwill Job Connection will open at the site to provide job training, education and career development services for the community.

When the Gateway Goodwill opens, the facility will increase the number of Goodwill’s retail training stores in the CSRA to six, including the newly opened Last Chance! Goodwill in Martinez.

Lidl Grocery shopping in North Augusta could soon have a distinctive German flair.

German grocery giant Aldi already has a store under construction at LeCompte and

Business openings, closings and moves

22 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

continued on page 23

Business openings, closings and moves

continued from page 22 Knox avenues. Recently Lidl, another German international grocer, announced plans to build a 36,000-square-foot supermarket at 417 E. Martintown Road. That location is next to Martintown Plaza at the intersection with Knox Avenue, and across the street from the North Augusta Plaza, which has a Publix supermarket.

Lidl and Aldi are international competitors.

Last year Lidl announced plans to build a supermarket on Alexander Drive in Augusta, near the intersection of Washington Road.

Lidl is part of the Schwarz Group, the fourth-largest retailer in the world. Lidl is the chief competitor of Aldi, and has more than 10,000 stores worldwide. Earlier this year it opened its U.S. headquarters in Arlington, Va., and plans to open stores along the East Coast.

Like Aldi, it is a no-frills store, where customers take products directly from the shipping boxes. However, Lidl usually offers more branded products as well as some locally-sourced products.

University Hospital Prompt Care Although University Hospital was denied an opportunity to build a hospital in Aiken, it is still making its presence felt there.

University Hospital opened one of its Prompt Care offices in Aiken in December at 1021 Silver Bluff Road. It will be open 8 a.m.7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekends.

University had submitted plans to build a 50-bed hospital in Aiken in response to a study that showed Aiken had a shortage of hospital beds. But its request was denied by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control in favor of Aiken Regional Medical Center adding 14 beds to its existing facility. University is appealing the ruling.

About a third of University’s patients come from Aiken County.

Moves La Dolce Bakery You can have your cake and eat it, too, in Aiken, now that La Dolcé Bakery.Cafe.

Tea Room has reopened in its new location.

The business was closed for several months during the move to 967 Doughtery Road on Aiken’s south side.

“Our Dougherty Road location has plenty of parking, a deck with outdoor seating under a beautiful live oak tree and a whimsical atmosphere for our customers to enjoy,” said co-owners Lady Kelly MacVean and Chef Kirstie Wohlfeil.

La Dolcé also has a private room for special events that will seat up to 24. It will be open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

La Dolcé Bakery has new menu offerings as well as many of the old favorites. Breakfast and lunch will be served throughout the day, along with freshly baked cakes, desserts and breads, plus specialty teas and coffees. Customers may order items to go from the walk-up counter or enjoy them in the cottage’s café area.

According to MacVean, known as “Lady Kelly,” her official title from Scotland, the new setting will provide a tea experience representative of traditional teas in England including Afternoon and High Teas.

La Dolcé will also continue catering special events such as weddings, receptions and corporate breakfasts and lunches.

The original La Dolcé Gourmet Bakery, Coffee and Tea Bar, the creation of MacVean and her daughter, Kirstie, first opened its doors in 2012 in downtown Aiken. Wohlfeil’s idea of opening a bakery was sparked from her training at the New England Culinary Institute and her work with five-star bakeries, restaurants and resorts. MacVean added the concept of tea service due to her Tea Master Certification (and vintage tea china collection), and the two ladies created an eatery unlike any other in the area.

For more information, visit www.ladolceaiken.com.

Expansions Georgialina Physical Therapy Georgialina Physical Therapy will get a new North Augusta home in a few months, along with more space for its corporate office.

Ground has been broken on Martintown Road in North Augusta for a 10,000-squarefoot building that will be home to Georgialina Physical Therapy and two other businesses. It is located across from the Bank of America, not far from Georgialina’s current facility in the North Hills Center.

Thomas Bryson, director of marketing and communication for Georgialina, said Georgialina will occupy the ground floor of the two-story building, about 5,000 square feet. The upstairs will be divided into two 2,500-square-foot suites. One will be occupied by Palmetto Wellness and Weight Loss.

One of the big advantages of the new building will be consolidating and expanding the corporate office. Currently some parts of the corporation are in different locations, with some of it squeezed into about 1,000-square-feet in North Augusta. The new office space will be about 1,800 square feet and include the call center and conference rooms.

“We’re bringing a lot of pieces together,” Bryson said.

The new facility will also allow Georgialina to add a state-of-the-art pool for aquatic therapy. The 96-degree pool helps in rehabilitation of weight-bearing issues and gait and balance issues.

“It’s unique to the area,” Bryson said.

Bryson said the new building should be ready in March. It will include parking areas in front and in back. It will continue the same hours as the current location, 8 a.m.7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m-5 p.m. on Friday.

This will be Georgialina’s 10th location. It is also opening a facility in Riverwood Plantation in Evans in January.

Prestige Appliance Due to popular demand, a South Carolina appliance store is expanding to the Geor-

gia side of the river.

Prestige Appliance, which already has locations in Aiken and Columbia, plans to build on Riverwatch Parkway in Augusta in the near future. The new location is expected to open by the beginning of April.

Prestige Appliance sells home appliances such as washing machines, dish washers and refrigerators.

According to Prestige’s owner, Doug Huffer, customers in the Augusta area expressed a desire for the company to expand closer to where they live.

“We chose the Riverwatch location because we felt it was centrally located,” Huffer said. “It’s convenient for customers coming from downtown Augusta, Columbia County and North Augusta. In addition, it is right off of Interstate 20, which will make it easy to find.”

The new store will follow the same concept as the two previous locations. The store will feature “vignettes” of home settings so customers can have a realistic view of how the appliances might look in their home.

The appliances in the vignettes will also be fully functional so customers will be able to test out appliances, like icemakers, dishwashers or washing machines.

“This will allow customers to see how our products operate,” Huffer said. “It also allows our employees to walk customers through the different settings and teach them about the machines.”

As opposed to bigger box stores, Prestige Appliance is highly specialized.

“You won’t find any pools, commodes or electronics,” Huffer said. “We do what we know, and we do it well. Our prices are as competitive as the big box stores, and we have highly-trained staff who are very knowledgeable about these products.”

Another unique feature that Prestige provides is convenient servicing of appliances. They are able to service anything that they sell in-store as opposed to having to ship an item to another location to be serviced.

JRPW The need for speed has led a local business to expand to a building nearly triple in size.

Jimmy Rivers Performance Works in Augusta is in the process of building a new facility at the corner of Rose Street and Rose Lane, near their current shop. JRPW is a “racing, go-kart, speed shop” according to owner Jimmy Rivers, and since 1999 has specialized in building performance engines that it ships to racers around the country.

It also offers powder coating and stocks parts and accessories for race cars.

“We’ve been fortunate enough that our growth has surpassed our facility,” Rivers said.

The new facility will be 8,000 square feet, nearly triple the current facility’s 3,000 square feet.

“That gives us more room for more inventory and to provide more services,” Riv-

ers said. “The goal is to give us the ability to grow on the machine shop side.”

Rivers is optimistic that the new building will be ready by the first part of March.

The continued growth of the business will create the biggest challenge in moving into the new facility – slowing down long enough to make the move. JRPW already has a lead time of two to three weeks on its products. Rivers expects the move to take several weeks.

Rivers also writes a monthly tech series called Speed Shop Scholar for the publication Chasen Racen Illustrated.

For more information, visit jrpwracing.net.

Jiffy Lube A Jiffy Lube in Augusta is getting a new, bigger home just a bit down the road.

The Jiffy Lube next to Olive Garden on Washington Road will move next to Carraba’s in March. Renovation work is being done now to provide more room for additional services.

Jiffy Lube is also opening a new location near the Gateway Walmart in Grovetown.

Closings Sonic The Sonic Restaurant on Peach Orchard Road in Augusta has closed but that’s not all bad news. It’s part of a planned expansion that will add four more Sonic restaurants in the CSRA. The property at 2622 Peach Orchard Road was almost 22 years old and with a lease renewal coming up, principle operating partner Mark Irvin said the tough decision had to be made to close it in favor of concentrating on the expansion.

“We’re seeing it as a positive,” he said.

“We hate to leave the trade area, but the growth (on Peach Orchard) has moved away from us. I’m sure at some point we’ll catch back up to it. It’s been a great restaurant for us.”

All employees who are able to travel have been offered positions at other Sonics in the area.

Sonic has been approved to build a restaurant in Grovetown. Irvin said the rest of the expansion deals haven’t been finalized.

Because they had leased the property, Irvin said he doesn’t have any knowledge if the property will be sold or if there are prospective tenants for it.

Dillard’s Dillard’s in the Aiken Mall has confirmed that it will be closing its store there, although a closing date was not determined.

The Aiken Mall was recently sold to an unidentified buyer, but there was no indication of a connection between the two events. Dillard’s owns their mall property and plans to sell it in the future.

Dillard’s in Aiken has about 75 employees, who will be offered positions in the Augusta and Columbia stores.

Dillard’s is a mid-price range department store selling clothing, shoes, accessories, makeup and home goods. It has 330 stores in 28 states.

Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

23

Business Lessons Gary Kauffman

One and Done

Without a plan, your idea won’t sustain your business Lots of people have an idea for a business, but it takes a little more than that to succeed, as I advised a man named Alvin.

Alvin contacted me when I lived in Indiana, running my own advertising/marketing business. He wanted me to create a brochure for his furniture manufacturing business. Normally before starting, I would sit down with a client to discuss his business and his needs and goals. But when I arrived, Alvin was so excited about getting pictures taken that I embarked on that first.

The first picture was of a beautiful hall seat (a bench with a tall mirrored back with coat hooks that looks nice in a foyer if you have a house big enough for a foyer). After getting the lighting right, I snapped a few pictures and then asked for the next piece of furniture.

“Well, that’s the only thing I’ve made,” Alvin said.

Faith at Work Steve Swanson

Full-Time Faith

Faith needs to be an integral part of daily business life Welcome to 2016. At our house the New Year started with a bang! The neighbors were blowing up fireworks in to the wee hours of the morning (as they have for years).

We often have rather grandiose ideas about how this year will be so much different and so much better than the one we just left. It doesn’t take long, however, before we’re reminded that we brought ourselves in to the new year with all of our internal baggage and unresolved “stuff.”

24 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

I explained that it was tough to make an entire brochure from one piece of furniture, but perhaps we could make a single-panel rack card until he manufactured more. I sat down to get more information, starting with the name of his business.

“I don’t have a name yet,” Alvin said.

“What do you think would be a good name?”

While usually my clients had business names, I had had a few clients just starting out ask me to help narrow down their choices. Making one up completely was unusual. I asked Alvin what types of furniture he planned to make in the future, thinking that might spark an idea for a business name.

“I don’t know,” he said. “What do you think I should make?”

Not surprisingly, I didn’t end up making a brochure for Alvin. I told him that once he figured out what he was going to build and had a business name, I’d be glad to do some work for him. I never heard from him again.

Sadly, Alvin was not the only wouldbe entrepreneur I encountered with barely a wisp of a business plan. He had an idea, not a plan.

While I wasn’t nearly as clueless as Alvin when I started my own business, my “business plan” was to a real business plan about like a skeleton is to a full body – it was something I could hang my hat on but it wasn’t ever going to get me very far.

Our conflicts, our attitudes and our perspectives came right along with us.

I’m hoping you are choosing to bring a vibrant and growing faith to the days that will make this year both memorable and special.

Some think expressions of faith are to be reserved only for church functions and religious holidays. I respectfully disagree. I believe faith needs to be part of our DNA. It should be an integral part of our conversations and serve as motivation to use our gifts, abilities and life experience to make the people and places around us (including our workplace) better.

I love good questions. I believe they help us think – really think about the things that truly matter. Last week I discovered an article written by Regina Britt (I don’t know her, but I loved her questions). The beginning of a New Year is an excellent time for some personal introspection. Solid questions can help sift and filter our goals and priorities. Here we go: • If today were the last day of my life would I want to do what I am about to do today?

• Do I want to be happy?

Not every plan came to fruition, but having a plan made me much more agile in making adjustments.

Fortunatey, after a few years of chugging along, I realized that I’d better really figure out what I was doing and where I was going. I sat down one day and developed a fairly extensive plan of what I wanted to do in the business that year, the next year and five years down the road. I developed strategies for turning those ideas into realities. I adjusted my prices after determining my overhead costs, maintenance costs, income needs and emergency funds.

Instead of chugging along, my business began growing and flowing much more smoothly. Not every plan I made came to fruition or worked the way I wanted, but having a plan made me much more agile in making adjustments.

I found other small businesses in similar situations, sometimes lamenting that they hadn’t made a business plan when they’d started. I urged them that it wasn’t too late.

If you’re a would-be entrepreneur, please avoid being like Alvin. Sit down and make a plan before leaping into the business world. There are plenty

I believe faith needs to be part of our DNA. • What part of me is disturbed by this?

• What can I bring to this occasion?

• What can I learn from this?

• What would people who love themselves do?

• What is the kindest thing to do right now?

• Where am I on my own calendar?

• What am I grateful for right now?

• If this situation never changed, what quality would I need to develop to bear it with grace?

• How can I be of help?

Regina Britt says the way to wrap up every day is to ask yourself, “Did you love?” She reminds us that this question is the measure of our lives. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, says it this way: “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a

of resources available to help you think through a plan. It increases your chances of success greatly.

But if you find yourself in the position I was, having some moderate success after a few years despite only a skeleton of a plan, it’s not too late. Sit down now and determine a business plan for your future.

Even if you’re one of those people who did it right at the beginning, make sure you review your business plan on a regular basis. The world is changing rapidly and what may have seemed like a genius plan five years ago may sound a bit old-fashioned today, and even send you in the wrong direction.

At the very least, make sure you have a name for your business!

Gary Kauffman is Editor in Chief of Buzz on Biz and manages the content for print and web publications. A native of Indiana, he has made made the CSRA home for more than two years.

Prior to moving here, he ran his own graphic design/advertising business for 17 years where he worked with many small businesses. You can reach him at gkauffman@buzzon.biz.

clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:1-3) I encourage you to read all of 1 Corinthians 13. Some of it will likely be familiar, but it certainly provides a good foundation and reminder for us. Without love, all we do is make noise.

What is ahead in 2016? Will you decide to be the same person you’ve always been? Or will you deliberately choose to love and serve others? Your life can make a lasting impact on the people you spend your days with. Let God lead you. Let his love power you through the adventure ahead!

Steve Swanson serves as the station manager for Family Friendly 88.3 WAFJ. He’s invested 30-plus years in the world of radio and was named the Christian Music Broadcasters Program Director of the Year in 2009 and 2011. He and his wife , Susie, live in North Augusta.

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Social Media Kelsey Morrow

Social Etiquette

Thinking before posting to social media avoids faux pas Imagine that you are at a business dinner and someone starts ranting about politics. It would make you feel uncomfortable, right? The same is true of social media statuses.

One of the great things about social media is that it enables the user to present their personality to the world.

Business Online Jeff Asselin

The Best Employee No one works harder at your business than your website

One of the most common questions I’m asked is “How much does a website cost?” The simple answer is that websites can range from a couple hundred dollars to thousands of dollars – it really depends on the functionality and the amount of customization you’re looking for.

A few years ago I wrote about an analogy I learned that helps folks understand the true value of a website. I get asked about that analogy often so I thought I would reshare it below.

It is not uncommon for a business to spend several hundred thousand dollars on a retail space renovation in order to attract new business. An investment in a great website and internet marketing plan will cost a tiny fraction of that and can bring in much more business.

Initially, it may seem like web designers ask a lot of money for a website, but I guarantee you it’s a great deal.

What a website actually costs is not nearly as important as the actual value of the website.

Consider your website as a new salesman named Ted.

26 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

Your page is yours and you can post anything that your heart desires.

However, just because you can post literally anything, that doesn’t mean that you should.

Social media etiquette is an often neglected but very important discussion.

Topics such as money, religion, politics, and anything else that would be considered faux pas for a dinner party or a client meeting, are also faux pas on social media.

Before posting anything, ask yourself a couple of questions: Will I regret this later? Even with the strictest privacy settings, keep in mind that through screenshots all posts can potentially become public.

Yes, there is a delete button, but once your post has already been viewed, shared or saved, removing it does not do much good.

Facebook status or therapist? We all have those friends who share just a little too much on social media. Sometimes it’s just excessive sharing of minor details (things like “Just woke up!”

Here’s a little bit about Ted: • Ted works 24 hours/day, 7 days/ week, 365 days/year. He never sleeps and never takes lunch breaks. Ted’s only mission in life is to talk to your customers and promote your business.

• Ted is the perfect sales representative. He knows everything about your company and his sales pitch is perfect every single time.

• Ted often talks to hundreds of people every day. He has the ability to talk to everyone all at once while still giving each of them one-on-one attention.

• Ted is a great traveler. He can be anywhere in the world at any time, and more than one place at the same time if he needs to be. Best of all, Ted doesn’t file any expense reports.

• Ted learns fast. You only have to tell him something once. With just a few days of training, he can be taught to speak many different languages.

Here’s the best part…Ted is cheap!

I mean, super cheap! Let’s say your website – your “Ted” – cost $6,000 and you keep him on your team for three years. Ted’s salary would work out to just $2,000/year. The longer you work together, the cheaper Ted gets – and – he never quits! Ted might be better off flippin’ hamburgers; after all, you only pay this poor man 23 cents an hour.

What a deal, considering he works tirelessly around the clock for just one cause: your business. Try to find a model employee like Ted who will work for 23 cents/hr. Better yet, try lowering the pay of your best team member to just 23 cents/hr and see how long they stick around. Good luck with that!

Just because you can post anything, that doesn’t mean that you should.

“Eating a sandwich!” “That sandwich was great!” about every single detail of their lives), but keep the following in mind: When I was in college, there was a popular satire video called “Facebook in Real Life.” In the video, people would stand on street corners and read Facebook statuses over megaphones.

Although intended to be comical, the video makes a good point. When you post something on Facebook, you might as well be broadcasting it to the whole world.

With that in mind, is what you are about to post something you would want to broadcast to everyone you know, or something a little too personal? If it’s too personal, definitely don’t post.

Does this portray me in a negative or unprofessional light? Could it offend someone? I have heard 2015 re-

Bottom line, from a business owner’s perspective: it shouldn’t matter how much a website costs. At almost any price (within reason), a website is a steal because its value is exponentially greater than its price tag. When paying for a website, how much it costs is not nearly as important as the value of what you receive in return for your investment.

ferred to as “The Year Everyone was Offended by Everything.” This definitely doesn’t mean that you have to only post things that everyone would agree with. After all, you are entitled to your own opinions. However, could this post upset someone important to you, such as a boss, a client, or family members?

Facebook does allow you the option of customizing which friends will be able to view certain content. However, as with privacy settings, I would advise you to err on the side of caution.

What it really comes down to is, if you aren’t sure, just don’t post.

Kelsey Morrow is the Media Assistant at Buzz on Biz and handles its social media accounts. She has a Masters in Public Relations from the University of Georgia. You can contact her at kelsey.morrow@buzzon.biz.

Jeff Asselin is Director of Sales and Marketing for Powerserve, a web development company that focuses on websites, custom business software, search engine optimization, graphic design and social media marketing. For more information, visit www.powerserve.net or his office at 961 Broad St., Augusta. Contact him at jeff.asselin@powerserve.net or 706-691-7189 or 706-826-1506, ext 122.

Business Advice Mike Herrington

Liquid Assets

Life insurance can help with funds during liquidation When business liquidation is the only course of action at an owner’s death, life insurance can provide the funds

that make the difference between a planned liquidation and a financiallydisastrous forced liquidation.

Consider the uses to which life insurance can be put in the planned liquidation of a business: Estate Settlement: Life insurance proceeds can be used to pay estate taxes and other estate settlement costs, allowing the liquidation to proceed on an orderly basis.

Family Income: Using life insurance proceeds to provide the surviving family with a continuing income can avoid a forced liquidation of business assets for this purpose.

Working Capital: If the executor needs additional cash to temporarily operate the business, life insurance can serve as the source of that cash.

Offset Shrinkage: Even a planned liquidation will usually result in some shrinkage in value, as compared to

what the business was worth as a going concern.

Life insurance can be used to replace the value lost in the liquidation. For “pennies on the dollar,” life insurance guarantees that the cash needed to help avoid a forced liquidation will be available exactly when needed…at the business owner’s death.

Mike Herrington is President of Herrington Financial Services, Inc, a Registered Investment Advisor. He is a Certified Financial Planner licensee(CFP), a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and a Certified Estate Planner(CEP). He has been serving clients in the CSRA since 1984. Contact him at 706-8688673 or mike@herringtonfinancialservices.com

Augusta University’s new brand unveiled Augusta University has a new name; today it’ll get a new look.

The University announced on its web site that its new unifying brand was unveiled on Jan. 21. That will include a new seal, a new logo and a new spirit mark.

The new brand will be available on clothing and merchandise at several “Swag Stops.” Faculty, staff and students will be able to exchange merchandise with the old GRU logo for items with the new logo.

Items bearing the new brand will also be available at the JagStores in Washington Hall on the Summerville Campus and in the Student Center on the Health Sciences Campus. Merchandise will be available online later in the spring.

“Getting the new merchandise ready has been a really fun process,” said Michelle Neely, manager of retail operations. “We are very excited to be a part of the new brand launch and know people will love the new look.”

Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Business Marketing Mark Alison

A Close Second

Doing something better can offset not being first on scene What’s up with the Yeti cup?

Who would have imagined that the double-walled insulated cup business was ripe for another cup? Especially one that costs $39!

Did you try to buy a Yeti cup over the holidays? Cabela’s, Academy, Bass Pro and Gander Mountain were all sold out, nationwide. Amazon had ‘em at double their retail price ($80) 20 days before Christmas. What’s up with that?

Yeti is not a new name in an industry dominated by Coleman for years. Insulated cups are not new and typically cost less than five bucks. The Yeti cup is simply a new take on an old design but, more importantly, it does what other cups don’t; it actually works… better. And that explodes an old marketing myth I have questioned for years.

Al Ries and Jack Trout’s amazing little paperback book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, is required reading for marketers. The very first law in the book is “The Law of Leadership” with the subhead “It’s Better to be First than to be Better.”

They support their first law by referencing that few people know the name of the second person to fly solo across the Atlantic but everyone knows the name of the first guy, Charles Lindbergh (the second guy was Australian Bert Hinkler).

I’m not buying it. I would argue that being first is highly overrated.

In a competitive category, I think being first is not essential and being second is not the kiss-of-death. Reis and Trout would point out that no one remembers the names of previous Olympic silver medalists or the names of past

U.S. vice-presidents. OK, point made, but this isn’t Jeopardy!, it’s marketing.

I believe some enterprises win big by not being first. I think they profit greatly by being what I term, “A Smart Second.” Here’s why.

In some sectors, engineering and R&D costs can be the most expensive part of the venture, even surpassing marketing expense. Being a Smart Second means allowing the first guy to pay for the innovation.

I’m not talking about knocking off the competition. I suggest improving on the product, making it better and offering it at a competitive price. That is what being a Smart Second is about and that’s what the Ninja Coffee Bar Coffee Maker did for 2015.

While Keurig and its second-place competitors have done an excellent job redefining the coffee experience with single-serve K-cups, their decision to create a larger-serve carafe version has not been as successful. They should have stayed with single serve instead of trying to extend the brand – but brand extension is another story.

The Ninja product doesn’t attempt to duplicate the Keurig experience.

They capitalize on the consumer’s desire to experience “Starbucks” on their home countertop, an idea that Keurig created with the single-serve K-cup. But, Ninja goes one better by making a product with a variety of specialty brews built in, including single cup, carafe and – here’s the “smart second” – the added savings of using beans instead of K-cups to do all of the above.

It’s an old idea with a better outcome.

As a coffee lover, I am impressed. Smart Second takes the prize.

One more example for anyone born in the 20th century. It’s is an old story but it bears repeating. The No. 2 car rental company, Avis, competed heads up with No. 1 Hertz from 1963-66 during the period called “Advertising Wars.” The campaign, created by Doyle

Dane Bernbach, actually took smart advantage of Avis’ second-place position with the tag line, “When You’re No. 2, You Try Harder.”

It worked. Within a year Avis went from losing money to making money, the first time it had been profitable in more than a decade. Today, Avis is in 165 countries. A Smart Second wins yet again!

Singer Chris Daughtry placed fourth in season five of American Idol, took his show on the road with a band and is one of the top-selling brands to come from that program. Similarly, Kathrine McPhee has sung with Andrea Bocelli and recast herself as an actor on network TV. That’s not too shabby for a non-first place winner.

The undeniable truth Reis and Trout point out is there’s only one first place.

Everyone else comes after that. The idea is to be a recognized contender.

That means a Smart Second – or third or even fourth in some businesses.

You need to be in the game when decision time comes so you get your chance at bat. Then, allow your “better” product or service to help you win.

It might require you and your team to try harder but Avis has already proven it can be done.

Meanwhile I’ll toast your “Smart Second” win with my $39 Yeti cup that I bought after Christmas.

Mark Alison is President of The Alison Group (started in 1982) with offices in Augusta and Charlotte. TAG is a B2B Marketing and Communication Company with a rich history of creating new business growth. Contact Mark at mark@thealisongroup.com.

Website touts economic advantages of SC counties The economic opportunities in three South Carolina counties are a little easier to understand with the launch of a new website.

The Economic Development Partnership, which serves Aiken, Edgefield and Saluda counties in South Carolina, launched its newly redesigned website at www.edpsc. org. The website is one of the tools the Partnership uses to inform site selection consultants, real estate brokers, company executives, and entrepreneurs about the benefits of locating business in the Aiken, Edgefield and Saluda region.

Public and private partners and the community in general can access the website to

28 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

learn more about what the region offers, companies located in the three-county area, and the latest economic development news.

“People and organizations we work with on a daily basis use our website as a research tool,” said Will Williams, President and CEO of the Economic Development Partnership. “It’s often the one of the first places they go to learn about the region.

With the redesigned website, we’re able to present a more visually compelling case to decision makers as to why our region is the best place to locate their business.”

The website features pages covering topics of regional assets, key industries and sites and buildings. Incorporating respon-

sive design, the new website ensures users can access all the information on mobile, tablet and desktop devices at any time.

The Economic Development Partnership, a non-profit public-private development corporation, was formed in 1984 by Aiken County Council at the request of local business leaders as the Economic Development Board of Aiken County. The community realized growth would be hampered and the area would fall behind other regions of South Carolina without a county-wide economic development focus.

The Partnership was restructured in 1988 to serve Edgefield County as the Economic Development Partnership, a natural move

to increase the effectiveness of a professional economic development program for the region.

In 2014, the Partnership was again restructured to serve Saluda County. The work of EDP includes the marketing of Aiken, Edgefield and Saluda Counties, assisting local communities in the development of economic development-related plans and projects, publishing and maintaining up-todate statistical and demographic information, maintaining an inventory of sites and buildings, providing support for growth and increased investment of existing industry and leveraging technology assets.

For more information, visit www.edpsc.org.

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Business Sales Jeb Blount

Goal Lines

Ask three questions to set real goals, not empty resolutions Here we stand, peering at the new year ahead. It came fast – as new years always do. Looking back at 2015 we all have some regrets for things that we did and things we left undone, for time that was squandered, for opportunities lost. Likewise we all have accomplishments, positive changes and progress to be celebrated.

That’s why in the first days of the new year we reflect and revel in the chance to start anew with a clean slate and new hope – the past washed away and the future unwritten.

It is at this pivot point that you have the opportunity to make key decisions that will shape your new year. Begin with the three questions that matter most: • What do you want?

• How do you plan to get what you want?

• How bad do you want it?

Frankly, it is about honesty. It is about being true to

yourself. Start with defining what you want, building a plan and writing it down. Set goals, not empty resolutions.

Not fleeting wishes and hopes. Real goals that mean something for your career and life.

Most people won’t and don’t because defining what you want – articulating where you will be at the end of next year – is difficult. It requires you to think. It requires you to take risk. It requires you to be accountable to the only person in your life to whom you are really accountable – you.

So start here. Define what you want and write it down. This means gathering up the discipline to stop what you are doing, sit down, and actually think about your future.

Yogi Berra quipped that “If you don’t know where you are going you might end up someplace else.” I love this quote because it so succinctly describes how many people aimlessly walk through life. No plan, no direction, no idea where they are going.

Here is a brutal reality. If you don’t have a plan, you will become a part of someone else’s plan. You can either take control of your life or allow someone else to control you to enhance their life.

Progress is made in small steps. To reach any big goal requires you to move through a series of small steps. These steps to success must be defined, written down and measured against deadlines. So define what you want and then

If you don’t have a plan, you will become a part of someone else’s plan. develop your plan.

Then write it down. Writing down your goals and plan makes you unstoppable. When you write down your goals, ink on paper, you tap into a powerful motivational force. A written plan forces action. Something inside of you begins to drive you forward constantly pushing you towards your destination. It is there, written in stone and it cannot be ignored until it has been accomplished.

Desire is the singularity of all achievement. Desire is the only thing that trumps procrastination. It’s why the most important question in any endeavor is “How bad do you want it?”

Success is paid for in advance with hard work and sacrifice. More often than not, getting what you want is more about what you are willing to give up rather than what you are willing to do.

Success is governed by the Law of Congruence. What you want and what you are willing to do to get what you want must be equal or congruent. Goals and plans don’t matter if you don’t have the desire and unwavering will to achieve them. This is why New Year’s Resolutions are almost never met. They are wishes born in hope and carried away on the wind as soon as the tiniest hint of adversity is met.

You will face adversity in 2016.

There will be hurdles, roadblocks and disappointment. There will be temptations that, like sirens, distract you from your goal, causing you to forget your plans and go off course. There will always be something more pleasurable in the short-term than sacrificing for what you really want. There will be a mountain you’ll have to climb and an uphill battle you’ll have to fight. There will always be an excuse for why you can’t do something.

Picture yourself at the end of next year. Where will you be? Will you be happy, content and satisfied with your accomplishments or be left sitting on a big pile of should-have-dones and regret for the year you wasted?

The good news is your future has not been written. It is completely within your control. Take a moment today to answer these three critical questions and build your plan for the new year.

the uninformed investor. If you know what is happening in the Market Cycle, you will know when the appropriate time is to buy properties to add to your long-term hold portfolio. You will know when to look for properties that can be fixed up and sold for profit, and when you should sit out of the game entirely and let everyone else pay top dollar for properties that are overpriced.

Having an understanding of the Market Cycle is like having a crystal ball for your real estate investments. If you have an interest in learning more about

Market Cycles and Real Estate Investing, join us at our next AORE Saturday Monthly Meeting on Feb. 13 at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion. The doors open at 8 a.m. for networking with the 50 to 70 other local investors.

Jeb Blount is the founder of Sales Gravy in Thomson. He helps sales teams across the globe reach peak performance fast through keynote speeches, boot camps, seminars, and on-site and online training. Hire Jeb to speak at your next sales meeting or conference. Call at 1-888-360-2249 or visit JebBlount.com for more information.

Real Estate Investing Justin Anderson

Crystal Clear

Simple strategies can help you see into real estate future Imagine you are sitting in your living room on the edge of your sofa with your coffee table directly in front of you.

There is just enough light for you to see that your coffee table is empty except for a single item…a beautiful, shiny, cantaloupe-sized crystal ball mounted on an elaborately ornate silver base.

When you look into this remarkable crystal ball for the first time, you are astonished to see that you have the ability to see into the future, and to see everything that is likely to happen next.

30 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

Wouldn’t that be incredible? To be able see into the future, particularly when it comes to your investments?

The coolest thing is, if you invest in real estate, that crystal ball really exists.

It is called the Market Cycle…and the best part is, it’s not some complicated formula that only a “Trained Investment Professional” can understand. In fact, most people have a basic understanding of the Market Cycle already.

The Market Cycle is quite simply the movement in property prices from one low point up to the next high point and then back down to the next low point.

Typically, there is a plateau period, although sometimes brief, at the top and bottom of each cycle. When the market is headed towards or near a top or high point, we call it a Seller’s Market. When the market is headed towards or near a bottom or low point, we call it a Buyer’s Market.

Cycles can vary in length of time substantially from one low point to the next, or one high point to the next.

They can be as short as two to three years, or as long as 15 or more years.

By understanding the Market Cycle, it puts you at an unfair advantage over

Justin Anderson is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Georgia and Oklahoma, and has been a full time real estate investor for the past 18 years. He is the co-founder of AORE, a Real Estate Investment Training and Education Company with offices in Augusta, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia. For more information, visit AORE.com or email infor@aore.com.

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North Augusta Chamber celebrates 65 years Plans celebration on Feb. 12, sets activities for 2016

By Terra Carroll, President, North Augusta Chamber of Commerce For 65 years the North Augusta Chamber has existed to provide opportunities for business growth and success. As we enter 2016, we invite you to join us in celebrating our 65th Anniversary at our Annual Meeting - Diamond Celebration on Feb. 12 at 6:30 pm.

Beyond our annual celebration, the Chamber plans to inform you of what’s happening, connect you with the resources to manage and sustain your business, and provide educational opportunities to help you grow.

Here are few things for you to look forward to in 2016: Good Morning North Augusta is a rebranding of our AM Connection breakfasts.

GMNA is scheduled for 8 a.m. on the third Friday of each month, March through December. GMNA will keep you updated on the latest news regarding economic devel-

opment, education, government, tourism and other areas of interest.

SCORE will continue its partnership with the Chamber providing free monthly seminars on the third Wednesday of each month at Southern Wesleyan University. Topics range from starting a business plan to your website presence and marketing strategies.

SCORE also provides one-on-one counseling, at no cost.

The Business Education Series will launch in the summer of 2016 and include a sequence of training to help develop the whole business leader and provide actionable tools for local businesses development.

Whether you are a small business owner seeking tools to manage your day-to-day operations or the manager of your organization, this program is for you.

Networking at Noon/Night is a spinoff of the traditional business after hours.

To support those with varying schedules we wanted to create networking options to

An undated photo of a North Augusta Chamber function, probably during the 1980s.

Photo contributed.

An undated photo of a North Augusta Chamber function during one of its earlier years.

Photo contributed.

help everyone stay connected. If you are interested in hosting Networking at Noon or Networking at Night, call the Chamber.

The Power Luncheons were extremely successful in 2015. We merged the Women in Business with Power Lunch and increased the frequency from two to four events. Expect the same level of exposure to prominent speakers like Governor Nikki Haley, the South Carolina Angel Network and Dr. Bruce Yandle.

Chamber Chat will launch in the spring 2016 and provide an opportunity for small group discussions with Chamber staff and board leadership regarding your business and community concerns.

We hope to see you at the programs listed above and the many others we offer, but more than that we invite you to get involved directly with the Chamber. Do you want more exposure for yourself and/or your business? Do you feel you have talents and skills that will help improve the chamber experience for yourself and others? Get more out of your membership by joining one of our chamber councils: The Ambassador Council is comprised of a select group of highly visible, prestigious volunteers who serve as the Chamber’s primary liaison to Chamber members. Considered the goodwill arm of the

Chamber, ambassadors play an essential role in member communication and conveying the needs of members to Chamber staff. The goal of the ambassador council is to strengthen the Chamber by making every member feel welcome and encouraging them to become more involved.

The Programs Council assists the chamber staff in planning and implementing all programs during the year, taking a lead role in selecting topics and speakers, and recruiting individuals for presentations on appropriate and current business issues.

With responsibilities ranging from development of new events to analyzing their effectiveness, the programs council works with Chamber staff to design, market and implement these initiatives.

The Public Relations & Marketing Council prepare and oversee marketing, advertising and communication projects, including the website, newsletters, social media marketing, and the lifestyle guide/ membership directory.

As you can see, we have much to offer in support of you and your business. So, join us in our diamond celebration of 65 years of service to the community and engage with your North Augusta Chamber of Commerce. Make it a great year!

Augusta represented on most influential, notable lists Two Augustans have been named to Georgia Trend magazine’s annual Most Influential Georgians list and another to the Notable Georgians list.

Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis and Augusta University President Brooks Keel were named to the Most Influential List.

Walter Sprouse, executive director for the Augusta Economic Development Authority, was named to the Notable Georgians list.

32 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

Davis, 47, is Augusta’s 84th mayor. He served three years as a state representative and five years as a state senator prior to his election as mayor.

Keel, 59, served as president of Georgia Southern before being named to replace Richard Azziz as president of Georgia Regents University in July. In September, he became president of Augusta University after the Board of Regents voted to change the university’s name.

Sprouse has been Executive Director of Augusta’s economic development organization since 2003. During that time, the Augusta Economic Development Authority has recruited more than $1 billion in new investment for Augusta, along with more than 17,000 new jobs.

Augusta’s strong local economy has been recognized in more than 20 national rankings by organizations such as Forbes, Business Week, MSNBC, The

Brookings Institute, Moody’s, and bizjournals.com, and was ranked by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics as the fourth best metro in the United States for job creation.

Most of the people listed as Most Influential are government officials or heads of companies. Others on the Notables list include actor Tyler Perry, NCR President Bill Nuti and Savannah College of Art and Design President Paula Wallace.

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Career and Education Samantha Shore

Device Tag-alongs

Colleges move toward making students bring own computers In August 2015, Georgia Military College in Augusta, like many other colleges, adopted a Bring Your Own Device

(BYOD) policy. BYOD is an emerging trend that was first introduced in 2009 and has been growing in popularity ever since.

When a college adopts this policy it means that every student will be required to have their own internet-ready device, and they will be required to have it with them while they are on campus.

The campus is responsible for providing the students with access to wireless internet and other various electronic resources, but the actual device will be the responsibility of the student. As previously mentioned, BYOD is something that has taken off all across the country. Many colleges and universities have already successfully implemented the policy and it has been met with positive results. In order to provide their students with the most interactive, adaptable, and technologically driven learning environment possible, the Augusta campus has implemented this policy as well.

SPECIAL SECTION

Bringing your own device will mean being able to effectively utilize the vast amount of electronic resources.

Bringing your own device will mean being able to effectively utilize the vast amount of electronic resources, like databases and e-books, without having to search for an open computer lab or standing in line for an open computer. The campus has also prepared for this change by adding charging stations and student study spaces to the library.

BYOD also has a large benefit in the classroom. Having technology at your fingertips allows for a more interactive experience. A professor may have a student take out their laptop in the middle of class to take a test or to complete an assignment. If a professor is working with a PowerPoint presentation or from a web-

site, students can easily follow along on their own computer and take notes.

In order to make this transition as seamless as possible for future students, they are encouraging students to begin preparing now. Documents have been published with the various system specifications and requirements, which should make purchasing a suitable device easier if a student does not already have one.

Samantha Shore is Georgia Military College’s Augusta campus Student Resource Center Coordinator. She manages our e-Library Center and our Tutoring Center. For questions about how to enroll in Georgia Military College’s degree programs, please call 706-993-1123, email musry@ gmc.edu, or visit www.gmcaugusta.com.

Career & Education Barry Paschal

Diploma Demand Identifying high-demand jobs helps students pick a major An interesting phenomenon is taking shape in the world of higher education: People are starting to pay attention to outcomes – i.e., the job prospects of graduates.

I know – it’s a crazy thought that college students would actually begin to think about what they’re going to do for a living after they leave the cozy confines of academia.

Surely Philosophy and Women’s Studies majors have a plan for paying back all those hefty student loans, don’t they? That is, a plan beyond stalling and hoping the federal government bails them out.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal’s administration has done a remarkable job in this regard with his High Demand Career Initiative. It proceeds from a relatively simple concept: What do employers need, and how can the state’s educators help produce workers for those jobs?

As the initiative has proceeded with studies and meetings during the past couple of years, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that what it has identified as high-demand career fields in Georgia – now and into the next few years

34 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

– don’t include such things as museum archivists or professional skateboarders, as fun as those might be.

Instead, the initiative has identified the greatest need to be in such handson middle skills level careers as automotive technician, health care worker and welder. Most of the high-demand fields require only a certificate or associate degree, meaning most students can enroll, graduate and go to work while many of their academic peers are still lounging around the dorm highlighting the Cliff ’s Notes version of “Beowulf.”

And, yes, while literature is indeed fun – as an English minor, I spent more than my share of time immersed in books while in college – there just isn’t a heavy demand for applying book knowledge alone in the real world where people need to earn money to pay for food and housing.

Students entering high demand career fields enjoy another benefit, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Their annual salary likely exceeds the amount of money they borrowed to get that certificate or associate’s degree from a less-expensive technical school or career education college. Such post-secondary institutions, as a result, are getting a closer look from students who previously had their sights set on attending a school with such career-enhancing accessories as fraternities and a football team.

There’s an obvious prestige factor in getting accepted to the state’s flagship university or better-known private four-year colleges, and obviously there always will

be a great demand for the highly educated. But when far too many of those graduates with bachelor’s degrees are coming up empty in their job search while their career-educated graduate counterparts are already earning paychecks – then that gets their attention. It also doesn’t go unnoticed by mom and dad.

At least that’s the aim of the governor’s initiative, and of the state’s employers hoping to fill hands-on career opportunities. Certainly we’re seeing greater attention for programs like those at Helms College, with hospitality and culinary education along with new

health sciences education designed to prepare students for competitive employment after graduation.

Such post-secondary programs might not have a basketball team or cheerleaders, climbing walls or sushi bars in the dining hall, yet the graduates won’t have to live in mom’s basement into their 30s while paying back their student loans, either. That’s something to consider.

Barry L. Paschal is Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA, parent organization of Helms College at www.helms.edu.

The future is now for tech and cyber jobs Jobs will be plentiful but will workforce be ready?

By Gary Kauffman The future jobs in the Augusta area will center on cyber and technology – not only because of the U.S. Army Cyber Command coming to Fort Gordon, but because cyber and technology will touch every business.

“Cyber and technology affects all of us, not just one industry,” said Jeff Hendrickson, Augusta campus director for the University of Phoenix, in introducing the Cyber Summit held there on Jan. 8.

The Cyber Summit, sponsored jointly by the university and the Greater Augusta chapter of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), examined the future workforce needs in the area in the cyber and tech fields.

Cybersecurity is big Increasingly, that future is now – especially when it comes to protecting cyber data.

Tino Mantella, president of TAG, said that more than 300 executives of Georgia companies were asked where they would spend their technology dollars over the next year.

“In one year security jumped from No. 5 to No. 1,” he said.

The reason is Georgia’s leadership in several areas. Mantella said 70 percent of all payments processed in the United States are processed in Georgia. The state is also the leader in health IT and in mobility, such as making payments via smart phone.

“Cybersecurity will impact every area,” he said.

Georgia has more than 1 million attacks on its systems per day.

As a result, there are already more than 115 cybersecurity companies in Georgia, including a growing number in Augusta. Cybersecurity spending is projected to increase more than fourfold in the next four years.

Mantella said Georgia currently has more than 74,000 IT job openings. Of those, 15,000-20,000 jobs can’t be filled by the current workforce.

More jobs than workers in near future The need for people to fill jobs, especially in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) areas, is becoming an increasing concern in the CSRA. Mindy Metts, program manager for the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO), said that a workforce study found that there will be 37,000 job opening in the CSRA in the next five years, many in the STEM areas.

About 80 percent of those will be replacement jobs that will open up as Baby Boom-

Dave Besel of Chiron explains to attendees at the Augusta Cyber Summit how his company trains workers in cybersecurity. Photo by Gary Kauffman

ers retire. Metts said that number will probably increase, especially in the STEM areas, as more cyber and tech companies move into the area.

But the area currently is not well prepared to fill those positions.

“Students in our region are not choosing education programs that match the highdemand occupations,” she said. “And recruiting talent from other areas of the country is difficult. We don’t communicate well about the quality of life here.”

Gap in necessary education The situation is changing as local schools are gearing more curricula to STEM needs.

Most of that, though, is starting at the middle school level, meaning it could be eight years or more before those students are ready to join the workforce.

Even for those who are graduating college with a degree relating to cybersecurity often find a gap between knowledge learned and the experience needed to handle real world jobs.

“There’s a huge gap in getting people up to speed from education to actual experience to meet the need,” Dave Besel, director of information operations at Chiron in Augusta, said.

Chiron offers hands-on simulations that meet real world needs. In the simulations, the students may spend their time defending against an attack, or they may initiate an attack so they learn how attackers think.

“We’re trying to take what they’ve already learned and focus on an area where they can have an impact that is meaningful to a company,” Besel said.

Anthony Williams, senior director of strategy and business development for Tex-

tron (E-Z-Go), said IT and cybersecurity should be seen as a package.

“IT goes beyond cybersecurity, but if my cybersecurity breaks down, I’m done,” he said.

Internet of Things will continue to grow Williams said the Internet of Things (the internet connectivity of many devices) will continue to grow.

“By 2030 each of us will have 10 connections to the internet at all times,” he said.

Williams added that three areas that will be important to the CSRA in the near future will be cybersecurity, 3-D printing and automation. But, like others, he noted the dearth of people for the jobs in the area.

“Due to the skills shortages in the local market, we import,” he said.

He cautioned against making STEM just about hard science, saying that many STEM areas will need people with communication, artistic and even musical skills – much like one of the world’s engineering geniuses.

“DaVinci was an artist, not just an engineer,” he said.

Soft skills are as necessary as tech skills Kevin Wade of IntelliSystems echoed the need for well-rounded workers.

“There’s little emphasis on personal communication (among younger workers),” he said. “You have to be good technically, but you also have to be good with people.”

He said potential employees lack toughness, responsibility, motivation and confidence. As an example, he said that his company recently posted a job opening that required a short YouTube video explaining why the applicant would be a good fit for the job.

Wade said 160 people applied, but only 15 took the step of actually recording the

YouTube video. He believes that is the result of too many college graduates seeing their diploma as a Golden Ticket to employment.

“Students think a diploma equals a job,” he said. “There’s a mismatch of what is taught in technical colleges and universities (and the available jobs).”

Wade added that there is a need for more diversity in the cyber and tech fields. Surprisingly, the number of women going into the computer science field has decreased dramatically in the past 30 years. In 1984, he said, 37 percent of computer science graduates were women compared to just 12 percent today.

Not surprisingly, then, that in small group roundtable discussions during the Cyber Summit, much of the discussion focused on the need for employees with “soft skills” – such things as showing up to work on time, dressing appropriately for the job, getting along with others, ethics, staying focused on tasks and being able to take criticism.

Dennis Bonilla, executive dean of the College of Information Systems and Technology at University of Phoenix in Arizona, said the information from the meeting echoed his idea that colleges need to be more responsive to the communities they’re in.

He said the future of educational institutions will look different, and he is involved in an experimental school in Las Vegas that starts with the community in mind rather than the degree.

“You have to understand the ecosystem of the community,” he said. “If you don’t understand at least the five-year plan of the community, how are you going to help them?”

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Reports show looming nursing shortage Various factors could create higher demand in next 10 years

By Gary Kauffman Throughout their lives, the Baby Boom generation has made a significant impact on many areas of American life. Now heading into their retirement years, it looks as if they will again create changes – this time in health care, specifically in nursing.

According to some projections, there will be a nursing shortage in the United States within the next 10 years. Between an increased demand and replacing retiring nurses, there could be a need for more than a million additional nurses by 2025 – a need that, at current rates, would go unfilled.

“The federal government has projected that in most areas we will meet the demand until 2025,” said Dr. Lucy Marion, dean of Augusta University’s College of Nursing.

“But I’m not sure that’s going to play out because the complexity of consumer health care is growing by leaps and bounds.”

Marion has kept an eye on the need in the area through the CSRA Nursing Workforce Task Force of area hospitals and employers.

The need is not yet acute. No one is telling AU to increase the number of nursing graduates but no one is telling them to decrease the output either.

“They tell us they’re still hiring our graduates and they still need more,” Marion said.

If a nursing shortage does occur, it could be the result of an almost “perfect storm” of events that includes aging, the Affordable Care Act, education, technology and location.

Aging This year, the oldest of the Baby Boomers will turn 70. The youngest will be 53. It’s no secret that as humans age they require more health care.

While Baby Boomers have, through medicine and self-awareness, tended to stay relatively healthy, there’s no doubt that in the next 10 to 20 years this largest generation will require more and more health care.

“I really believe there will be a continuing need to increase the nursing workforce until the Baby Boomers have passed,” Marion said.

Given the increasing longevity of life, the demand could continue for another 40 years.

But the need for health care isn’t the only aging concern. Many of the current nurses are also Baby Boomers, meaning they’re entering their retirement years.

So far that hasn’t been a big factor, thanks in part to the Recession. Many delayed retirement or even “unretired” to produce additional family income during the Recession.

36 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

Increasingly, the future of nursing will move out of hospitals and into home health care to care for aging Baby Boomers.

But Baby Boomers also aren’t as quick to retire as the previous generations.

“Boomers are different from others in nursing,” said Marion. “They tend to stay on the job longer. There hasn’t been the massive walkout we expected.”

Still, the next 10 years will likely see that change and more jobs open up due to retirement.

Affordable Care Act One of the tenets of the ACA is to provide more health care to more people. The corollary to that will be an increased need for medical staff to provide that care.

Some people are predicting a resulting shortage in physicians, especially general practitioners. That burden, then, could be shifted to nurses.

That hasn’t had a huge impact on the CSRA yet, but may in the future.

“As the country moves to covering more of its residents there will be a higher demand for nurses,” Marion said.

Education A person entering the nursing field could often get started fairly quickly with a twoyear associate’s degree. But Marion said the need for a bachelor’s degree is increasing.

She said that by 2020, about 80 percent of jobs will require a BS in nursing.

There will also be more interest in doctoral programs for positions like advanced practice nurse that allow a greater range of activities that could be especially important if there is a physician shortage.

But finding people to teach these students

Nursing careers will see changes The field of nursing is changing, and probably will continue to do so into at least the near future.

“Nursing is shifting out of the hospitals into long-term care and in-home care,” said Dr. Lucy Marion, dean of the College of Nursing at Augusta University.

Technology plays a role in that, allowing people to stay in their homes longer, or in assisted living facilities.

“You can live at home and live a fairly decent life but you still need support,” Marion said.

Mental health also has an increasing

need for nurses. And with a push for more primary care in rural areas, the need for nurses in the public health sector, like walk-in clinics, will increase.

There is also a shift in the types of people in nursing. The typical nurse in the past has been a white female.

Increasingly, men are entering the field.

Marion said about 15 percent of the nursing students at AU are male.

“We’re working on diversity of thought and approaches, to be more inclusive and so the work is not so feminized,” Marion said.

“It’s getting better nationally and locally.”

is another issue.

“Faculty shortage is one of the most pressing needs we have,” Marion said.

One of the biggest reasons for a shortage of nursing teachers is pay. Many nurses, especially those skilled enough to teach a class, would have to take a significant pay cut to turn into an educator.

While the physical demands on a person are less in teaching than in nursing, Marion said it often requires longer hours.

And, of course, having great nursing skills doesn’t mean a person has great teaching skills.

Marion said Augusta University is working on increasing salaries through various ways, including programs that allow a nurse to work and teach.

Technology Technology has greatly increased the ability of doctors to treat patients more effectively. CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds have become routine. Labs can test for more diseases. Doctors order more tests, not only to find diseases, but as preventative measures.

Nearly all of those tests and machines require a nurse at some point in the procedure. Since technology probably won’t slow down anytime soon – in fact, will probably increase – the need for nurses in those areas will continue to grow.

Location Augusta has a unique advantage in health care. Most cities its size do not have a flourSee NURSING, page 38

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Professionals heading back to school More workers signing up for continuing ed

By Kelsey Morrow Anita Clark already had a good job as a safety specialist at DSM Chemicals in Augusta when she decided she wanted to know more about how business worked.

That led her back to go back to school while maintaining her job.

“I wanted a better understanding of what businesses are facing today,” Clark said, “such as buying and selling materials, whether or not it’s a good buy, how to market a business, and how to set prices. The MBA program allows you to learn about all of it.”

Clark is now pursuing an MBA at Southern Wesleyan University (SWU) in North Augusta. She represents a popular trend of continuing education.

Jason Norton, Regional Director of Recruitment Services at SWU recently said, regarding this trend, “In the private sector, we see a lot of different people of various backgrounds coming to SWU to continue their education.”

Many colleges are now even offering programs specifically aimed at these upwardly mobile professionals.

“We have a brand new Master of Science in Management and Leadership degree, or MSML,” Norton said. “This is a degree that can be applied to a variety of fields, and the skills that it teaches are useful in any industry. Completing the program makes employees more competitive, enhances their leadership skills and makes them better

NURSING

continued from page 36 ishing medical district. Smaller cities often struggle to attract the people needed for quality health care, and rural areas are facing acute shortages of medical personnel.

Many states, including Georgia, are pushing to provide more health care in rural areas. Since few cities have a surplus of nurses to draw from, that means an increased need for more nurses.

“There’s a need for primary care, especially in the rural areas,” Marion said.

She is writing grants that will help move more health care into the rural areas.

Solutions The most obvious solution is to increase the number of students in college nursing programs, and many universities – including the University of Georgia system – have done that. The lack of teachers for those programs, however, continues to be an issue.

Many health care institutions are also exploring ways to utilize the skills of older

38 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

qualified for management positions.”

Continuing education has become increasingly popular in recent years. This may be due to the increasing complexity of jobs.

Gone are many of the routine, assemblyline-style positions that require one set of skills. No matter the job title, employees now often find themselves needing to master various sets of skills.

Technology appears to be another factor.

Only a decade ago things like social media were just beginning and were primarily meant for individuals. Now it is rare to find a company without any sort of social media presence.

As technology advances, businesses need employees with new skills to stay up to date with these new trends so they can best harness their marketing potential.

nurses.

“There are older nurses out there who are still very skilled and very knowledgeable,” Marion said. “Hospitals are finding a place for them where they can have an impact, especially on the inexperienced nursing staff.”

Health ministry nurses may also take up part of the burden. These are often older, retired nurses who perform routine functions in their communities like take blood pressure, easing some of the burden on doctors and nurses.

Marion believes nursing is a great career choice for the right person.

“I think it’s an excellent choice,” she said.

“With four years of education you can enter the workforce at over $50,000, according to the area you’re in.”

It’s a choice Marion hasn’t regretted making.

“I started nursing in 1967,” she said. “I’m going on 50 years and every day of it has been a great day for me.”

Investing in continuing education has also become a popular topic for businesses as well. Often referred to as human capital, businesses are now recognizing the benefits of better educated employees. Some companies, such as ADP, Lowe’s, and Starbucks, even provide tuition assistance or reimbursement for employees seeking to continue their education.

In addition to students wanting to move up within the same company, continuing education is also popular with those seeking to transfer career fields entirely.

In the Augusta area, for example, jobs in cybersecurity and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields are plentiful. However, recent research shows that finding qualified job candidates to fill those positions can be a challenge.

Caro Cassels of the Augusta University Continuing Education Department believes that these new STEM and Cybersecurity positions may be another reason for the popularity of continuing education courses.

“Adult learners want to learn on demand,” Cassels said. “They want to learn what they want to know and learn marketable skills.”

An example is Tim Prendergast, a retired Army sergeant major who is participating in SWU’s MSML program.

“Learning is a lifelong activity,” Prendergast said, “and it allows me to better myself.

Within the program, we have students of a variety of backgrounds which leads to great interactions and enhances the learning experience.”

Due to this variety in students, continuing education programs tend to be more flexible than typical schooling. For example, many colleges, such as SWU and Georgia Military College (GMC), offer programs in the evenings to make school schedules more flexible for students who work during the day.

Missie Usry, enrollment manager and recruiter at Augusta’s GMC campus and former GMC student, is an example of a student who benefitted from this flexibility.

“My class schedule at GMC allowed me to work a job 35 hours a week at the same time as remaining a full-time student,” Usry said.

“Our classes are only an hour and we have a large offering of classes in the evenings so students can attend school while working.”

Many schools offer these continuing education programs online as well so that students can choose the learning environment that works best with their lifestyle.

No matter the reason for returning to school, the goal of continuing education is, as explained by Prendergast, to “leave the classroom better than when you entered.”

AU program allows professionals to embark on a nursing career College nursing programs aren’t just for fresh-faced teenagers graduating from high school.

Dr. Lucy Marion, dean of the College of Nursing at Augusta University, said sometimes people in professional careers feel they’ve missed their calling as a nurse.

“We had people who had a degree in another program but said they’d always wanted to be a nurse,” Marion said.

That’s where the Master of Science Clinical Nurse Leader program comes in. Started 10 years ago, it is a 16-month intensive educational experience for people with a nonnursing bachelor’s degree.

The CNL program works to translate the skills people have in other professional areas into the nursing profession.

For example, one student used his expertise in statistics to set up a data collection system that helped the university do a better job in serving international farm workers at

their annual health fair.

The degree is designed to help graduates assume a leadership role in evaluating and resolving issues related to nursing and health care.

The AU program started with 14 students, but now admits more than 100 each year.

Most are in their late 20s or 30s, although Marion said a few have ranged into their 50s.

The CNL applicants come from a variety of fields. Some are children of health professionals who grew up in the culture and, after trying a different career track, are returning to the health field.

“Nursing is still attractive to all kinds of people,” Marion said.

She said those in the CNL program are good students.

“They’re mature and focused,” she said.

And they don’t mind the intensive 16-month course.

“They love it,” Marion said.

Jan. 21窶認eb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Business lessons start in middle school North Augusta educator helps students prep for future careers

By Millie Huff There are some bright, young faces in the crowd at North Augusta Chamber meetings these days. Thanks to the efforts and connections of North Augusta Middle School’s Career Specialist, Leslie Echols, middle school students are getting a glimpse into their future.

“I want our students to go into high school with a better idea of who they are, what their interests are, and where that might take them in the future,” Echols said.

Her focus at North Augusta Middle School is helping all students identify their gifts, interests and what jobs might be a good fit. The career development process begins in the sixth grade, becoming progressively more in-depth in each grade.

Students at each grade level are individually assessed. In the sixth grade, they explore the question “Who am I?” through their activities. In the seventh grade, students complete a comprehensive assessment that analyzes their personality and interests and gives them ideas of which career paths might appeal to them. In the eighth grade, students complete another assessment and spend the school year answering the question “How do I get where I want to go in my life?”

“We understand that not all students are headed toward college, so we explore all of the educational and experiential options,” Echols said. “We want them to understand that there are many career paths that don’t require formal education and that those jobs are equally as important in our community.”

In the eighth grade, students participate in a program called “Choices” where business professionals speak to them about career and educational options and life-skills, such as financial planning.

“As parents, we can talk with our children all day about these topics, but sometimes hearing it from another adult makes it click,” she said.

Echols created “Lunch with Leaders” where students have the chance to meet and learn from business professionals from targeted fields. Based on the students’ career interest assessment, they are invited throughout the year to have lunch with leaders from their top areas of interest.

“I keep the groups small so that students get to know the speakers and can ask questions,” Echols said. “I encourage the speakers to share about their personal career path and the challenges of their field.”

So far in this school year, 33 “Lunch with Leaders” sessions have been offered to more than 500 students. Echols has invited a variety of professionals to speak to her students including a surgeon, professional actress, financial manager, engineers, make-up artist, athletic coach, police officer and fireman.

“I want to expose the students to as many options as possible,” said Echols.

A group of 20 eighth graders is handselected by Echols and the school principal to be a part of the school’s Youth Business Leadership group. Students are selected based on leadership skills, school discipline record and potential to become future business leaders.

Through a relationship with the North Augusta Chamber of commerce, this group of students is invited to attend Chamber meetings and other special functions. The students are prepped for attendance by covering topics such as proper business attire, business etiquette and what to expect to learn about in the upcoming meeting.

“We teach them about the soft skills needed in the business world: being on time, professional behaviors and interpersonal skills,” said Echols. “Those are the skills that will make them most successful, regardless of their career choice.”

Echols has already had discussions with the General Manager of the Augusta Greenjackets baseball team to explore ways her students can volunteer and job shadow with team management once it moves to its new

North Augusta Middle School business students interact with members of the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce on a regular bases. Photo contributed

stadium in North Augusta’s Project Jackson.

The school year’s career development efforts culminate on May 20 with STEAM Day, a day that highlights and encourages careers in science, technology, engineering, art and math. Business professionals provide students with hands-on activities designed to spark their imaginations and give them insight into careers that focus on those skill sets.

“My role as a Career Specialist is to help our students be prepared for their future as employees and business owners,” said Echols. “I try to reach out to our stakeholders in the community to be knowledgeable about future career opportunities and how we can best prepare our students to be successful. We want them to begin thinking early about their future.”

Echols hasn’t always been an educator.

For the first part of her career, she worked for the North Augusta Parks and Recreation Department, having studied sports management and physical education in college. Her demanding work schedule

was in conflict with raising her young children.

When the Aiken County Board of Education created the Career Specialist position in 2005, she knew it would be a great fit for her. They were looking for individuals with a degree and with experience in the business world and a willingness to share that knowledge with students. Now, she’s been with the Aiken County School system for 10 years and at North Augusta Middle School for eight years. Her role as Career Specialist gives her the chance to utilize her own business skills while preparing her students to be future business leaders.

Now with four children, ages 3-14, Echols knows that her efforts will ultimately benefit not only her own children and those at North Augusta Middle School, but also the community of North Augusta, her hometown.

“I have a vested interest in helping my community be successful, and having a strong workforce will contribute to that success,” Echols said.

be Georgia based and focused on the development and dissemination of technology.

“The Greater Augusta Region is a hot bed of innovation and technology based growth,” said Robbie Bennett, Executive Director at the Development Authority of Columbia County. “There are many growing companies and entrepreneurs in our region that have the opportunity to accomplish great things through innovation. I encourage all of the technology companies in our region to apply.”

Companies selected for the “Top 40” will be showcased in an exhibition at the 2016 Georgia Technology Summit, which is ex-

pected to draw the state’s technology leaders. The “Top 10” most innovative technology companies will be chosen from among the “Top 40”.

“Top 10” Companies will be asked to present at the 2016 Georgia Technology Summit, which will be held Thursday, March 17 at the Cobb Galleria Center.

Interested companies from across the state have until January 29 to apply to be considered for this annual award.

To apply for the 2016 “Top 40/Top 10 Innovative Companies in Georgia, visit tagonline.wufoo.com/forms/p9thlie14gjfyp/

Augusta area companies urged to apply for TAG award The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is now accepting applications for the 2016 “Top 40/Top 10 Innovative Companies in Georgia.” Companies from the Greater Augusta Area along with others from across the state are urged to apply.

The Greater Augusta Region is home to a number of technology and “tech-enabled” companies, colleges, government facilities and startups in industries such as Health IT, Transportation Technology, Energy and more. The region has the second-highest technology sector growth in Georgia and has ranked third in the Nation on the Digital Cities list.

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“Technology and innovation have always been a cornerstone of the economy in Augusta,” said Scott Poag, Project Manager at the Augusta Economic Development Authority. “Augusta is emerging as a hub for technology in the southeast, with new companies calling Augusta home and our existing companies being presented with new opportunities for growth.”

The Top 40 will be awarded based on specific criteria including: degree of innovation, scope and financial impact of innovation, likelihood of success, and promotion of Georgia’s innovative efforts nationally and internationally. Eligible companies will

Jan. 21窶認eb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Role reversal

Increasingly, Millennials are managing older workers

By Amanda King It sounds like the plot of a recent Robert De Niro film: A young Millennial managing a Baby Boomer. But this is no Hollywood film – increasingly Millennials are managing Generation Xers and Baby Boomers and it’s changing the structure of the workforce.

“Roughly one third of Millennials currently in the workplace are already in management-related positions,” Julie Goley, director of career services at Augusta University, said.

The majority of workers today are made up of Millennials, while the second-largest demographic is comprised of Baby Boomers. With more Boomers retiring later or reentering the workforce but having no desire to be in a leadership position, this puts 20- and 30-somethings in charge of workers the same age as their parents – or even grandparents.

While they make up the majority of the work force, the turnover of Millennial workers is high, with many leaving a job after only two years, versus other generations

who typically stay five to seven years. Much of the turnover is due to Millennials feeling undervalued and unable to fulfill their purpose, according to Goley. Only 28 percent of Millennials believe their current job is making use of all of their skills.

In the 2015 Deloitte Millennial Survey, Millennials also reported that they are less concerned with the hierarchy of the office and more concerned with teamwork and collaboration.

“This generation wants their manager to be their coach, not a boss,” Goley said.

“They thrive on information flowing at all levels of an organization, creating a sense of community in their workplace where knowledge, skills and insights are shared.”

As a result, corporate ladders are beginning to look more like corporate lattices, allowing Millennials to change roles and step into leadership roles sooner, rather than waiting three to five years for a promotion.

With more Millennials stepping into leadership roles, they are able to create the type of environment in which they want to work.

So how can all of this impact corporations and the Boomers that work for them?

Goley believes only for the better.

“Millennials thrive on innovation and change, characteristics that are essential for organizations to remain competitive,” Goley said. “They are collaborative in nature, so there is more emphasis on teamwork, skills diversification and empowering people with knowledge and more transparency in how and why things are done.”

Boomers can also learn from their younger

colleagues how to multi-task and work quickly, as well as about new technologies, which are extremely important to Millennials.

However, Millennials, Generation Xers and Boomers all must have one desire together.

“Regardless of what demographic typologies are out there,” Goley said, “the bottom line for anyone to succeed in today’s and tomorrow’s workplace is flexibility and the desire to learn, acquire and apply new knowledge.”

Surveys show most employees not fully engaged The world has an employee engagement crisis, with serious and potentially lasting repercussions for the global economy.

According to Gallup Daily tracking, 32 percent of employees in the U.S. are engaged – meaning they are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace. Worldwide, only 13 percent of employees working for an organization are engaged.

Though companies and leaders worldwide recognize the advantages of engaging employees – and many have instituted surveys to measure engagement – employee engagement has barely budged in well over a decade.

Gallup has been tracking employee engagement in the U.S. since 2000. Though there have been some slight ebbs and flows, less than one-third of U.S. employees have been engaged in their jobs and workplaces during these 15 years. Why Aren’t the Numbers Moving?

With so many organizations focusing on engaging their employees, the question is: “Why aren’t engagement levels across the world increasing?”

Gallup sees a clear divide emerging within the engagement industry. On one end of the spectrum are scientifically and experientially validated approaches that lead to changes in individual and business performance, supported by strategic and tactical development and performance solutions that transform organizational cultures.

Though these approaches require more in-

42 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

tentionality and investment, companies that use them are more likely to see increases in employee engagement.

At the other end of the spectrum are invalidated, unfocused annual surveys. Much like a traditional employee satisfaction survey, this type of survey usually measures a multitude of workplace dimensions that often have limited alignment with other business objectives and can be difficult to take action upon after receiving results.

Technology also makes it easy to create an “employee survey” and call it an engagement program, which allows a company to fulfill an apparent organizational need and “check a box.”

In reality, when companies focus exclusively on measuring engagement rather than on improving engagement, they often fail to make necessary changes that will engage employees or meet employees’ workplace needs.

Ways to Improve Engagement By studying and working with highly engaging and high-performing organizations, Gallup has identified five best practices that improve engagement and performance: Integrate engagement into the company’s human capital strategy. High-growth companies have a clear purpose behind their strategy for engaging employees, Gallup research shows. This approach includes leadership involvement and commitment, a communication strategy, systems that hold leaders and managers accountable for follow-up and for using engagement data, and learning and development that align with

the engagement elements. The most effective approach to engagement isn’t “start and stop” – instead, it’s an ongoing process that works alongside regular business activities.

Use a scientifically validated instrument to measure engagement. Since the engagement industry began in the late 1990s, it has taken on a life of its own. Almost every employee survey, regardless of its purpose, is referred to as an “engagement” survey. But few instruments have been validated or subjected to academic peer review. As a result, many companies are attempting to increase engagement by focusing on problems that may not affect engagement or by tackling problems in the wrong order.

Understand where the company is today, and where it wants to be in the future. Many businesses seek to chart the same one-, two- or three-year journey to improved engagement. But every company’s starting point is different, as is its internal capabilities and how fast it can change. After a company takes a baseline measurement, a three-year road map is a recommended strategy; however, it should be based on the company’s needs for improving engagement. This approach will help create realistic milestones and actions.

Look beyond engagement as a single construct. Some companies focus on moving the overall engagement number while overlooking the tactical elements that drive improved performance. Engagement isn’t determined by an abstract feeling; it’s the result of con-

crete performance management activities, such as clarifying work expectations, getting people what they need to do their work, providing development or promoting positive coworker relationships. For example, “expectations” are more than a job description. And “doing what you do best” has more to do with productively applying individual strengths than with general competencies.

Align engagement with other workplace priorities. Engagement shouldn’t be “something else” an employee, manager or leader has to do – instead, it should be how work gets done. Engagement is about investing in everyday working moments and incorporating engagement concepts into the workflow, even as businesses change and adopt new initiatives. When leaders prioritize new initiatives, managers may need to reset employee expectations, provide workers with new resources and ensure employees have opportunities to do what they do best.

Creating a culture of engagement requires more than completing an annual employee survey and then leaving managers on their own, hoping they will learn something from the survey results that will change their daily behavior. It requires a company to take a close look at the critical engagement elements that align with performance and with the organization’s human capital strategy. Managers and leaders should keep employee engagement top of mind – because every interaction with employees can have an impact on engagement and organizational performance.

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Making the transition to civilian jobs AWP helps vets use their military skills in civilian workforce

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PRINTED IN THE JULY 16-AUG.19, 2015 ISSUE OF BUZZ ON BIZ

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By Gary Kauffman

onald Terrell knows what it feels to be shot at after four deployments to Iraq and Bosnia. But in May he found himself facing something even more terrifying – getting a civilian job after 23 years of military service.

“Oh, man, I was terrified,” he said. “More than once I joked with my wife that I’d rather be shot at than go through the civilian job market.”

Fortunately for Terrell and others like him in the Augusta area, they don’t have to face that transition alone.

For the past several years, the Augusta Warrior Project has been, in Terrell’s words, “a guardian angel” for those making the transition from the military to the civilian workforce.

The Augusta Warrior Project could be viewed as a translation service – but instead of translating words from one language to another, they are translating military work experience into civilian employee potential.

“We as service members don’t do a good job of selling ourselves with our resumes,” said Kim Elle, executive director of the AWP. “It’s a different language. When you come out to the civilian community you almost feel like a foreigner.”

The Augusta Warrior Project has been serving both the military and civilian employers since 2011. In addition to finding employment, AWP also helps veterans with housing and education needs. Unlike the Wounded Warrior Project, which works only with those wounded post 9-11, AWP works with anyone who has served in the military, whether wounded or not.

Helping veterans take the next step In its employment role, AWP helps veterans prepare for the culture shock of the civilian world.

Terrell, 43, ranked as a 1st Sgt., E8 when he began the transition process in January and quickly realized that 23 years in the military left him unprepared for the civilian world.

“The personalities and behaviors aren’t the same,” he said.

“In the military everyone is very direct and upfront, because they can’t fire you and you can’t quit, where in the civilian world people try to sugar coat things more.”

AWP’s process also opens the eyes of the civilian world to the untapped employee potential available in those transitioning out of the military.

That process usually starts by working with the service member in determining skill sets and seeing if more education or earning more certifications will help with job placement. Once that is determined, and resumes updated, AWP works with the business community to find the right employer-employee match.

AWP averages placing about 30 veterans per month into jobs. In 2014, it helped 289 veterans find employment. Currently, it has a queue of about 200 people looking for jobs.

Support through the process Terrell said he was unprepared for the waiting game of becoming employed in the civilian world.

“I didn’t realize when I got out how lengthy the interview process could be,” he said, noting that several months passed between his interviews and job offers. “I didn’t realize looking for a job would become a full-time job.”

AWP helped him through that process, he said, providing feedback after job interviews and reassurances that a delay in receiving a job offer didn’t mean he’s done anything wrong.

But it wasn’t just the AWP personnel who helped. Veterans going through the application process often formed impromptu support groups, sharing experiences of what worked and didn’t work in seeking civilian employment.

The combination of feedback from AWP and other veterans adds a healthy dose of reality to the process.

“A lot of people, when they get out of the military, have illusions of grandeur,” Terrell said. “It’s nice to have someone give you that reality check.”

Elle said that the earlier they can get involved in the transition process, the easier it is to prepare military personnel for the civilian world. To that end, they have a unique agreement with Fort Gordon to have a presence on base, a first of its kind agreement in the country. That allows AWP to be proactive in working with service members as they make their transition to civilian life, such as an internship program that starts up to six months before leaving the military.

The process worked well for Terrell.

He received two job offers and chose to accept the one from RLN Communications, a contractor with Fort Gordon.

It will allow him to use the skills he developed in the communications and information technology arena in the military. He started there in July.

Augusta Warrior Project employment coordinator Tracy Mitchell works with a veteran making the transition from the military to a civilian job. Photo contributed

The Augusta Warrior Project works not only with those transitioning out of the military but with the employers who are looking to hire them.

Kim Elle, AWP executive director, said the community is becoming increasingly eager to hire veterans.

“More and more they’re reaching out to us,” she said. “The magic of Augusta is that employers allow us to work with them to find the right person.”

The openness of the community to hiring veterans is a key to the success of AWP. “We’re successful because of this community,” Elle added. “We don’t do all of this work ourselves. We reach out and they reach out to us.”

AWP works with businesses to see the skills that don’t usually make it onto a resume.

“In some cases the employers don’t realize all the soft skills (a veteran)

brings to the table,” Elle said. “Loyalty, commitment, dedication, timeliness, accountability, integrity – these are all things employers want but who includes that on a resume?”

Employers feel a sense of confidence when hiring people through AWP because of the process AWP takes the veterans through.

“What employers appreciate about us is that we already know the veteran,” Elle said. “We want you to have the best employee possible.”

As strong as the community connection already is, Elle sees the potential for an even deeper bond. She said there are several things businesses can do to strengthen that connection.

• Getting to know AWP. “Employers can invite us out to some of their facilities,” Elle said. “Then we can provide more insight to those companies to connect with certain talents or skill sets.”

Employers can give themselves a boost by working with AWP

• Make an in-kind donation. “They have skills sets we don’t have, like human resources or marketing,” she said.

AWP currently only has two people working on the employment side of the organization.

• Provide awareness of what jobs are available to those who served.

• Make a connection with the veterans already employed by the company.

“We want to know who their veterans are so we can tell the bigger story,” Elle said. “There are about 66,000 veterans in the CSRA. We currently know about 7,200 of them.”

Elle, who served in the military, said the Augusta area is unique in its connection with the military.

“Through the course of my life I’ve lived in 20-plus places and there’s something different here,” she said. “This community wants to give back. It gets behind any initiative tied to the military.”

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Business Counseling Carolyn Ramp

No Excuses Improving yourself means leaving excuses behind Sooo…you’ve made a resolution to get happier. It may be something you want to change at the office or it may be something in your personal life that will indirectly affect your office life.

But even the thought of it makes you a little uncomfortable. You come up with “reasons” why you aren’t making the change but deep inside you know you’re making excuses.

What is an excuse? It’s putting the “reason” for not making the change on forces outside of yourself. Now, excuses are not all bad. Some serve a purpose. They can help protect us from feeling excessive failure. But take a minute to think about your excuses and figure out the purposes, if any, they serve.

I’m sure you remember the phrase, “The devil made me do it.” Most of our excuses sound like that – “I don’t have enough time.” “It just doesn’t fit into my schedule.” “Someone will just mess that up again.” “Doing it just once won’t make any difference.”

Remember that change takes time, and so will stopping

the excuses. Don’t expect yourself to achieve 100 percent freedom from excuses overnight.

We all know the feelings that failure can produce in us. It’s a sense of weakness or a lack of control. Most of us have experienced a rejection by a friend or co-worker, failure on the job, deadlines that were impossible to meet, the fear of job loss, or disappointing news from our child’s school. These feelings can cause us to get negative about the world in general.

When you find yourself feeling hurt and in pain and becoming negative about making the changes you want to make, follow the steps below to get yourself moving in the right direction again.

Accept your current reality. Simply stated, current reality is the way it “is.”

You might be angry and upset that you didn’t get the promotion and you’re unsure about what to do next. Figure out where you are and what may have gotten you there. (No excuses!) Acceptance of the current reality is the place from which you start. It’s looking realistically and honestly about what actually is the current situation.

Make a decision and choose. Say to yourself, “OK, today is the first day of the rest of my life!” This is a powerful statement. Today you are going to make a decision to make a change, to turn things around, to do something better or different to improve yourself.

Avoid efforts to change others.

This is about you. Not your co-worker, boss, employees, the government, your husband/wife or children. The truth is

we only have the power to change ourselves – no one else.

It’s hard enough to change what you want, what you do, what you feel, what you think, or how you see things. It is impossible to force change on someone else. Besides, the more we focus on changing someone else, the more unhappy and frustrated we become and the less we focus on changing ourselves.

Focus on yourself. And so the focus now is on getting happier by making a change of some kind in yourself. It may be that by doing so, your own behavior – such as having more patience, being kinder, showing more enthusiasm, increasing your use of humor – will influence others to choose to do the same.

Think about yourself in respect to these five categories: Involvement with

others, Accomplishing something, Having fun, Being independent or free, and Taking care of your health.

Come up with a couple of goals for yourself in each category as a way to get started. Post the goals where you can see them regularly and tell yourself, “I’m doing this for me!”

Carolyn A. Ramp has a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Augusta State University and a Specialist’s Degree in Counseling from Georgia Southern. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor, a Licensed Professional Counselor and an Approved Clinical Supervisor. She served as an Adjunct Professor at Augusta State University in the graduate counseling program. She is the owner of Resolution Counseling Professionals located in the Atrium on Wheeler Road. Contact her at 706-432-6866.

MCG research may help protect kidneys in diabetics Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, and scientists have found that infusing just a small dose of a cytokine, thought to help cause that failure, can instead prevent or reverse it.

The cytokine IL-17A has long been considered a classic promoter of inflammation, which plays a major role in progression of diabetes-related kidney disease, or diabetic nephropathy, said Dr. Ganesan Ramesh, kidney pathologist at the Vascular Biology Center at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

His lab was pursuing its role in kidney damage but found that when they deleted the IL-17 gene in mice, then induced diabetes, it resulted in increased kidney injury, Ramesh said. They looked next at patients with severe diabetic nephropathy, and found levels of IL-17A reduced in their blood and urine.

In follow-up studies in animal models of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, IL-17A’s surprising role grew: When researchers infused a small amount of IL-17A every 48 hours for several weeks, it prevented or reversed diabetic nephropathy in their diabe-

48 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

tes models. In fact, the therapy worked best in late-stage diabetic nephropathy, Ramesh said. IL-17A therapy also reduced high levels of fat in the blood, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes that is believed to contribute to related kidney and cardiovascular problems.

“It clearly indicates that IL-17A is protective,” Ramesh said. “It does well for the kidney in suppressing damage in response to diabetes.” Ramesh is corresponding author of the study, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, which is the first to look at IL-17’s role in chronic kidney disease.

IL-17A seems to protect kidney cells multiple ways, including inducing the anti-inflammatory molecule AMWAP, or activated microglia/macrophage WAP domain protein. The cytokine also appeared to aid survival and regeneration of key kidney cells, including podocytes and epithelial cells in the tubules. Podocytes help the kidney retain important large molecules such as protein, and epithelial cells line tubules where these essentials are reabsorbed.

To date, the MCG research team has seen no ill effects from overexpressing IL-17A in

mice kidneys and to some extent in their circulation. Currently, there are no drugs available to increase patients’ IL-17A levels, but there are inhibitors for the cytokine that is considered causative in autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s. Emerging laboratory and clinical trial data indicate there may need to be drugs that do both.

As examples, in a clinical trial of an antibody for IL-17A in patients with Crohn’s, the drug did not seem to help patients, and, in fact, some patients reported worsening symptoms. However, the National Psoriasis Foundation reports good experience with the use of biologics that block IL-17 for the skin disorder. Meanwhile, French researchers have shown that giving IL-17A to mice suppressed the development of atherosclerosis, while a deficiency in the cytokine gene accelerated development of the arterial disease associated with inflammation.

The MCG researchers note that whether IL-17 promotes or suppresses inflammation may be related to the level and length of time it’s stimulated. Response may also depend on which of the six different forms of IL-17 is activated, the receptors activat-

ed and resulting downstream signaling. In their studies, for example, increasing IL17C and IL-17E levels did not have the same positive effect on diabetic nephropathy as IL-17A as well as IL-17F. In follow up to the therapy’s particular success with advanced disease, next steps include examining its impact on essentially destroyed kidneys. “If you can recover function from the dead kidney, you could save millions of people from a lifetime of dialysis,” Ramesh said.

A primary way physicians check kidney function is looking for signs of patients excreting the protein albumin in their urine.

Albumin, which is made by the liver, is a major protein in the blood that helps keep blood from leaking out of blood vessels and helps keep other vital substances such as nutrients and hormones in the blood.

Well-functioning kidneys retain albumin, and, even on dialysis, patients with diabetic nephropathy secrete a lot of protein in their urine.

The annual cost of diabetic nephropathy in the United States is estimated at more than $20 billion.

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Business Health Terry Childers

Steps to Sobriety

Recovery from addiction puts people back on productive track Alcoholism and addiction are equal opportunity diseases. No one is too smart, too rich, too religious or too cool to be immune. Addictions are in every neighborhood, every church and every profession, in every school and in most families.

In 1956 the AMA (American Medical Association) classified alcoholism as a disease, and in 1991 they further endorsed the dual classification by the International Classification of Diseases under both the psychiatric and medical sections. To meet criteria to be classified as a disease in layman’s terms a condition has to be (a) chronic, (b) progressive and (c) fatal if left untreated.

Alcoholism and drug addiction most definitely meet these standards.

Addiction to drugs and/or alcohol is marked by identifiable symptoms and has a predictable course. Early signs of a genetic predisposition to alcoholism are high tolerance and blackouts. Later, other signs include financial, legal, vocational and relationship problems, physical withdrawal signs, and continuing to drink in spite of all of these negative consequences. The obsession and compulsion to continue to drink and or use drugs under these circumstances is one of the hallmarks of addiction.

People drink and take drugs for the same reasons initially: to change how they feel. However, regular and prolonged use of mood-changing chemicals actually changes the brain.

Using drugs and alcohol early in life increases the risk for addiction later on in life, because we are still growing physically and maturing emotionally. These chemicals can start rewiring the developing brain.

These chemicals change how we feel by manipulating our brain’s neurochemistry. When used repeatedly, our brains will shut down receptor sites and in some cases stop making our own natural neurochemicals, which results in

cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Individuals may continue to drink to avoid feeling sick or to get temporary relief from guilt and shame.

Addiction has powerful disruptive effects on the brain and behavior. In effect, the brain becomes “broken.”

In addition to stopping drinking or drugging, the goal of treatment is to return people to productive functioning in the family, workplace and community. For many individuals and their families, the stigma over having a drug and alcohol problem is the biggest barrier to seeking help.

There is a belief among many that addicts are weak, sinful and immoral people who deserve our scorn. This perception keeps many from asking for help and fosters many to enable these individuals who are continuing to progress further into their addiction. Denial is a strong aspect of addiction, and the longer family members, employers and friends wait to try and intervene, the worse the situation becomes.

Recovery is not a quick and easy process. The first step is making that phone call to a facility that can help.

The intake process determines the severity of the problem and suggests recommended options. Depending on the DSM-IV Criteria for Substance Use Disorders, recommendations may include several of the following or a combination of: detoxification/stabilization; inpatient/residential treatment; extended care or long term treatment; intensive outpatient treatment; outpatient treatment; 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Celebrate Recovery; sober living homes; or drug/alcohol education classes.

Often, the first step is for that person to detox to remove all traces of drugs and alcohol from the body in a medically supervised setting. Alcohol and the benzodiazepine family (valium, xanax, and klonopin) are some of the more dangerous substances to withdraw from. They have possible life threatening complications and medications are utilized to counteract those symptoms.

Cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, prescription opiods, heroin and other drugs may or may not require medications during detoxification other than to make withdrawal symptoms more manageable.

The next step is to come up with a personalized treatment plan that addresses all areas of that person’s life. Core reasons behind their addictions need to be identified, as abusing substances is just a symptom of underlying issues. Some have other problems that are co-occurring, such as depression, anxiety, ADD, mood disorders or other mental illnesses. In these cases, both the addiction and the other problems need to be treated or nothing will be effective.

According to research, individuals who get into treatment and stay in treatment for extended periods, and stop using alcohol and other drugs, decrease their criminal activity and improve their occupational, social and psychological functioning. Those who combine treatment and 12-step support groups are more likely to stay abstinent.

Recovery is not obtained, it is maintained.

Relapse rates for addiction resemble those of other chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma. The percentage of patients who relapse with

Type 1 diabetes is 30 to 50 percent; drug addiction, 40-60 percent; hypertension, 50-70 percent; and asthma, 50-70 percent.

With alcoholics and addicts, relapse is sometimes deemed a failure, when often the solution is to reinstate, modify or adjust treatment. Continual evaluation and relapse prevention plans need to be prioritized and sometimes alternate treatments may need to be explored.

Addiction is powerful, cunning and baffling. Recovery is a life-long journey. Through treatment, continuing care programs and 12-step groups, millions have been able to get sober, maintain sobriety and once again become productive members of society. If you or someone you love needs help, know that the help is available and there is hope ahead.

Terry Childers has been with Bradford Health Services for 6.5 years as the Community Representative. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1992 with a BS.Ed. in Educational Psychology and was the starting catcher for the 1990 National Championship baseball team . He also played professionally.

Childers is available to talk to any group on a variety of substance abuse topics. Contact him at tchilders@bradfordhealth.net.

Bank’s Super Bowl commercial addresses financial stress Financial stress is a national epidemic.

Nearly 75 percent of Americans are experiencing financial stress, and it is affecting our nation’s health and happiness.

During Super Bowl 50, SunTrust Banks, Inc. will put its purpose of Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being into action with the launch of its first national Super Bowl ad to help Americans talk openly about money and take steps toward financial confidence.

“We believe that financial stress is a sig-

50 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

nificant social concern, one that merits national attention,” said SunTrust Chairman and CEO William H. Rogers, Jr. “We’re investing in this ad because the Super Bowl is a unique and proven forum to launch a national conversation. We want to be the spark that motivates people to take action, and give them tools and access to information to move closer to financial confidence.”

The SunTrust ad will serve as one cata-

lyst for social change and a call-to-action for Americans to consider doing something positive about money and finances.

“As a bank, we interact with thousands of people and businesses every day. We have an opportunity and an obligation to help them and others in our communities achieve financial wellness,” Rogers said.

The commercial is being created by New York-based StrawberryFrog, known for its outstanding creative work and history of

supporting purpose-driven companies.

“Our Super Bowl ad is a shift from business-as-usual,” said SunTrust Chief Marketing Officer Susan Somersille Johnson.

“It’s about raising awareness that financial stress is a serious issue and it’s time to do something about it. Just like physical fitness, people need inspiration and support to tackle what’s holding them back from pursuing a life well spent. Let’s start the conversation.”

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Healthy Lifestyles Bethany Roley/Blake Crewe

Get Moving

Inactivity is a leading cause of a variety of health issues Our bodies contain more than 600 muscles – it was meant to move, not be sedentary.

Unfortunately, being inactive has become common in our society. Being inactive can have a very negative affect on our health and wellness.

Some issues resulting from inactivity are: • a higher risk of cardiovascular disease • a much greater risk of developing high blood pressure • a greater risk of developing type II diabetes • a greater risk of developing certain types of cancers • increased feelings of anxiety and depression • an increased risk of becoming obese, which increases your risk of osteoporosis.

Inactivity in children can start them on health risks early in life. It can create poor self-esteem, more anxiety and higher levels of stress, as well as eating disorders.

Children who are less active have a higher risk of becoming obese as an adult and developing type II diabetes at a younger age. Inactive children are more likely to use alcohol and illegal drugs than children who are physically active.

Autopsies performed on children have shown hardening of the arteries, which is directly correlated with lack of exercise and poor nutrition.

So how much physical activity should you get every day? For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines: Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity.

Strength training. Do strength training exercises at least twice a week.

It is recommended that children get 60 minutes of aerobic activity daily and can be either moderate or vigorous. It is also recommended that children incorporate muscle strengthening exercises into their daily activities at least three days a week.

Moderate exercise includes such things as brisk walking, biking, swimming, hiking and mowing the lawn.

Vigorous exercise includes activities such as running, high intensity interval training, boot camps and aerobic dancing.

Aim to move your body for at least 30 minutes every day. Find something

you love to do. People who stick with exercise and live an active lifestyle choose activities that they enjoy doing, not forcing themselves to do an exercise that is not fun and seems like a chore.

If you struggle with finding the motivation to get started, joining an exercise program with a community of people who are there to encourage you, motivate you and inspire you and offer you support can be extremely beneficial.

Blake Crewe and Bethany Roley are the coowners of Fierce Fitness Training, a women and youth only fitness training facility. Blake is the Lead Programmer of Fierce Fitness Youth, CF-L1, CF Kids certified, Ed. S. Bethany is a certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor, health coach, and online health and fitness coach. She is the creator of Bethany’s Bikini Fit Camp and Breaking Free, a women’s selfempowerment program. Contact Bethany at bethany.fiercefitness@hotmail.com.

Local researcher finds brain protein that could reduce inflammation Inside the brain, a protein called YAP, best known for its ability to help right-size our developing hearts and livers, appears to have the different but equally important task of helping control inflammation.

Scientists at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University have shown that it’s not size that seems to matter to YAP, or yes-associated protein, in the brain. Rather, YAP keeps our astrocytes, a type of brain cell that typically protects and nourishes neurons, from becoming too reactive and essentially turning on our neurons.

“While these YAP normally control organ size, in the brain, YAP influences astrocyte function, which, in turn, helps regulate our protective blood-brain barrier function,” said Dr. Wen-Cheng Xiong, developmental neurobiologist and Weiss Research Professor at MCG. In the body, YAP helps control the size of our major organs by regulating cell death and proliferation. But, Xiong and her colleagues found that inside the developing brain, YAP is a critical inducer of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3, or SOCS3, another protein, which as the name implies, suppresses inflammation-provoking immune cells. Inflammation can be dangerous even deadly in the closed confines of the skull,

52 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

where resulting swelling and pressure can destroy neurons, said Xiong, corresponding author of the study in the journal Cerebral Cortex.

Xiong suspects that in conditions, such as hemorrhagic – or bleeding – stroke and hydrocephalus, where fluid accumulates inside the skull of a baby or an adult in response to injury, a problem with YAP could be a factor.

In fact in her studies, mice missing YAP also had a form of hydrocephalus that at first made Xiong suspect that YAP did help control the size of the brain. However, when the scientists dissected the too-large organ, they found it was mostly fluid. And the mice missing YAP did not induce SOCS3. “The brake is gone and over-inflammation can occur,” she said.

YAP is expressed in both astrocytes as well as the neural stem cells that help make more astrocytes and, to a lesser extent, neurons, for the brain. Xiong and her team found that without YAP, astrocytes became hyper-reactive, creating a condition called astrogliosis where they weaken instead of strengthen the important but fragile bloodbrain barrier.

The blood-brain barrier is essentially a layer of tightly knit endothelial cells that line

blood vessels in the brain, a single layer of smooth muscle cells, or pericytes, on top of that, and a layer of astrocytes on the exterior. The unique configuration in the blood vessels of the brain and spinal cord create a fine filter that limits what substances can get access to brain tissue from the blood.

“The blood-brain barrier is completely disrupted in hemorrhagic stroke,” Xiong said. “Once that is broken, it changes everything.” Cell types and factors that normally don’t have access to the brain confuse the relationships between cell types and substances that are usually there. One consequence is that fluid from the blood also gets into brain tissue, adding pressure to the confused conversations. Neurons start to die, scar tissue forms and more astrocytes

form.

They found levels of several SOCS proteins were lower in mice where the YAP gene was deleted from the brain. To doublecheck the connection between SOCS3 and YAP, they selectively expressed SOCS3 in the astrocytes of the YAP knockouts and still found less inflammation. The inflammation also seemed to focus on the blood vessels in mice missing YAP, and when they injected a dye tracer that normally cannot penetrate the blood-brain barrier, it easily penetrated into the brains of mice missing Yap from their astrocytes.

Xiong wants to pursue studies examining the blood of newborns with hydrocephalus for signs of mutated YAP. A mutant form of YAP is known to cause liver cancer, in which cells just keep growing, and the Hippo signaling pathway that activates YAP has been targeted for its anti-cancer potential.

The studies were supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province and the Science and Technology Planning Project of Zhejiang Province in China. Collaborators include scientists at China’s Wenzhou Medical University and Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital as well as the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta.

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Business Counseling Carol Gignoux

ADHD Q & A Answers to the questions people have about ADHD I am frequently asked questions about ADHD. Here are some of the most up-to-date answers.

Q: Is ADHD real?

A: Yes. It has been medically and neurologically established as a specific brain “condition” that involves lower levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin or norepinephrine which regulate the brain’s ability to inhibit behavior. The most straightforward definition of ADHD is an inability to inhibit behavior.

Q: Do some people fake having ADHD to get out of taking responsibility for their behavior, or to obtain drugs?

A: Very few, if any, people fake having ADHD. The consequences of being labeled ADHD are real and the stigma

54 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

can be debilitating. I have never met anyone who thought faking having ADHD had any advantages that didn’t outweigh the disadvantages. Besides the impossibility of faking a neurological condition you don’t have, most doctors do not prescribe medication without a diagnosis or adequate proof.

Q: Do ADHD children grow into ADHD adults?

A: Yes, and there are a number of factors involved in the degree to which ADHD continues to be a challenge in adolescents and adults.

First, as we grow we learn better coping mechanisms and abilities to regulate our behavior. Second, natural human maturity and socialization cuts down on inappropriate hyperactive responding. Third, the coping mechanisms we learn as children from good providers like ADHD Coaches and therapists/counselors will determine the level of control over our behavior as we age. Fourth, as the pharmaceutical industry continues to come up with better and safer medications, people with this brain type can profit from them.

Q: Is there a cure for ADHD? A: There is no so-called cure for ADHD. And this is probably a good thing. As I said in my column last month, the truth about ADHD is that

There is no so-called cure for ADHD. And this is probably a good thing. it is now and has forever been the brain of innovators. It is responsible for many solutions to world-class problems and innovations in science, medicine, technology and the arts. I don’t believe we really want to eliminate this storehouse of brainpower, do we? The results would surely be far-reaching and tragic.

Q: How successfully can you really expect to gain control over ADHD in your lifetime?

A: This is another good question that depends on the services and help one receives beginning as young as preschool. The earlier a child is identified, the sooner the right kind of support can begin. This support can take the form of classroom modifications, teacher training, ADHD coaching to help the child understand and appreciate their brain and how to manage it, therapy or counseling, and other support services offered in most academic environments today.

The worst thing a parent or a school can do is to pretend ADHD is not present when it is. These children often grow up facing a lifetime of be-

ing emotionally handicapped and stuck with debilitating performance anxiety. Teenagers and adults will profit greatly from ADHD coaching, medication, and if needed, therapy or counseling.

I have participated in and witnessed hundreds of success stories of people who learned to gain control over their Innovator Brains (ADHD) through practicing new chosen behaviors until they became a predictable part of their life. I share these stories and success formula in my upcoming book: Your Innovator Brain – The Truth About ADHD. Look for it in Spring 2016.

Carol Gignoux is a coach, trainer and motivational expert in the world of achievement and productivity with a 40-year background in educating and training people of all ages. She is well established as an expert in ADHD Coaching with more than 16 years of experience. For the past decade she has engaged in extensive research and developed powerful insights into how dynamic relationships between individual people and their organizational environments are created. Contact her at 706-955-9063 or carol@liveADHDfree.com.

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Columbia County picked to host state tourism event Annual event brings travel writers to area Columbia County will be at the center of promoting tourism in the state of Georgia in 2016.

Columbia County has been selected by the Georgia Department of Economic Development to host the 2016 Georgia Travel Media Marketplace. The event, held annually in partnership with the Georgia Tourism Division, brings travel writers from the United States and Canada to meet with representatives from around the state to learn about the state’s tourism destinations, attractions and events.

Though final dates are not yet confirmed, the event will probably take place in lateApril.

“We are honored to have been selected to host this great event,” said Randy DuTeau, Executive Director of the Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The state typically brings in 25-30 travel writers from around the United States and Canada for the event. This will be an incredible opportunity for us to highlight our community’s many great assets with media representatives who will be able to share our story with a wide audience.”

Travel media will meet with the host communities as well as Georgia’s regional

56 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

tourism representatives, regional travel associations, and Georgia’s State Parks, during the Marketplace. The writers will then depart on one of three themed familiarization tours around the state following the event.

“This event allows us to provide firsthand experiences of Georgia’s unique offerings to a variety of media outlets. It is through these experiences that Georgia’s stories can come to life and make an impact on potential visitors,” said Kevin Langston, Deputy Commissioner for Tourism for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, “Columbia County holds so many of the wonderful things Georgia is known for and is sure to provide a great experience for media.”

Travel Media Marketplace is jointly hosted by the Georgia Tourism Division and the host communities to showcase Georgia’s tourism assets first hand. Past Marketplace events have been held in Savannah, Athens, Macon, Atlanta, Hiawassee, Augusta, LaGrange and Coweta County.

2016 is shaping up to be a significant year for the Columbia County CVB. As a followup to the successful launch of their history initiative, Project 225, the organization will be rolling out a local awareness campaign in January; the Travel Media Marketplace will occur in April; the ASA 3D Archery tournament will be held April 29-May 1; the USA

Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike Nationals Championships and third annual Wildwood Games presented by Zaxby’s will take place June 4-5; and the US Adventure Race National Championships are scheduled for early-October.

“We have a number of high profile projects scheduled for next year,” said DuTeau.

“We are excited about these opportunities to show off our wonderful community. Next year will be busy for our small staff, but love for our community and passion for these projects will ensure we shine the best possible light on Columbia County.”

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Upcoming Business Events

Saturday, Jan. 23

com/register/event?oeidk=a07ec0g0lfs2 eb67211&llr=495wqceab

eWaste Day, outside parking lot of Columbia County Chamber building, 1000 Business Blvd., Evans. 9 a.m.-noon.

Columbiacountychamber.com

Wednesday, Feb. 17

Wednesday, Jan. 27 Ribbon-Cutting: Fresenius Medical Care Augusta Home, 2740 Wrightsboro Road, Augusta. 4:30 p.m. Augustametrochamber.com

Tuesday, Feb. 2

showcase booths are also available. For registration information, visit Columbiacountychamber.com or http://cloud. chambermaster.com/userfiles/UserFiles/ chambers/291/File/2016RegistationForm. pdf

Friday, Feb. 5 StartSMART hosted by the Small Business Development Center, SBDC Classroom, 1450 Greene St. #3500, Augusta, 3:30-6:30 p.m. Class begins Feb. 2 and is each Tuesday through March 22. This course is designed specifically for new entrepreneurs and provides helpful resources geared towards launching your company.

Participants will learn how to evaluate and refine their business concept, research markets and competition and develop a thorough and practical business plan. The program is facilitated by specially trained SBDC Consultants and an award winning textbook by Rhonda Abrams. For more information regarding course registration and tuition, visit georgiasbdc.org/2016-startsmartaugusta-2

Wednesday, Feb. 3 Membership 101, Columbia County Chamber Offices, 1000 Business Blvd., Evans, 1:30-2:30 p.m. For new Chamber members or those wanting a refresher course. Each month a one-hour class is offered on the Chamber website.

Columbiacountychamber.com

reNew and Brew, The Snelling Center, 3165 Washington Road, Augusta, 7-11 p.m. Individual tickets are $75. Sponsorships are available. Throughout the evening, sample craft beers from the Southeast paired with heavy hors d’oeuvres prepared by Helms College chefs and students will be served. Bid on auction items bought from Goodwill and re-purposed by local artists in recognition of Goodwill’s effort to renew lives through job training and placement services. Proceeds benefit Helms College Scholarships. For more information, call 706-650-5760 or visit goodwillworks.org/renewandbrew

Tuesday, Feb. 9 The 3rd Annual Buzz on Biz Career Expo, The Legends Club, 2701 Washington Road, Augusta, 1-5:30 p.m.

This premier hiring event brings area employers and job candidates together under one roof. The event is free for job seekers. Company booths for the expo are available by calling Neil Gordon at 706-589-6727 or Janine Garropy at 803480-2800. For more information, visit buzzon.biz

Thursday, Feb. 4

Friday, Feb. 12

11 Annual Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Banquet, VIP Reception and Business Showcase, Columbia County Exhibition Center, 212 Partnership Drive, Grovetown, 4:30-9 p.m. The Business Showcase, Silent Auction and Reception will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. The Dinner and Program will be held from 6:30-9 p.m. Chamber Member Dinner tickets are $75 each. Corporate tables and

How to Develop a Business Plan presented by the Greater Aiken SCORE Chapter, Aiken Chamber of Commerce, 121 Richland Avenue, East Aiken, 9:30-11:30 a.m. This free workshop will discuss the different elements of a business plan, including customer insights, competition and pricing, marketing, finance and cash flow. The session will close with building a brief, sample business plan. For more information and to register visit events.r20.constantcontact.

th

58 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

SCORE Seminar – Buying and Selling a Business, Southern Wesleyan University, Business Technology Center, 802 East Martintown Road, Suite 101, North Augusta, 9:30-11:30 a.m. In this free workshop, presenter Kim Romaner, President of Transworld Business Advisors of Augusta, will show how to find business buying opportunities, work with a business broker, the steps to successfully sell your business, how to submit an offer to purchase a business and how to prepare to sell your business. To register, visit: events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ebz82 u0m766f4c62&llr=495wqceab

Friday, Feb. 19 Soto Social, The Julian Smith Casino, 2200 Broad Street, Augusta, 6-9 p.m.

Free admission to the public. Soto ALG is hosting its 2nd Annual “Soto Social.”

There will be dinner and dancing, along with live entertainment provided by Bill Tolbert and the BTUs. Space is limited, so RSVP in advance by calling Keziah Bollinger at keziah@sotoalg.com or 706426-4200. Columbiacountychamber.com

Tuesday, Feb. 23 Chamber Before Hours, Columbia County Chamber Office, 1000 Business Blvd., Evans, Chairman’s Rooms A&B, 7:45-9 a.m. Breakfast and Networking: 7:45-8:15 a.m. Program: 8:15-9 a.m. Free to members, $20 for non-members. The Chamber Before Hours Breakfast brings together members from all councils and programs to network and hear short updates from the city, county and the Chamber. In addition to hearing from your local community, there will be a keynote speaker to present on a specific issue that is relevant to Chamber businesses. Columbiacountychamber.com

Friday, Feb. 26 Buying and Selling a Business Presented by the Greater Aiken SCORE Chapter, Aiken Chamber of Commerce, 121 Richland Ave., East Aiken, 9:3011:30 a.m. Kim Romaner, President of Transworld Business Advisors, will be a presenting speaker. Discussion topics in this free workshop include how to find business buying opportunities, working with a business broker and steps to successfully buy a business.

For more information or to register, visit events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/ event?oeidk=a07ebz8cvub50e6ada2&llr =495wqceab

Wednesday, March 2 Maximum Service sponsored by the Burke County Chamber of Commerce, Burke County Library, 241 East 6th St., Waynesboro. Five weeks of courses will begin Wednesday, March 2 and go until Wednesday, March 30.

Participants will be familiarized with the basics of customer service in many settings, such as retail, telephone, online and community. The sessions will alert participants to the value of the customers retained and the cost of the customers lost. The courses will also teach valuable tools to help calm and placate difficult or disgruntled customers. For more information, including pricing, visit georgiasbdc.org/maximumservice-augusta-2016

Thursday, March 3 Starting Your Own Business hosted by the Small Business Development Center, The SBDC Classroom, 1450 Greene St #3500, Augusta, 5:30-8:30 p.m. The Starting A Business course covers important tools and resources a business owner needs to establish a solid foundation during its early formative years. Topics of discussion will include personal traits of an entrepreneur, marketing analysis, legal and insurance considerations, bookkeeping and accounting basics and the basics of business plan preparation. For more information, including pricing, visit georgiasbdc.org/starting-your-ownbusiness-augusta-2015

Wednesday, March 9 Digital Marketing Boot Camp, The Kroc Center, 1833 Broad St, Augusta, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The Digital Marketing Boot Camp is designed for small business owners who want to learn to integrate technology and marketing in the digital space. In this full day interactive session taught by UGA SBDC digital marketing experts, participants will learn how to optimize their website, make search engines work for their business, use social media to cultivate brand ambassadors, tap into the mobile marketplace, effectively utilize paid online advertising and learn about free tools to improve traffic to their website. For more information, visit georgiasbdc.org/digital-marketingbootcamp-augusta-2016

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Business Lunch Review Inner Bean Susan O’Keefe

Inner Contentment More than just coffee, Inner Bean serves satisfying food

Inner Bean Café has a clientele that spans the age spectrum, from kids to retirees. Although it promotes itself with specialty coffees and frappes, it also offers a nice selection of breakfast and lunch items. On a recent rainy weekday, a colleague and I showed up at high noon with empty bellies.

With only a couple of folks in front of us, we were

The Inner Bean Café is located at 139 Davis Road in Martinez. For more information, email them at innerbean@ hotmail.com

able to place our counter orders fairly quickly. The menu is straight and to the point. There’s just enough variety with a dozen or so lunch items. Patrons can choose from quesadillas, turkey croissants, BLTs or a spicy Italian chicken wrap, just to name a few.

My colleague had his sights set on a traditional club sandwich served on whole wheat bread. He chose potato chips and a pickle for side items.

Once I read the veggie wrap’s ingredients of spinach, black beans, tomato, avocado, red onion and roasted red peppers, I knew I had landed on my selection.

The soup of the day was the Tuscan ham and bean. It was calling my name so I opted for it as well. After ordering, I fetched my tea at the self-serve water and tea station.

Only a third of the tables were occupied so we easily found a seat. Most of the patrons seemed to be enjoying a casual lunch date with only a couple of business folks on hand.

For those dining within a tight time frame, it would be a good idea to inquire about a rush order. We waited

more than 10 minutes for our food.

The table of two adjacent to ours waited nearly 20 minutes. That could make for a disappointing lunch if the boss expects workers to return promptly, so plan accordingly.

We noticed a few patrons placing togo orders. It seems the soup was a hot commodity as more than one quartsized container made its way out the door.

Once our meal was delivered, we quickly dove in head first. Commenting on the generous layers of meats, cheese and veggies, my colleague exclaimed, “I can hardly pick it up!” Within a few minutes though, it was nearly demolished.

The veggie wrap was equally tasty. I especially enjoyed the cup of soup with small cubes of ham, navy beans, carrots and a savory broth. We decided the food was worth the wait as well as the

price. Just over 20 bucks is reasonable for a filling lunch plus drinks.

The ambiance at The Inner Bean Café was simple and clean. Music played at a low volume. Counter workers and kitchen staff were friendly. It was a comfortable atmosphere as a few workers inquired about customers’ family members.

There was an air of fondness and friendliness. It was clear a few folks are regulars.

The Inner Bean would be ideal for a small business gathering as there is ample space to dine and discuss. Located off Davis Road just a mile from I-20 and Walton Way Extension, this small café makes a big impact. For a slightly larger party, there is a lounge in the back of the restaurant. Reservations can be made for meetings, book clubs, showers and private parties.

Chick-fil-A goes healthy with Superfood Side In an industry dominated by french fries as side items, Chick-fil-A is one of the first fast food restaurants in the industry to add “superfoods” like kale and Broccolini to its menu. Just in time to keep New Year’s resolutions, customers nationwide can order the low-calorie Superfood Side.

On January 18, Chick-fil-A began serving Superfood Side. The gourmet side was developed in collaboration with James Beard Award Nominee and Atlanta-based chef, Ford Fry of Ford Fry Restaurants.

The Superfood Side is made with a blend of hand-chopped kale and Broccolini, tossed in a sweet and tangy maple vinaigrette dressing and topped with flavorful dried sour cherries. It is served with a blend of roasted nuts (walnuts, almonds and pecans) that enhances the flavor and provides added crunch.

“I really enjoyed working with the culi-

60 Buzz on Biz Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016

nary team from Chick-fil-A on incorporating ingredients that are unique to the industry,” said Fry. “We know that it can be challenging to eat healthy on-the-go, so we wanted to create something that customers will love eating that’s also nutritious.”

The side is available in 5 or 8-ounce servings, and priced starting at $2.59 for the 5 oz. and $3.79 for the 8 oz. portion. The

Superfood Side will also be offered as a substitution in any combo meal for an upcharge of 94 cents.

“The Superfood Side is not something you would expect to see at a fast food restaurant, and we’re thrilled to kick off 2016 with something that can help people stick to their New Year’s resolutions to eat healthfully. Customers who have tried it rave about having an option that’s incredibly healthy where you don’t have to sacrifice great taste,” said David Farmer, vice president of menu strategy and development for Chick-fil-A. “We are always looking for new ways to introduce healthier and all-natural items to our customers, and in partnering with Ford to develop the Superfood Side, we are able to incorporate high-end restaurant flavors and ingredients to our menu.”

When paired with the company’s 100 percent breast meat Grilled Nuggets (eight-

count) and a zero-calorie beverage, the Superfood Side allows customers to enjoy a full meal for only 280 calories. On its own, the Superfood Side has 140 calories and 7 grams of fat in the 5 oz. portion and 170 calories and 8 grams of fat in the 8 oz. portion.

According to Technomic, “Forty-seven percent of consumers with children aged 17 and under say they are more likely to visit restaurants with healthier options.”

In 2014, Chick-fil-A introduced a new Grilled Chicken Sandwich and Grilled Nuggets to help meet the desires of its customers to eat more healthfully. These menu introductions continued the company’s trend of being first to market with nutritious menu options. Chick-fil-A was the first quickservice restaurant to offer a fruit cup as a side in 2004 and was the first in the industry to add a grilled entree to the Kids Meal in 2012.

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Love and Laughter event encourages marriages Studies show those with strong relationships do better at work

By Susan O’Keefe “And they lived happily ever after ....”

Marriage rarely follows the rules of fairy tales, and often bumps, blazes and bangs along a road full of unexpected twists and turns.

After nearly two decades of being married (to the same man!), I know this union is difficult. There are trying times.

But it is a relationship worthy of intentions and investments, so my eyes, ears and heart are always wide open when I hear of opportunities to strengthen and support the relationship between married persons.

One such event is happening locally in February – the 2nd Annual Love and Laughter, an event set to kindle the romantic flame for married couples. WAFJ is teaming with Queensborough National Bank & Trust to stage the event at First Baptist Church Augusta at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 20.

Love and Laughter is the brainchild of the 88.3 WAFJ promotions team, headed by promotions director Jill Kauffman.

“Marriages need encouragement and we seek to provide encouragement for them via marriage events such as a date night and marriage enrichment seminars,” Kauffman said. “We hosted both types of events in 2015.”

The inaugural Love and Laughter, held last year at Warren Baptist Church, was a sold-out event that featured married singers Love and the Outcome and comedian Bone

Love and Laughter Date Night February 20 at 6:30pm First Baptist Church of Augusta Tickets may be purchased online at www.wafj.com

Last year’s Love and Laughter marriage event sold out. Photo by Steve Swanson

Hampton, plus a sumptuous meal.

Attendees were thrilled with the idea of being offered more than just a typical dinner date.

“It was such fun to meet people from other communities,” said Millie Huff, who attended last year, “and to realize that whatever age you are, marriage issues are somewhat the same. Whether you’re empty nesters or just starting a family, it’s important to celebrate and encourage one another.”

Kauffman hopes to build on last year’s success.

This year, in addition to a gourmet buffet, Love and Laughter will welcome Grammy winner and Augusta-born singer/songwriter Laura Story for a vocal concert. The

South Carolinian’s song “Blessings” charted No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian songs chart.

There will also be an inspiring message from author/pastor Dave Willis of Stevens Creek Church in Augusta and founder of StrongerMarriages.org . To ensure that participants leave in high spirits, “clean” comedian Leland Klassen will finish the evening.

Science seems to support Love and Laughter’s mission. Studies from Washington University in St. Louis clearly indicate that people married to dependable spouses tend to perform better on the job. There are more promotions and a higher earning factor.

Simply put, a marriage partner who really partners can lead to success all across the board.

Further research shows that married persons are less likely to suffer from depression, more likely to climb the corporate ladder at a steady pace, and often live happier, longer lives than their single counterparts. This is not to say that marrying guarantees these benefits. The key variable is marrying the right person.

WAFJ Station Manager Steve Swanson said God provides the solid foundation on which couples can build their relationship.

Once the faith component is secure, the other pieces quickly find their place. After nearly 40 years of wedded bliss, Swanson has learned a lesson or two.

“Couples have to focus on putting one another first and not sweating the small stuff,” Swanson said. “Choose to live unselfishly.

That causes healthy growth as a couple, and clearly when you’re not stressed at home, life is different and better in every other area. Love is God’s idea.”

Even if the fairy tale ending is simply imaginary fluff, I choose to ride the roller coaster of marriage ‘til death do us part. I bought my ticket. I will not only survive but hopefully thrive.

The late American journalist and author Mignon McLaughlin poetically wrote that “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” So here’s to falling in love again, with my husband.

Champions Retreat will be open to public during Masters Week To celebrate one of the most cherished and prestigious weeks in golf, Champions Retreat – a private golf club located just outside of Augusta and the only club in the world featuring three individually designed courses by Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus – will open its gates to the public during Masters Week.

From April 4-11, the private retreat offers golf on courses designed by the three legendary champions, accommodations in luxury rental homes, events includ-

ing an Oyster Roast and a “Pig Pickin’ Southern Pig Roast” with live musical guests, special Southern soirees in the newly opened Party Barn and gracious hospitality.

Guests of Champions Retreat have the unique ability to feel the rich history and pay homage to the three great golf legends during Masters Week by playing on the very same courses they designed – Palmer’s Island Nine, Nicklaus’ Bluff Nine and Player’s Creek Nine. Sculpted from the founda-

tion of more than 365 acres of Georgia pines, long-standing hardwoods and numerous wetlands along the Savannah River, each course represents the character of their architects.

In addition to golf, an array of amenities will be available during Masters Week, including exceptional dining at the Grille House and Bluff Overlook Sports Bar, night-lit putting and driving range with cabanas for seating, live music, roaring fire pits and Southern hospitality, all in a pris-

tine Georgia landscape that provides beautiful vistas of the courses and surrounding areas.

Guests will have the ability to host a soiree of their own in the new Party Barn opening for Masters Week. The 10,000-sq.-ft. event center presents a rustic chic exterior, while the interior evokes Southern charm with authentic rough sawn pine walls, bucolic dining tables, plush leather couches and upholstered chairs, ornate chandeliers and a grand fireplace.

Jan. 21—Feb. 17, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Good Spirits Ben Casella

Hoppy New Year

Writer vows to taste brews with more hops in 2016 Being an optimist at heart as well as a realist at mind affords one several luxuries in life. One of these luxuries is avoiding New Year’s resolutions that one’s brain knows won’t be satisfied to one’s heart’s content.

What’s a calendar year, anyway? Now, don’t get me wrong. If you joined a new gym on Jan. 1 and have spent three hours on the elliptical every morning since then, I offer my apologies. You are truly superhuman, and the rest of us should sit in silent and reverent awe at the admirable drive you have and its corresponding aura that surrounds your superiority.

For me, however, I’m going to simply try to get into some hoppier beers in 2016, and, with a little encouragement and a lot of fried food, I think I just might be able to muster up the will power to get that done. So, here are the first two hoppy brews of the new year. They used to be Colorado fav’s, but they have since made North Carolina their new origin.

Dale’s Pale Ale - Oskar Blues Grill and Brew, maker of

Screening Room Samantha Taylor

TV Dinners Cooking shows feature some tough competition, humor Call me crazy, but I love coming home after a long day and preparing a homemade meal. While others may find the rinsing, peeling and chopping of vegetables a hassle, I find it therapeutic. There are times, of course, that I find myself in a rut and realize I need an injection of creativity.

Thank goodness Netflix has me covered with some great cooking titles. If you need a little help in the kitchen, this

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the famed Old Chub Scottish Ale, has been near the top of my ever-expanding list of breweries for some time now.

Someone once told me that Dale’s has an identity crisis, which I suppose means the brewers are trying to do too much with this significant, yet distinct beer.

Well, I could buy into the premise, but I love every aspect of this brew, from its malty, almost earthy scent to its strongly hoppy finish. It’s filling, but carbonation has a tad to do with that.

So, it’s not heavy enough to substitute for your chili cheese fries. It will, however, complement your pizza in a most appropriate fashion.

Pinner Throwback IPA - Also an Oskar Blues brew. I honestly can’t say I’m old enough to (legally) have IPA perspective. So, I’ll take a guess and say that the 4.90% ABV is a nice throwback homage to a time when giant IPAs (with relatively lower alcohol contents) roamed the earth.

Seriously, it’s like every time a new IPA comes out the ABV goes up by 1%.

It’s the same thing with new burgers and price.

At any rate, Pinner Throwback has a crisp drinkability which lends itself to fishing and watching football, among other aspects of quality life. Try it with anything that has salsa on top.

Ever wondered how to pour, smell and taste beer and then articulate your findings into a written column? Just come downtown and buy Dr. Ben a beer, and he’ll drink you through his process.

month’s reviews are for you.

Cutthroat Kitchen When a colleague explained the premise of this show to me, all I could say was, “Are you serious?” Sure, it’s a cooking show with contestants competing for a cash prize. Yes, there is a judge who determines which contestant’s food is the best. Sounds easy enough, right?

The first thing that makes this show different from others in the genre is the fact that the contestants only get 60 seconds to gather all the ingredients needed to prepare the dish they’ve been assigned. Sixty seconds, no more, and anyone who dares to come out of the pantry late will have one or more of his ingredients taken by the host.

Another fun fact: nobody gets to go back in. Need to make spaghetti and meatballs but forgot pasta? Better get creative.

Another thing that makes Cutthroat Kitchen different from other cooking shows – the contestants get the prize money upfront. Why, you ask? To sabotage their competitors, of course!

Once the contestants have their ingredients, and realize what they’re missing, it’s time for a little auction.

Want to have exclusive use of salt? Better have the highest bid. Want to take away a competitor’s use of the fryer when making fish and chips? You can, as long as you have enough money. One contestant had to create every utensil and cooking vessel out of aluminum foil! Oh yeah, did I mention the judge has no idea what types of sabotage have occurred?

If you think this show sounds wild, you’re absolutely right. As the host, Alton Brown is at his most diabolical and the contestants are right there with him.

But hey, it is called “Cutthroat” Kitchen!

The Great British Baking Show For those of you who prefer cooking shows without sabotage, The Great British Baking Show may be for you.

Contestants are not only given an oven and all the ingredients they need, they are also given an opportunity to practice some challenges prior to filming.

The contestants on The Great British Baking Show are amateur bakers and

seem to be quite afraid of the show’s two judges. While I’m not familiar with them, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood are apparently big names in the baking world and the contestants are thrilled when they receive praise from one of them.

Let me be honest with you, I’m not much of a baker. While I do make the most amazing chocolate chip cookies anyone has ever eaten, I’ve never attempted to bake a cake or biscuits from scratch.

Baking is a science and one small mistake can ruin everything. Perhaps that’s why I find myself fascinated with this show. The contestants go from making sweet rolls, to cakes, to biscuits without the use of long and detailed recipes. These “amateurs” could walk into the Boll Weevil and find themselves right at home. Maybe if I keep watching I’ll learn something!

Samantha Taylor “Sam the Movie Chick” is on a mission to find the best movies and TV shows for you to stream from Netflix. She loves good flicks, good food and good friends. Her eclectic tastes are sure to give readers a wide range of viewing choices.

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Music Insider Jonathan Karow

Alive and Kicking Laments of rock and roll’s death are premature

I keep seeing headlines that say “Rock and Roll is Dead.” In all actuality, rock music is still very much alive internationally.

But the music industry is constantly changing, in styles and demographics. Things have just changed in the way people listen to music with downloads, YouTube and iTunes.

The changes may not always be great for the musicians.

Steve “Luke” Lukather, guitar great of the band Toto and acclaimed solo artist, said “All this pontificating about how Spotify and the like are the ‘answer’ and how the artists get paid? Who keeps tabs and accounting? Maybe I just don’t know? I don’t see any money and have a lot of stuff out there over 35 years and over 1,000 recordings.

Have you done the breakdown on what an artist gets per tune on iTunes? Pitiful.”

Musicians should be able to turn a profit when they record quality music. Unfortunately in today’s standards, the high-quality studios and producers are owned by the record companies. This leaves the musicians who really

pour their hearts and souls into writing and recording owing the record companies more money than they ever make. That’s why concert tickets and merchandise are so expensive now.

But the German band Accept, English band Deep Purple, Hanoi Rocks from Finland (now known as Michael Monroe) and Irish band Thin Lizzy (now Black Star Riders) are still producing quality rock, punk rock and hard rock.

Their albums have progressed with modern lyrical topics. Michael Monroe mentions wifi and modern New York in The Ballad of the Lower Eastside and the band Accept writes about modern world politics and peace with albums like Blood of the Nations.

The musicians have gotten better over the years. Many of these foreign rock bands have had chart-topping No. 1 hit records in this decade everywhere but the United States.

Other bands, though, like KISS, sound like they are paying tribute to themselves with nothing new to offer other than a rehashed version of their previous songs. Gene Simmons of KISS has exclaimed “Rock is dead.”

Well Mr. Simmons, it’s creepy to hear a guy in his 60s still singing about teen angst.

Bands like The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Queen and Metallica had limited studio time and a limited budget before digital recording was pioneered. Such bands came to the studio prepared to lay down tracks to their highest standards, knowing that they couldn’t go

back and change them once it was recorded.

Can modern musicians reproduce live what they have digitally cut and pasted? With so many downloads and everyone being able to digitally record, it just takes a bit of networking to wade through all the junk out there in order to find the amazing new rock music still very much alive in 2016.

I’m still enjoying my records and CDs although I miss creative album cover artwork.

My friend and musician of three decades, Doug Frierson, couldn’t have summed it up better when he said “Rock and Roll is not dead. It just sounds different.”

Jonathan Karow is the owner/founder of Rock Bottom Music in Augusta and an active musician. He has handled artist relations and concert promotions for internationally recognized musicians for more than two decades. He is also a consultant and product development designer for famous brand instrument manufacturers.

Garden City Jazz sets 2016 concert dates Garden City Jazz has released its 2016 production schedule Soiree: Jazz+Wine 4th Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., Jessye Norman School of the Arts Enjoy classic jazz music performed by the area’s top artists and various wines selected by the host. All presented with state-of-theart sound and lighting in a beautiful, historic building. jazzsoiree.com or 762-233-5299 4 Seasons Chamber Jazz April 15, August 26, October 21; 7:30 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta 4 Seasons Chamber Jazz is a concert series, with each concert featuring two performances, ranging from Latin jazz to vocal standards to Dixieland. It’s a musical celebration of art in nature. Artists will perform several selections representative of the season. uuaugusta.org or 706-733-7939 Sunday in the Park March 6, May 1; 3 p.m., Pendleton King Park A Joint venture between Garden City Jazz and the Pendleton King Park Foundation.

This mini-series is designed as a friendraiser – to bring new families into the park.

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Proceeds will fund increased accessibility to features throughout the park. gardencityjazz.com or 762-233-5299 Saturday Morning Swing: Music at the Augusta Market March 19- December 3, Eighth Street Plaza, 8th & Riverwalk A partnership with The Augusta Market since 2010, Saturday Morning Swing brings local jazz musicians and performing arts groups to the Riverwalk for early afternoon shows each weekend. The Market features local produce, artisans, music, all in a family- (and pet-) friendly space. theaugustamarket.com or 706-627-0128 ParTee On The Green April 6, Augusta Common American Bandstand meets Soul Train meets Shag City meets Teen Town in this amazing Celebration of Community for all ages. “Par-Tee On The Green” is a dance party with music for all ages – beach, soul, pop, jazz, house, reggae, R&B, funk. Feature performances by community dance groups and group line dance finale. Vendors welcomed. parteeaugusta.com or 762-233-5299

JazzMasters: #JazzLives in April April 7-9, Jessye Norman School of The Arts Jazz Masters, a pop-up jazz club in downtown Augusta, is the result of a collaboration with the Jessye Norman School. The space will be operational from April 6-9 only and will feature live classic jazz music in a listening room environment – very much like those popular in New York, San Francisco, London, Paris. jazzmasters.org or 762-233-5299 Candlelight Wine & Dine Concert Series April 16, June 18, July 16, August 20; 7:30 p.m., Columbia County Amphitheater Candlelight Wine & Dine, the newest concert series in the Augusta area, is a celebration of music and community. Bring your own seating and picnic and enjoy jazz, soul, R&B, spoken word, rock, funk, and gospel music; and live art demos. Children ages 12 & under admitted free. gardencityjazz.com or 762-233-5299 Jazz @ The G Feb 16, Apr 19, 7:30 p.m., Grover C. Maxwell Performing Arts Theater, Augusta University Summerville Campus

May 7, 6 p.m. Doug Barnard Amphitheater Georgia Public Broadcasting in Augusta will present “Jazz At The G,” a six-part concert series, in conjunction with the Augusta University Department of Music, Garden City Jazz, and The Greater Augusta Arts Council. Performances feature internationally known recording and teaching artists, regional professional musicians, and AU music students. Curated by Artist-in-Residence, Wycliffe Gordon. greport.gru.edu/ archives/tag/jazz-at-the-g or 706-667-4100 Labor Day Jazz Weekend – Candlelight For A Cause September 2-5, The Augusta Common, Metro Market, The Augusta Market Garden City Jazz presents a fun weekend of jazz music and art that all ages and music lovers can enjoy. Conceived as a capstone event for the popular Candlelight Jazz Concert Series, this celebration of music, art, and community has now come into its own as a family festival and fundraiser for various charitable organizations. gardencityjazz.com or 762-233-5299

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Humor Nora Blithe

Manatee Musings Writer finds creative mind trick to deal with criticism

My husband Brian stomped through the front door, flung his attaché on the couch and slumped past me toward his computer – his bastion of solace.

“Good day, sweetie?” I asked, knowing perfectly well it wasn’t.

A muffled growl was his only response.

“Do you want to talk about it, or do you want to eat cookie dough ice cream and listen to Wilson Phillips?”

My sarcasm had its intended effect, and he rolled his eyes.

“I had a rough day at work,” he confided.

“I gathered.”

Rough days for him are unusual. As an optical lab manager, he is responsible for cutting lenses for eyeglasses, maintaining equipment and managing staff. He loves his

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job, and he’s very good at it. Like everyone, he sometimes comes home tired or annoyed, but rarely angry.

“I was filling in at our other store today,” he began. “They have a joke that every time I come in, a piece of equipment breaks.”

“You?” I asked aghast. “The man who can fix anything?”

He once repaired a piece of equipment that the manufacturer had given up for dead. He’s brilliant with machines and he isn’t used to being criticized.

“Yeah,” he snorted derisively. “Right when I came on my shift, the edger went down. I literally put my hand on the outside of it, and it shut off. The store manager came in and said, ‘What did you break this time?’”

Putting your hand on the outside of an edger can break it like putting your hand on the hood of a car can change the oil. It isn’t possible.

“It broke because they hadn’t been doing the regular maintenance,” he groaned.

“That’s what you’re mad about?” It seemed like a puny thing to me.

“You wouldn’t understand,” he sulked.

I nearly collapsed. “I wouldn’t understand?! I’m a writer. Half of my job is to take criticism! ‘This is too long. This is too short.’ I got an email last week that

said ‘You’re grammar isn’t good.’ Or the worst insult of them all: ‘I don’t think your writing is funny!’ Then don’t read it!”

He stared at me with renewed respect.

“How do you handle the criticism,” he asked.

“Simple,” I replied. “I close my eyes and imagine the person criticizing me has bad hair.”

“Bad hair? That’s it?”

“I’m not done. I imagine them with bad hair. Then, I imagine they’re being eaten by a manatee.”

“Manatees are vegetarians,” he replied.

“Which is what makes it funny,” I retorted. I stared at him hard for a mo-

ment and imagined a sea cow chewing on his head. Then, I smiled.

“What’s so funny?” he asked. Realization hit. “You’re imagining I’m being eaten by a manatee aren’t you?”

“No,” I said unconvincingly.

He laughed.

“See,” I said triumphantly. “It worked. Now the man who knows how to fix machines knows how to fix bad days caused by critics.”

Nora Blithe is an Augusta native, an entrepreneur and a syndicated humor columnist. She lives in Greenville, S.C., with her husband, Brian, and their pets. Read more of her humorous insights online at doorinface.com or follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/NoraBlithe.

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Relationships, finances closely linked Study: How money is handled, not amount, is key

Americans’ financial well-being is closely linked to their perceptions of their social relationships.

Almost nine in 10 Americans who are thriving in their financial well-being agree that their relationship with their spouse, partner or closest friend is stronger than ever. But this drops to six in 10 among those who are suffering in financial well-being.

Financial well-being is one of the five interrelated elements of well-being in the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, along with purpose, social, community and physical well-being. Gallup and Healthways classify respondents as thriving, struggling or suffering in each well-being element: • Thriving: Well-being that is strong and consistent in a particular element • Struggling: Well-being that is moderate or inconsistent in a particular element • Suffering: Well-being that is low and inconsistent in a particular element

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To assess financial well-being, Gallup and Healthways asked U.S. adults about their ability to afford food and healthcare, whether they have enough money to do everything they want to do, whether they worried about money in the past week and their perceptions of their standard of living compared with those they spend time with.

Importantly, thriving in financial wellbeing does not mean having a high income, but instead consistently managing one’s finances to reduce stress and increase financial security.

Nationally, 41 percent of Americans were thriving in financial well-being in the first half of 2015, up slightly from 39 percent in 2014.

The link between financial well-being and social relationships holds across income levels. In other words, Americans’ perceptions of their social relationships improve as their financial well-being improves, regardless of their income level.

Upper-income and lower-income Americans are both more likely to report their relationship is stronger than ever if they are thriving in financial well-being than if they are suffering.

The interplay between financial well-being, income and strength of relationships is multidirectional and complex. One’s sense of financial well-being and the experiences

“We get feedback every day from couples whose marriages were saved by getting on the same page with their money.” which accompany it – stress level, effort to acquire necessities, sense of security and stability – interact with interpersonal relationships and how people relate to others in their lives.

The strength of the direction of this relationship is unclear, however. One possibility is that financial well-being influences social relationships. For instance, financial stress overall can negatively affect interactions with family and friends. But strong financial well-being may strengthen relationships, as not worrying about money removes a significant potential source of conflict.

Another possibility is that social relationships influence financial well-being. For example, a divorce or separation can cause financial difficulties. But strong relationships may ease the psychological burden of coping with financial stress, such as having friends who are willing to offer support.

“We find that one of the first signs of positive behavior change in our financial wellbeing programs is discernible improvement

in people’s immediate relationships surrounding money, especially the relationship with their spouse,” says Brian Hamilton, Vice President of Financial Wellness, Ramsey Solutions. “We get feedback every day from couples whose marriages were saved by getting on the same page with their money.”

The relationship Americans have with their finances and the management of their money has a significant effect on their personal relationships – for high-income and low-income alike. Financial well-being is more than income alone. Americans with high incomes who do not successfully manage their money and who do not live within their means could have low financial wellbeing – and those with moderate or low incomes who manage their money well and live within their means could have high financial well-being.

Overall, these results distinctly illustrate that financial well-being and strong relationships are linked, regardless of income.

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