11 14 16 buzz on biz nov dec 64 pages

NOV. 17—DEC. 21, 2016 • THE CSRA’S MONTHLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE

OPEN HEARTS AND HELPING HANDS

BUSINESSES GIVE BACK PHYSICALLY AS WELL AS FINANCIALLY Businesses in the CSRA are generous with their finances, as evidenced by the many successful non-profit agencies in the area. But for some business people, sim-

ply giving money isn’t enough.

Many business people, like those mentioned in the three stories below, want to make a difference with their

presence and involvement. There are many opportunities for hands-on impact for those with an open heart, including the new Augusta Dream Center on page 4.

ICEBOX MINISTRIES

HOPE HOUSE

BY KELSEY MORROW

BY AMANDA KING

As the well-known saying goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

This is the attitude with which Tasha Alison and Steve Fountain began Icebox Ministries.

Alison, who works as vice president of finance at The Alison South Marketing Group, is passionate about urban farming, particularly in Augusta’s Harrisburg neighborhood.

Icebox Ministries is a nonprofit organization that teaches members of communities throughout the CSRA about, among other things, healthy eating practices, from raising their own food to cooking to preserving and sharing with their neighbors.

Their Harrisburg campus is situated in that historic neighborhood in downtown Augusta, and there they maintain an urban farm, greenhouse and teaching facilities.

Icebox’s mission is not simply to provide healthy local food to those who need it, but to help members of the community realize their roles as producers, and not mere consumers.

Icebox Ministries was incorporated in 2013, and their tagline, “Grow-FeedShare” summarizes their activities and purpose.

Grow is a reference to the organization’s

other called out.

The children are participants in Hope for Augusta’s running club, a part of the organization’s after school program, and

It’s the day every little girl dreams about from the moment she watches her first Disney movie or reads a fairy tale – her wedding day. For one lucky bride, that day is being provided for free by some area small businesses with a giving heart.

Taylar Prince of Taylar Prince Make Up & Hair, is gathering local business owners with ties to the wedding industry to provide a free wedding for Joan Sganga and Jake Murphy, a couple who have struggled with drug addiction since they were teenagers. The outreach is close to Prince’s heart since she has family members who have struggled with addiction for years.

“None of them would ever get help,” she said. “Things can get better as long as you try.”

After meeting Paige Miller, development coordinator at Hope House, a local women’s treatment and recovery site, Prince began volunteering by providing hair and makeup services for residents to build self-confidence as they prepared to go on job interviews. But the more she worked with the ladies, the more she realized she wanted to do something bigger to give back.

“I wanted to do something for someone who had recently finished the program that’s excelling and doing something to help themselves,” Prince said.

After speaking with Miller about her idea, the coordinator suggested Sganga

See HOPE FOR AUGUSTA, page 2

See Hope House, page 4

the unnecessary regulations,” Botsch said.

“We’ll know more about that when we see who he gets as advisors.”

That echoes the sentiments of Paul Brewer, owner of TV Talent Agents in North Augusta, who attended the meeting.

“The No. 1 thing I hope Donald Trump will do is streamline regulations and roadblocks for small business people,” Brewer said. “I set up my company and found out

at year-end I was supposed to file quarterly taxes. They fined us.”

But Botsch cautioned that business acumen doesn’t necessarily translate into political success.

“Some of the tactics he used in business – never showing his hand, suing vendors and threatening not to pay – won’t work

See ICEBOX, page 4

A child from th e Hope for Augusta after-school running program tries on shoes donated

by Nike through Fleet Feet of Augusta. Photo by Amanda King.

HOPE FOR AUGUSTA

BY AMANDA KING

The Adventure Center at Walton Oaks Community recently sounded like Christmas morning.

“Look at mine!” one child shouted.

“Can someone help me tie these?” an-

BUSINESSES PONDER EFFECT OF TRUMP PRESIDENCY

BY GARY KAUFFMAN

The election of Donald Trump as President of the United States has raised many questions, including how his business background will affect the business world.

“If he repeals NAFTA as he said he would, that would hurt South Carolina,” said Bob Botsch, professor emeritus in political science at University of South Carolina – Aiken.

Botsch spoke to the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 10 about why Trump won and the potential affect his presidency will have on the nation.

He noted that because of the industry in South Carolina, the international free trade agreement is vital to the economy.

However, he did see a benefit when it comes to business regulations.

“I hope he will look carefully at some of

See TRUMP PRESIDENCY, page 6

Jay’s Music at Washington and Berckman’s roads will soon be part of Augusta National property. Photo by Amanda King.

JAY’S MUSIC SOLD TO AUGUSTA NATIONAL, WILL RELOCATE Jay’s Music owner Doug Frohman confirmed on Nov. 11 that the Augusta National will be purchasing the property of the music store, but he plans to relocate the store that has served the Augusta area since 1945.

“It’s just one of those things that happens in life for the best,” he said.

The recent Berckman’s Road relocation played a major role in Frohman’s decision after traffic was diverted from Jay’s main entrance.

Frohman said the music store plans to relocate to the recently closed Piccadilly Cafeteria on Washington Road, although the purchase of the property has not closed yet. According to Frohman, they will be moving into the former restaurant “as is” which will, of course, need many renovations to make it more like a music store.

Buzz on Biz was unable to obtain information about when the store would be relocating or plans for liquidation of inventory.

HOPE FOR AUGUSTA continued from page 1 the gifts they were receiving were brand new Nike running shoes provided by Fleet Feet Sports.

Jennifer McCauley, co-owner of Fleet Feet Augusta, was contacted several months ago by Julie Brashear, development coordinator for Hope for Augusta.

Brashear asked her if an after-school running club would be possible to create.

“For me, I’m like ‘Yeah, anything is possible,’” McCauley said.

The organization already offered tutoring and art classes to the school age children in the Walton Oaks, River Glen and Oak Pointe apartment complexes, but Brashear wanted to get them moving.

To help launch the program, McCauley applied for a grant from Fleet Feet Corporate. They were awarded one of only 10 available grants. McCauley designed the curriculum for the running club and continues to help with the program.

In addition to covering the expenses of the running club, the grant also allowed Fleet Feet to supply brand new Nike run-

ning shoes to the participants of the running club. McCauley measured the children’s shoe sizes prior to ordering them and discovered that some children were wearing shoes as much as two sizes too small and many shoes were falling apart.

The shoes they received on Nov. 3 were just the right size and came just in time for the running club’s first 5K held on Nov. 12 in Olde Town.

The running club participants are following in the footsteps of great leaders who have “finished the race” before – McCauley and her husband and co-owner, Michael, recently ran in the New York Marathon.

Although that’s quite an accomplishment, McCauley has something she is more proud of.

“Seeing (the running club) come to fruition was the highlight of my year,” McCauley said.

For more information on Fleet Feet, visit fleetfeetaugusta.com. For more information on Hope for Augusta, including how to get involved, visit hopeforaugusta.org.

2 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

SAYING GOODBYE

THE GARY KAUFFMAN APPRECIATION ISSUE

NEIL GORDON

The above headline got chuckles around the office in 2015 when our then-intern Kelsey Morrow wrote the same title on a makeshift calendar.

Her “millennial-esque” humor was appreciated then and now as a valuable (and paid) teammate. That month’s theme was a sign of gratitude for Gary Kauffman’s willingness to patiently listen to all of her questions. To her, it also represented his level of dedication.

After three years, Gary is leaving us. It’s a “God-thing” as you’ll see on page 14 in his final Buzz column.

When the term “old school” was invented Kauffman was first in line to receive a diploma! Despite major cutbacks, there are still reporters, photographers, copy editors, assignment editors, headline writers, layout artists, ad builders, editors in chief and others in today’s newsrooms.

He fulfilled all of them for Buzz on Biz – and managed to still organize our ample list of stories, while writing and repurposing them for our many TV/radio segments and online offerings such as our website and e-newsletter.

tives. Our brand improved when we stayed in our lanes.

Though I think it eventually wore him down, Gary begrudgingly allowed me to “push the envelope” and sell ads almost up to the time he would have to upload our monthly offerings, which ranged from 64Kelsey Morrow, left, and Amanda King with outgoing editor Gary 88 pages, to our Kauffman and the calendar touting the Appreciation Issue. talented Morris He managed a lot of writers and a lot printers. Morris executives eventually of data including what advertisers wanted took notice of our quality publication and acquired Buzz on Biz. and needed in their ads.

The week leading up to press time was But he did much more. He stretched Kelsey’s potential and helped inspire affectionately – and sometimes frustratAmanda King to another gear of her re- ingly – known as “Hell Week” in which porting abilities. He provided me with Kauffman routinely worked six days comfort to let go of “my baby” and allow and 60 hours or more. He never worked him to handle the editorial side so I could on Sundays. He believes in other “oldwork “on the business” through sales, school” principles.

It’s only fitting that I would utilize the marketing and community event initia-

talents of many to share his roles. Kelsey Morrow will go full time in January after fulfilling other Morris duties. Amanda King becomes our Senior Writer. Yours truly will return to the role of Executive Editor and the layout and ad design will be handled jointly by Morris and E35 Media, a longtime, valued, creative partner.

Enjoy the Gary Kauffman appreciation issue. Our theme came from Gary’s observations that many small businesses give back to the community physically as well as through giving financially. Kelsey and Amanda’s efforts played a big part in telling their stories.

Thank you Gary. You will be missed.

Neil Gordon oversees Buzz on Biz 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. You can reach him at 706-589-6727 or Neil@buzzon.biz.

Features Business Events............ 44

Dreams Come True........... 4 New Augusta Dream Center offers businesses chances to serve the community.

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.

Serving Others................ 20 Businessperson of the Month Billy Jackson follows in the service footsteps of his father.

What Happened?............. 6 Business Briefs..........22,23

Local political science professor talks about how Donald Trump pulled an upset victory.

Best for Business............ 10 Georgia Again ranks No. 1 in best states for businesses.

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

Tyranny of the Urgent.... 50 President Eisenhower had some good ideas on how to do more with less stress.

Getting Bigger............... 24 The Holidays are Here... 51 A data storage company finds the need for a bigger building as the business grows.

Think Small.................... 32

North Augusta Chamber gives incentive to shop locally on Small Business Saturday.

Check out our 10-page special section of holiday advertisers and stories.

Play Ball!......................... 61 GreenJackets’ owner provides some specific details about proposed new stadium.

Columnists Ed Enoch: Don’t wait for a cure to the new overtime rules.................................... 6 Dagan Sharpe: Pouring out to others makes us healthy, wealthy, wise............ 8 Mark Alison: Don’t chicken out on communicating customer service............10 Gary Kauffman: 35 years later, heading back to where it all began..................14 Richard Brashear: What does your online presence look like to customers?.14 Jame Geathers: End of year is crucial for open enrollment..................................16 Barry Paschal: Responding to a thank you can be a pleasure.............................16 Eddie Kennedy: Changes must occur to grow your business.............................18 Kim Romaner: What’s unique about your business creates its value...............26 Christine Hall: Rules change when some tax documents are due....................26 Scott Thurmond: As business grows so does need for commerical copier....28 Beth Pence: WIP meetings can be valuable tool in work flow............................30 Mike Herrington: Chart can help figure future minimum distributions..........30

Kelsey Morrow: Customers will view social media videos if done right..........32 Charles Kelly: Use caution when allowing remote computer access...............34 Tony Creighton: Going cheaper may cost more in the long run........................34 Kurt Mueller: Retiring from your business means planning for future............36 Missie Usry: Consistency in tasks, words leads to business success.................38 Susan O’Keefe: Rean men (and women) love Chicken Salad Chick..................40 Bob Johnson: Leadership is the key to becoming a good manager................42 John Pope: Windows 10 updates can be rough on your system.......................42 Steve Swanson: Thanksgiving for blessings can be part of daily lives.............54 Kristen Lovell: Being proactive with holiday eating keeps off weight.............57 Ben Casella: Pumpkin is taste of choice for this time of year...............................62 Samantha Taylor: Shows about those with less bring thankful feelings.........62

To order a 12-month subscription mailed to your home or office, please mail a check for $49 (includes sales tax) to cover postage to the address below.

Publisher Neil R. Gordon Editor in Chief Gary Kauffman/803-341-5830 Sales Neil R. Gordon/706-589-6727 neil@buzzon.biz; Jessica Jones/762-218-0239 jessica@buzzon.biz Design Gary Kauffman Photography Gary Kauffman, Melissa Gordon Writers Amanda King, Kelsey Morrow Calendar Coordinator Kelsey Morrow kelsey.morrow@buzzon.biz Distribution Jessica Jones, Kenneth Brown

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

Neither Morris Publishing Group or its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for informational purposes only.

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November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

3

DREAMS COME TRUE FOR UNDERSERVED

DREAM CENTER OFFERS LOCAL BUSINESSES CHANCES TO SERVE IN THE COMMUNUITY

BY GARY KAUFFMAN

A dream that can connect businesses looking for service opportunities with people in need became a reality in South Augusta on Nov. 5.

The Augusta Dream Center officially opened that day on Peach Orchard Road behind the Stevens Creek South Point campus. But while it is now officially a part of the national Dream Center organization, the efforts are merely a continuation of what was started there two years ago.

Kellie Cardona, Dream Center pastor, said it all began two years ago with neighborhood kids looking for a place to play basketball. The building had originally been built as a private school about 30 years ago with a gym that was used for church league basketball games.

“We had kids who said, ‘Can we just play basketball in the gym?’” Cardona said. “We started opening the doors in the summer on Wednesdays. Through that, we discovered these kids were hungry and needed clothes. They also needed love and support.”

That discovery led to starting a clothes closet in the building. About a year ago, the center added a food pantry and began serving hot meals one day a week. On average, it now feeds about 1,500 people. Community cleanup is another aspect of the center’s work.

ICEBOX

continued from page 1 commitment to supporting communities’ production of quality food. At the Harrisburg property you will find many gardens growing various types of fresh produce. Several of these gardens were built with children in mind and reflect childfriendly themes, such as a “Jack and the Bean Stalk” garden, a “Princess in the Pea” garden, and even a Pizza garden.

“The purpose of the themed gardens is to engage children with the gardening and help them develop a better connection with the food that they are eating,” Alison said.

Feed refers to the organization’s commitment to feeding communities, not only with actual food, but also with knowledge. At their classroom and teaching kitchen, participants learn how to prepare healthy meals that they can then recreate at home. Through programs such as OAMC (Once a Month Cooking), participants learn simple, cost-effective healthy recipes as well as knife skills and other culinary methods.

A newer offering at Icebox Ministries is a monthly class called the “Culture Club.”

At each of these classes participants learn the benefits of fermented foods, as well as methods for preparing foods such as

Pastor Kellie Cardona directs the new Augusta Dream Center located in South Augusta. Photo by Gary Kauffman

Becoming part of the Dream Center adds organization and resources to the work already being done.

“It’s just bringing some shape to it,” Cardona said. “We’re taking what we’re already doing here and implementing some of their policies and what they’ve found works.”

Cardona hopes to soon implement a mentoring program based on the one at the North Charleston Dream

Center. North Charleston has similar demographics to South Augusta. In the first year of the mentoring program there, graduation rates increased by 17 percent and have continued to rise.

“That’s what we want to bring here,” Cardona said.

HOPE HOUSE

The purpose of the themed gardens is to engage children. yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut and milk kefir.

“I enjoy teaching people about microbiotic diversity,” Alison said, “And the importance of incorporating fermented foods into their diets.”

The final component of their tagline, Share, sums up the Icebox Ministries mission as a whole. In addition to sharing their knowledge with the community through cooking classes and other programs, Alison and Fountain are also in the process of developing a shared culinary reference library for the community as well. They have also partnered with G.R.O.W. Harrisburg to host community dinners, at which the community can come together to prepare and share healthy food that they have helped to produce.

For information about upcoming classes, as well as information about how to donate or volunteer, visit iceboxministries.org.

4 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

continued from page 1 and Murphy. Sganga has been in longterm recovery since May 2014 at Hope House, while Murphy has been in recovery since May 2013 at Hale House, a similar facility for men.

The couple met at a recovery meeting in 2015 and were engaged this past summer. This was the first healthy relationship that either of them had experienced.

Murphy said that he was most attracted to Sganga’s dedication to recovery.

“It showed me that she loves herself and gave me an idea of how to love her,” Murphy said.

Prince and local photographer Melissa Gordon, who is wife to Buzz on Biz publisher Neil Gordon, are putting together a free wedding for Sganga and Murphy as a reward for seeking treatment and staying sober. Sganga was surprised to learn about the free wedding on November 12 at a friend’s birthday party. Murphy was aware of the surprise to prevent Sganga from making any wedding plans.

Sganga was completely surprised and relieved as the bride-to-be was beginning to get stressed out with all the details of planning a wedding. Prince assured her that everything would be handled by her own wedding planner, free of charge.

See DREAM CENTER, page 8

Joan Sganga hugs Taylar Prince after learning about her free wedding.

Photography, hair, makeup and a venue are secured, but Gordon and Prince are looking for other businesses to contribute to the wedding or for sponsors to cover expenses. Prince hopes to send the message that business owners care about others and not just the bottom line of their company.

Prince would like to continue providing weddings each year to a deserving couple and knows that area businesses will rise to the occasion.

“There are people out there who want to help and make you feel better,” Price said.

To assist with Prince’s efforts, contact her at tpaug@yahoo.com.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

5

NO TRUMP CARD

DON’T WAIT FOR A CURE TO THE NEW OVERTIME RULES ED ENOCH

I am rejoining the voices at Buzz on Biz at a very interesting time for businesses, big and small. As of Nov. 8, we learned Donald Trump will be our President for the next four years.

In reality, more important than that is that Republicans held on to their majorities in the United States House and Senate. I am sure this combination will give me plenty of material for my column, particularly in the next few months.

However, my topic for today is something that will happen before President Trump’s inauguration and businesses still must prepare. That is the impending changes in the Fair Labor Standards Act taking effect on December 1, just a couple of weeks from now.

The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to pay employees overtime at a rate of 1.5 times their normal hourly rate. However, employers can exempt certain categories of employees from the overtime requirement if they fit into an exempt job classification.

The Department of Labor (DOL) sets

minimum salary levels required to meet this exemption. In May, the DOL released its final version of new regulations concerning salaries for employees exempt from overtime pay.

Some, but not all, exempt job classifications require the employer to pay the employee on a “salary basis.” As a general rule, “salary basis” means the employee receives a regular, unchanging amount of pay from paycheck to paycheck, without deductions for hours missed and no additional pay for working more than 40 hours in a workweek. DOL has consistently refused to consider commissions and bonuses as part of salary for this calculation.

The current salary needed to meet the minimum “salary basis” test is $455 per week ($23,660 annually). DOL set this minimum salary level in 2004. Although the minimum is stated as a weekly amount, exempt employees can be paid on any regular schedule – weekly, biweekly, monthly or semi-monthly.

The rule issued by the DOL in May more than doubles the minimum salary basis to $913 per week ($47,476 annu-

TRUMP PRESIDENCY continued from page 1 with other countries,” he said. “Politics is very different than running a business. The average person doesn’t understand that.”

How Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress deal with the Affordable Care Act will also impact many business in the medical community. That leaves people like Donny Rogers, owner of Medical Weight Loss clinics in North Augusta and Charleston, feeling cautious.

“Because there is a medical component to our business, we are not really sure about the outcome of Obamacare,” Rogers said. “We are cautious. There are a lot of ‘what ifs’ now.”

One area of the business world that could benefit from a Trump presidency is faithbased non-profits. Cleve Walker of 88.3 WAFJ, a non-profit Christian radio station in North Augusta, said faith-based nonprofits rely on the goodwill and generosity of the public for their financial support.

“If there is a bad economy or the threat of another recession, that will impact us,” he said. “The other way it affects us is that people of faith have felt we’ve had a bullseye painted on us, especially the last couple of years. When you have somebody who we feel is not hostile toward us, you feel a great relief.”

Walker believes that leads to more confidence in the future among people who will invest in non-profits as lasting legacy.

Botsch said the big question now will

Some may be tempted to ignore the change, assuming President Trump will undo it. ally) beginning Dec. 1. The new rule also implements an automatic increase in the minimum salary basis every three years to adjust to the 40th percentile of full-time salaries earned by workers in the lowestwage census region (that’s the South, by the way). The new rule does allow for a limited (10 percent) inclusion of commissions and non-discretionary bonuses Finally, the new rule increases the amount of the highly compensated employee exemption to $134,004 from $100,000. This amount includes all nondiscretionary compensation such as commissions and nondiscretionary bonuses.

Now is the time for all employers, large and small, to review all job descriptions with your attorney to determine compliance with the new rule and how it will impact your business. Some may be tempted to ignore the change, assuming President Trump will undo it.

be whether Trump’s campaigning skills can carry over into governing the nation.

“Being a politician in office is not as easy as people think,” Botsch said. “It’s harder than brain surgery. There are a lot more successful brain surgeries.”

Governing, he added, is different than campaigning.

“You can’t put it on a bumper sticker,” he said. “Campaigns are about emotion.

Governing is about doing the dirty work for the rest of us while we sit on the sidelines and sneer.”

Regardless how people feel about the outcome of the election, Botsch said Americans will have to learn to live with it.

“I hope he puts America first and keeps the good promises he made,” Botsch said.

6 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

J. Edward (Ed) Enoch has practiced law in Augusta for more than 20 years. His practice focuses on representing closely-held businesses and their owners, to include formation, transition, business planning, estate planning, employment law and real estate. Reach him at jenoch@enochlaw.com.

TRUMP’S WIN RAISES QUESTION ABOUT HOW IT HAPPENED

BY GARY KAUFFMAN

Donald Trump spoke in North Augusta in February. Photo by Gary Kauffman

However, the change is the law well before Mr. Trump is sworn in and by that time everyone will have had to make the adjustments. At that point, it may not be a priority for him, given the upheaval will have already occurred. So, my advice is: take the medicine and make the changes, don’t gamble on Congress and the President providing a cure.

The surprising results of the presidential election left people, both those who supported Donald Trump and those who voted for Hillary Clinton, shaking their heads and wondering, “What happened?”

– especially since so many people had predicted the opposite outcome.

“In a close election you can pick any of a dozen things that would have made a difference,” said Bob Botsch, professor emeritus in political science at University of South Carolina – Aiken.

Botsch spoke to the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 10 about why Trump won and the potential affect his presidency will have on the nation.

One reason for Trump’s win, Botsch said, was that this was a “change election.” American voters have historically been reluctant to give any party a third term in office.

“Any generic Republican was going to beat any Democrat,” he said. “Many of the same people who voted for Obama because he was the change candidate voted for Trump.”

He called those voters the people who felt they had lost their place in line in attaining the American Dream.

“Trump gave voice to that,” Botsch said. “He said, ‘I am your voice,’ with the subtext of, ‘It’s not your fault.’”

Noting that this is a polarized nation, with many divisions, Botsch said the most important division in this election was where wealth intersected with ethnicity and racial divisions.

“It was a populist white working class uprising,” he said.

So how did the national media get their predictions of a Clinton victory so wrong?

“Tracking polls have a hard time of measuring intensity,” Botsch said.

“Trump voters were much more intense than would-be Clinton voters. It doesn’t matter how many people support you, it matters who votes.”

He added that although Clinton outspent Trump and had a better organization, Trump was better at manipulating the media.

“He knew if he said enough outrageous things he’d get coverage – the media could help themselves,” he said.

Some have speculated that the divisiveness of the election where voters in either party never completely embraced their candidate will lead to greater influence from third parties. But Botsch doubts that will happen.

“Until we quit having winner-take-all elections, we’ll have two parties and a bunch of third parties who would rather lose than compromise,” he said.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

7

STRESSED OUT

POURING OUT TO OTHERS MAKES US HEALTHY, WEALTHY, WISE DAGAN SHARPE

Stressed?

I routinely have the opportunity to speak at events where many of the attendees are over the age of 50. Although, I’m not quite 50 yet, my age group does share something in common with several of those in attendance – the notorious mid-life crisis!

This life event tends to strike those in their 40s and 50s, with one of the major components and culprits of the crisis being stress. Thankfully, there are some steps we can take at just about any age to reduce, avoid and/or recover from the symptoms stress can create and the dreams they deplete, in order to pursue lives that are more healthy, wealthy and wise: Healthy: When we are stressed, our bodies max out. For example, various studies reveal how stress can cause headaches, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, panic disorders, grinding of teeth, strokes, heart disease, hypertension, weight gain, decreased sex drive, insomnia, depression – and the list goes on and on.

Reports reference some of the most common contributors to stress are trying to manage too many responsibilities, struggles with finances and work problems. So, it stands to reason, one of the best ways we can improve our health is to

DREAM CENTER continued from page 4 Also on tap for 2017 is adding medical exam rooms for people who don’t have insurance.

Although located on the Stevens Creek South campus, the Augusta Dream Center is an independent non-profit organization.

It is always looking for volunteers. Cardona said there are several ways a business can volunteer with some hands-on involvement.

One way is to provide a team of volun-

teers to help serve a Sunday meal. Businesses can also host food drives, and the center always has a need for clothing donations, especially jackets and bedding in the winter months.

“We don’t require anyone to pay for anything,” Cardona said. “So if you donate here you know it’s going out to someone who needs it.”

One local businessperson is already taking steps toward involvement. Robyn Kelley of Trendz Salon is forming a

8 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

reduce and manage our stress. But how?

The answer is surprisingly simple – growing and giving. When we seek to multiply what we’ve been given and strive to give to the benefit of others, the results are nothing short of miraculous. Various studies have revealed giving is contagious, evokes gratitude, promotes connection with others, is healthy and makes us happy psychologically.

Wealthy: We tend to think wealth relates only to money, but it can actually be defined as “a plentiful supply of a particular desirable thing.” Therefore, all of us can seek to be wealthy in our family relations, our faith, practicing healthy lifestyles and establishing profitable habits no matter the amount of finances we may have. As a result, we will begin to break free from the defeating and stress-fueled lie that our self-worth is tied to our net-worth.

Wise: As we begin acquiring and applying truth, we begin strengthening our wisdom muscle. This increases our likelihood to finish well. Our priorities will be properly aligned.

We can then guard against the stress trap of discontentment caused by comparing ourselves to others and begin maximizing what we’ve been given. This is done by growing the areas of our lives we desire to improve and giving to the

welfare of others rather than solely for ourselves.

When we give from our supplies of time, talents, treasures and testimonies (experiences), we realize we don’t have to trudge through life in a vain attempt to fill our cups and then walk anxiously as we try to not spill a drop as we’re carrying them.

This is not to say we are to be wasteful, or that we will all be multi-millionaires, Olympic athletes and Einsteins.

However, it does mean there are great psychological and physical benefits that come to those who seek to grow and give throughout their lives – such as less stress, greater contentment and a fuller sense of achievement as we realize giving makes our living a lot more fulfilling.

group of fellow hair stylists to offer free haircuts at the Dream Center.

Another way to become involved is through the mentoring program. And, of course, the center always accepts monetary donations.

“The Dream Center exists to serve the underserved,” Cardona said. “It’s just showing kindness to people in need in the community.”

She said that often it’s the people who serve who get the most out of the Dream

Center.

“The volunteers come here to be a blessing but they find out that they needed this,” Cardona said. “They find a purpose and a sense of belonging.”

And those being served also often end up taking part in helping others.

“They fall in love with us and they want to be a part of it too,” Cardona said.

To learn more about the Augusta Dream Center, visit stevenscreekchurch. com/augusta-dream-center.

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.

Contact him at dsharpe@qnbtrust.com.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

9

VITAMIN C

DON’T CHICKEN OUT ON COMMUNICATING CUSTOMER SERVICE MARK ALISON

I enjoyed seeing comedian Dennis Miller live in Chicago last month. One of his funny lines was, “You know there is a problem with the education system when you realize that out of the 3 Rs only one begins with an ‘R’.”

I’d like to add, in a not so funny way, that communication begins with ‘C.’ And by that I mean the CEO, CFO, COO, all of the ‘C’ suite. It is their top-down responsibility to communicate the value of a customer throughout the entire service network so everyone speaks with the same voice – service to customer being the primary consideration.

For the purpose of not pointing fingers, I will refer to the following “chicken” restaurants as “A” and “B.” You’ve probably driven through chicken restaurant “A.” It’s not uncommon to see a line of cars around the building. But you know, when you get in restaurant “A”s line that it will move swiftly. They even have workers walking up to the cars and taking orders. I clocked four minutes from order placement to fulfillment the other day at restaurant “A” and I was initially halfway around the other side of the building.

Compare that against the Cajun chicken restaurant “B” line I sat in Sunday afternoon. I was one of only three cars in line and the wait was over 12 minutes, three times longer than restaurant “A.” Had there been an open lane I would have pulled off. When I finally did get my order, there was no apology for the lengthy time, just a snappy request for $9.17 and a bag of food shoved in my window.

What is the difference? I would say “A” cares about the customer experience while “B” cares about selling chicken. And I have to assume that the difference starts at the top because every “A” and “B” I have visited has handled the drive-thru the same.

Both places sell a great product. Both promote, and both have good prices. Marketing is doing its job covering the three ‘P’s. What’s missing is the ‘C’, “communication” from the top down regarding how to treat a customer.

Here’s my suggestion to restaurant “B’s” management.

1.Communicate the value of a “customer” strongly to the people who are taking and fulfilling orders.

2.Empower them to hand out a free soda when the wait time exceeds “X” minutes and remind them to tell the waiting customer that it is taking an extra minute

to get them a fresh, hot product.

3.Tell them to take a moment to be gracious when completing the experience.

4.Set up a reward system for repeat business so the employee benefits from a customer’s return. In other words, reward the behavior you are trying to encourage.

So what about your business? “Oh, we are not fast-food,” you say. Then you missed the point. Communicating with your employees who directly interact with customers so they understand the customer value is just as important whether you operate a plumbing company or run a law office. The person answering your

phone can be winning or losing business.

While in Chicago I stayed at an iconic hotel in the South Loop. Check-in was painful. My card was immediately debited for one night; $50 per day was added in case I did use hotel services and it would not be refunded for a week after I checked out. A room with any view was additional cost. The valet fee was mandatory. All this and I am an honors member!

As it turned out the room smelled like cigars, a light bulb was out and the TV remote didn’t work. This is not the clerk’s or maid’s fault. It is the management’s fault.

Their communication was bottom-line driven and these people are just acting it out. Crappy service begins with crappy management. ( Just so you’ll know not to stay there, it was the Chicago Hilton.)

Communication is more than a set of standards. It is teaching by example. It was Emerson who said, “Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

Communicating customer care starts at the top.

When we work with customers who interact directly with the public we ask how they manage the customer experience. We want to be sure that all of our marketing efforts are not lost at the point of sale by a less than well connected and properly motivated employee.

Mark Alison is a marketing and business consultant who works for the Alison South Marketing Company.

706-724 3758.

GEORGIA AGAIN RANKED BEST STATE FOR BUSINESS Georgia can keep waving a big “We’re No. 1” foam finger when it comes to business.

For the fourth straight year, Georgia has been named as the best state in which to do business by Site Selection magazine, a leading economic development trade publication.

“This highlights the vitality of our state economy and the business-friendly environment that continues to help companies grow,” Gov. Nathan Deal said. “The collaborative framework on both state and local levels has led to the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs for Georgia families, enhanced community out-

reach by investing millions in local areas and improved the overall quality of life for all citizens.”

In the last four years, many small businesses have expanded in Georgia and numerous international companies have established operations here, reflecting the foundation offered to job creators.

Deal said Georgia leads the way in providing companies with a low tax burden and a business-friendly climate. In return, there have been more than 575,000 private sector jobs created since 2011.

Each November, Site Selection releases rankings for the top states in which to do

10 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

business. Georgia has been ranked among the top 10 states in Site Selection’s business climate rankings throughout the last decade and has held the top spot for the last three years.

“Our readers say the state’s fiscal soundness, predictable economic and regulatory climate, workforce and transportation infrastructure are their main reasons for investing in Georgia,” said Mark Arend, editor-in-chief of Site Selection.

The rankings are determined by a survey of corporate site selectors paired with an index of tax burden criteria determined by the Tax Foundation and KPMG’s Location Matters analysis and performance

in Conway Data’s New Plant Database, which tracks new and expanded business facility activity.

“Site Selection’s fourth consecutive No. 1 ranking speaks volumes to our business-friendly environment, worldclass infrastructure network, top-notch academic institutions, nationally-ranked training programs and vibrant socioeconomic culture,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Governor Deal made Georgia a state with a reputation for success, which we celebrate today with our economic development partners across the state.”

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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CONVENTION CENTER AMONG BEST IN SOUTH The Augusta Marriott joined an elite group of convention centers in the south.

The publishers of ConventionSouth, the national multimedia resource for planning events held in the South, have presented Augusta Marriott At The Convention Center with a 2017 Top New or Renovated Meeting Site Award.

“ConventionSouth readers are constantly seeking information on the newest and like-new meeting sites in the South in order to offer their attendees the most modern facilities available, and this is why we are honored to bestow Augusta Marriott At The Convention Center with a Top New or Renovated Meeting Site Award,” said ConventionSouth Associate Publisher Marcia Bradford. “After a lengthy review of what Augusta Marriott At The Convention Center now has to offer meeting planners and attendees, we feel it indeed displays a superior commitment to providing groups with the top-of-the-line amenities and service that they require.”

Augusta Marriott At The Convention Center is among an elite list of 55 meeting facilities located across the South to receive this year’s award. As part of the recognition, Augusta Marriott At The Convention Center is featured as an award recipient in the December 2016 Awards Issue of ConventionSouth magazine.

ConventionSouth magazine is based in Gulf Shores, Ala., and is distributed to more than 18,000 meeting professionals across the country.

HULL COLLEGE NAMES NEW DEAN After an extended national search lasting more than a year, the James M. Hull College of Business at Augusta University has found a new dean.

Dr. Richard M. Franza, currently senior associate dean of

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the Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University, will officially join the university on Feb. 1, succeeding Dr. Mark Thompson, who has served as interim dean since the departure of Dr. Marc Miller in July 2015.

“We were committed to finding what we considered the ideal candidate, and we identified that candidate in Richard Franza,” said Dr. Gretchen Caughman, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

“Dr. Franza has a commitment to excellence with a focus on relationship building. He is a wonderfully personable individual, and I’m confident he will fit in well with the community.”

Franza, who earned his doctorate in operations management from the Georgia Institute of Technology, his Masters of Business Administration from Duke and his Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from Notre Dame, has been with Kennesaw State since 2002.

NORTH AUGUSTA OFFERS FREE WIFI IN DOWNTOWN AREA Spirit Communications, South Carolina’s leading provider of voice, data, Internet, and fiber optic solutions, is teaming up with the City of North Augusta to provide free wifi to visitors to its downtown, stretching over fiveblock area.

“We have been working for some time to reinvigorate our downtown,” Mayor Lark Jones said. “Recent successful events in downtown have created a buzz and it is our hope that free wifi will be something that attracts people to shop, dine, and recreate here.

We are grateful to Spirit for providing the bandwidth to the city.”

When scanning for available wifi, users will see the #Spirit4U network and can log on for free to access the internet while in the downtown area.

“The City of North Augusta

N. AUGUSTA LABOR MARKET CHAMBER STAYS STEADY EARNS STATE IN AUGUSTA ACCREDITATION The Augusta labor market The North Augusta Chamber of Commerce was one of four chambers that received accreditation on Oct. 20 from the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

The other three chambers were from North Carolina.

The CACCE Carolinas Accredited Chamber program sets standards of excellence for chambers in North and South Carolina. It recognizes chambers that have met those standards while offering guidelines for others to improve their effectiveness. The program follows the U.S. Chamber model, and it shows that a chamber has gone through a detailed analysis of what and where they are as an organization.

This group joins three chambers that were recognized last year, bringing the total number of Carolinas Accredited Chambers to 24.

12 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

stayed steady in September, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.

According to the GDOL, Metro Augusta’s unemployment rate in September was 5.7 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 5.8 percent in August. The rate in September 2015 was 6.2 percent.

The labor force also decreased slightly, by 839. The labor force consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed, but actively looking for jobs.

But the number of initial claims, which is a measure of new layoffs, declined by 366, or 25 percent. Over the year that number is down by 5.3 percent.

Also, the number of jobs decreased by 500, or 0.2 percent.

Most of the job losses came in leisure and hospitality, and education and health services. These job losses were partially offset, though, by a gain of jobs in state

is a vibrant and growing area and we are excited to enhance our partnership by bringing in new technology and support for the citizens, events and local businesses” said Roddy Broadnax Director of Marketing with Spirit Communications.

Headquartered in Columbia, Spirit provides voice, data, internet and fiber optic solutions along with a full suite of Cloud services. and local government.

However, over the year, Augusta gained 1,700 jobs, a 0.8 percent growth rate. Most of the job gains came in professional and business services, state and local government and trade, transportation and warehousing.

BANK ADDS P2P PAYMENT OPTION Fifth Third Bank announced that it will join Early Warning’s Zelle Network to offer customers a safe and fast way to make person-to-person (P2P) payments.

With Zelle, money can be sent by simply using the recipient’s mobile number or email address. Fifth Third customers will have access to real-time payments with Zelle in 2017.

“Fifth Third is excited to offer additional services to our customers allowing them to make P2P payments that are simple, safe and received in real time,” said Greg Carmichael, CEO and president of Fifth Third Bancorp.

About 15 percent of consumers say they make P2P payments daily or weekly, according to a 2015 study on digital payments.

But many current products don’t allow immediate payments.

More than half of consumers surveyed said they would use P2P more often if payments were immediate.

“We looked at what our customers want, and they want making payments to be fast and simple,” said Chad Borton, Fifth Third’s head of Consumer Banking.

Accessing Zelle through Fifth Third is free and makes it easy to send money to a friend, whether to split the cost of dinner or pay the rent on an apartment.

Zelle is safe, fast and simple.

Zelle will enable Fifth Third customers to send and receive faster payments, with funds accessible by the recipient within minutes.

MAI RECEIVES INSURANCE AWARD MAI Risk Advisors of Augusta has been awarded Keystone Insurers Group Exemplary Underwriting Award for Georgia.

Each year since 2003, Keystone Insurers Group has given the award to recognize the outstanding Keystone partner in each state in which it conducts business. Forester Adams, President of MAI Risk Advisors, accepted the award on behalf of the agency during Keystone’s recent annual National Conference in Chicago.

“We are honored to win Keystone’s highest award for the second year in a row,” Adams said.

“Our entire staff has worked hard over the past few years to build a solid organization. It’s rewarding to have the right results and to be recognized by Keystone.”

MAI Risk Advisors joined Keystone Insurers Group in 2012.

Keystone started in 1983 when four independent insurance agencies teamed up to pool their experience and expertise.

That experience and expertise continues and has grown to almost 300 independent agency partners in 11 states.

AGS WINS STATE AWARD FOR RAMP PROJECT A ramp rehabilitation project has earned an award for Augusta Regional Airport.

The project was selected for the Georgia Airports Associations’ Airport Project of the Year Award. The award is presented to the airport whose project significantly improved safety, airport capacity or required extraordinary resourcefulness.

Augusta Regional’s ramp rehabilitation project was designed to rehabilitate 7.2 acres of the air carrier apron and the general aviation apron. It was funded by $8.4 million awarded to AGS in 2012 by the voterapproved Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (T-SPLOST).

Due to the hard work and dedication of airport’s engineering consulting firm, Mead & Hunt, Inc., the projects contractor, McCarthy Improvement Company, and the AGS staff, this project was completed on time and on budget.

“This rehab has allowed for additional aircraft parking and safer taxiing and parking areas for pilots,” said Herbert Judon, Jr., AGS’s executive director. “We have received multiple compliments from both commercial and private pilots on the integrity of our ramp area and the ease of parking their aircraft.”

SRP DONATES STUFFED TOYS TO SHERIFF SRP Federal Credit Union recently donated more than 3,500 stuffed toys to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office through a collaboration with the Police Benevolent Association of Georgia.

The stuffed toys will be used throughout the community when sheriff deputies are engaged with children. PBA State Representative Patrick Cullinan helped facilitate this community outreach effort with SRP Federal Credit Union. The toys were presented to Sheriff Richard Roundtree and Patrick Cullinan

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by SRP Federal Credit Union’s President and CEO, Harry Gunsallus and Vice President of Administrative Services, Ed Presnell.

N. AUGUSTA LIONS OBSERVE 80 YEARS The North Augusta Lions Club will celebrate its 80th Anniversary with a “Luau” themed community event 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the North Augusta Community Center.

Since the Club’s chartering in 1935, its members have worked on a variety of programs and initiatives such as providing eye exams/glasses, coordination of annual Christmas Parade, funding for leader dogs, blind fishing day, and North Augusta High School scholarships for seniors, management of ticket sales at NAHS football games, building and dedication of Lions Field and the Living History Park Sensory Garden, and much more.

The motto of the Lions Club is “we serve”.

“We are proud of our club’s 80 years of service to the community,” Faye Purcell, the club president, said. “The Lions Club members thank everyone who contributes to our important work. You are truly helping Lions make a difference in our community”.

The public is invited to attend this free event. A commemorative ribbon cutting will take place at 11 a.m. Attendees will be given an up-close look at Lions programs and have a chance to visit with Lions community partners during a mini expo. There will be youth activities, light refreshments, music and remarks from local leadership.

ECONOMY STAYS UNCHANGED The election of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States hasn’t changed anything in the local economy yet, according to Simon Medcalfe, associate professor of

FORECAST CALLS FOR SNOW ON JANUARY 14 You don’t need a weatherman to tell you where to find snow in Columbia County this winter.

That’ll be on Jan. 14, 2017, when the Fifth Annual Columbia County Snowfest returns to Evans Towne Center Park. The Snowfest runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. with a full day of live music, food vendors, arts and crafts, inflatables, a large carnival area, climbing wall, trackless train, kid’s karaoke on stage and showcases from local schools.

And to get patrons in the chilly winter spirit, the event features snow tubing slides and the return of the original snow fields for all ages. This year’s event also features the return of the popular costumed Snowfinance at James Hull College of Business at Augusta University.

Over the last month the Labor Market Index in the Augusta area remained unchanged.

While the local economy saw increases in weekly earnings and hours worked, this was cancelled out by a rise in the unemployment rate and a decrease in the number of jobs.

The indicators for the immediate future are not any better, according to Medcalfe. The Leading Economic Index registered its third consecutive decrease at 0.2 percent.

As to the long term future, Medcalfe said, we will have to see which of Trump’s economic policies he prioritizes upon taking office.

fest friends and characters.

The annual event is produced by Mullins Management & Entertainment, and each year proceeds from Snowfest benefit a local charity. This year, proceeds will benefit Press On, a local nonprofit group dedicated to supporting research and finding a cure for childhood cancer.

Mullins Management & Entertainment’s president and founder, Joe Mullins, said giving back to his community is an important part of his company’s mission.

“We aim to make each year bigger and better than the last,” he said. “We always want to provide a family-fun event that has something for everyone.

AWP NAMED OUTSTANDING PARTNER

The Augusta Warrior Project, the only local organization that brings together all necessary resources to help local Warriors from all eras, was honored with the Outstanding Local Partner Award by the Greater Augusta Chapter of the Association for Fundraising Professionals.

“Augusta Warrior Project works tirelessly to serve Warriors in the Augusta and Aiken area so we’re thrilled to be given this honor and recognized as an outstanding community partner,” said Kim Elle, CEO of the

Over the years, we’ve seen it become a winter tradition for many of our guests. The event is so popular and successful, we have made plans to launch the event in other cities around the country.”

Last year, more than 6,000 people attended Snowfest, and Mullins plans to support several local charities with this year’s event.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available at different package levels. For sponsorship information or for vendor information, contact Sam Heffner at 706-840-9077 for more information.

For more information and ticket prices, go to columbiacountysnowfest.com.

Augusta Warrior Project.

The 2016 National Philanthropy Day Luncheon, held on Nov. 9, serves as the platform by which the community comes together to honor those extraordinary individuals and organizations that embody the spirit of philanthropy in the community.

Augusta Warrior Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to serve all active military – wounded or not – and their families. AWP works with a large network of resources to focus on four key areas that help Veterans improve their lives: education, housing, employment and benefits. All proceeds remain local, and AWP has eight offices strategically located across 17 counties.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

13

FULL CIRCLE

35 YEARS LATER, HEADING BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN GARY KAUFFMAN

My first job out of college was in Christian ministry in San Bernardino, Calif., working in the publications department of Campus Crusade for Christ (now known simply as Cru, and located in Orlando). I did that for three years before moving back to my home state of Indiana.

Once there, I spent a few months as a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman (I kid you not), a year working for a sash and door company and then a 10-year stint as editor of a small-town weekly newspaper.

I then started my own business doing writing, photography and graphic design for advertising for small businesses. While getting established those first two years I supplemented my income by working at a gas station and substitute teaching at several schools.

Despite what in hindsight seems like a startling lack of business acumen on my part, I managed to run my own business for more than 17 years, and even sold it for a profit. After a brief stint as a catalog copywriter for a national hardware store chain, I moved to the CSRA to become editor of Buzz on Biz, a title I’ve held for the past three years.

Along the way in my life, I managed to raise a family (some years as a single parent), suffered through personal issues and encountered business complications, including weathering the 2008-09 recession in an area that was one of the hardest hit in the nation. In other words, I learned

My call to ministry will probably be less involved than this.

a lot in the School of Hard Knocks.

And now, once again, it is time to move on. This is my last issue as editor of Buzz on Biz. My life seems to be coming full circle.

Thirty-five years after leaving college with the calling into Christian ministry, I am once again heeding that call. The twist is that this time I’m not sure what that entails.

This was not a quick decision. I had wrestled with it and prayed about it since about February. In September I accompanied my wife to a Christian Music Broadcaster’s convention in Orlando.

Several speakers talked about stepping

out in faith and it was during those sessions that the call was crystallized.

Quite a few people have asked me where I’m headed next. The truth is that I don’t know. I have several personal/ministry writing projects in my queue that working full-time in the writing business has not left me with the time to fully pursue.

It may involve more work in a church, or perhaps a non-profit (my wife is hoping it doesn’t involve a missions post in darkest Africa and I’m with her on that – I’ve seen pictures of the snakes over there).

The fact that I don’t know should bother me more, but as a follower of Christ

BUSINESS SNAPSHOT

my job is to follow. One lesson I learned during my matriculation in the School of Hard Knocks is that God is faithful to provide for those He’s called.

The past three years have been tremendously rewarding for me. Neil Gordon has been as kind and generous as anyone could ask for from an employer. Together I believe we have created an excellent business publication that I trust will continue to excel at meeting the needs of CSRA businesses. I’ve met many wonderful people who I hope to stay in contact with.

And I’ve learned a lot about myself (like the fact that my body no longer snaps back from the stress of deadlines like it did 30 years ago).

So I find myself having circled back to my beginning, but with more knowledge, hopefully more wisdom and definitely more faith. I’m approaching it with a lot of excitement (and a smidge of terror), knowing that I’ll be successful as long as I’m following the call of Christ.

Gary Kauffman is Editor in Chief of Buzz on Biz and manages the content for print, web, radio and TV segments of Buzz on Biz. A native of Indiana, he has 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. Contact him at gkauffman@buzzon.biz.

WHAT DOES YOU ONLINE PRESENCE LOOK LIKE TO CUSTOMERS? RICHARD BRASHEAR

Last month we talked about the 3 pillars of online marketing: build more presence, create more audience and engage your website visitors. It’s time to drill down on how you can build more presence for your company.

There are really five areas of your online presence that you should actively monitor and grow: local business listings, online reviews, social performance, website performance and search engine marketing I will cover each of these topics over time but today we are going to focus on local business listings and how they impact your business’ internet presence.

Business listings provide your company’s information, such as address, hours of operation and the like to online directories, review sites and search engines. It’s kind of like leaving an internet calling card around the web.

Why Are Business Listings Important?

First, consumers are looking online for products and services. According to BIA/ Kelsey, 97 percent of consumers use internet when researching local products/services. For you to compete in today’s online world, your business has to be online with a built-out presence that is complete.

Second, accurate listings provide you web credibility. If your business listing is incorrect (wrong hours, address, etc.), search engines could be driving your customers right to your competitor’s website.

In addition, Search Engine Watch has found that 73 percent of consumers lose trust in a local business when its listing is inaccurate.

Third, local business listings help amplify your web presence on search engines: • listings expand your online presence beyond search engines to review sites and online directories

14 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

• listings provide inbound links back to your website increase web traffic Is Your Business Listed?

The first question you should ask is, “Is your business listed where internet users are searching?”

There are many different places to search online from search engines to online directories to review sites. It is important that your business is listed where customers are searching and it is just as essential that your listings are correct and consistent across the web.

Once you understand where your business stands today, you can work on getting your business added to review sites, online directories and social sites to turn online searchers into customers.

How Can I Find Out How My Business Looks Online?

The easiest way to get a snapshot of your online presence is to check out our

Snapshot Report at http://www.mainstreetdigital.com/how-your-businesslooks-online. With this easy (and free) tool, you can get a summary of your online presences as well as areas of opportunity for your business. Getting a good understanding of how your business looks online is a great first step to growing your online presence.

Richard Brashear is General Manager for Main Street Digital, a local digital marketing agency that helps local businesses use digital marketing online. To learn more about using websites, social media or pay-per-click campaigns for generating leads online for your business, call Richard at 706-828-3948 or email him at Richard.

Brashear@MainStreetDigital.com.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

15

OPEN UP

END OF YEAR IS CRUCIAL FOR OPEN ENROLLMENT

JAME GEATHERS

It’s that time again – open enrollment season is upon us. If you are like most companies, your benefits term aligns with the calendar year so November and December are crucial months in your enrollment process.

If you’re new to open enrollment, this process can be overwhelming and stressful but it does not have to be. The open enrollment period, which began on Nov. 1, and ends Jan. 31 is now underway, so as a business owner there are a few things you need to know.

As you may be aware, if you employ fewer than 50 full-time employees, defined as an employee working an average of 30 hours per week or 130 hours in a calendar month, you are not required to offer coverage – although to attract and retain the best employees in a competitive market, most employers do.

If you opt not to offer coverage, as a small business owner under the Affordable Care Act you are still required to act.

You must notify your employees that you do not offer coverage and that they may obtain coverage through the Healthcare Marketplace.

On the plus side, if you have 25 or fewer full-time employees and you choose to offer coverage you may be eligible for a nifty tax credit. Alternatively, if you employ 50 or more full-time employees you

Additionally, I recommend that you remind hesitant employees that insurance is no longer just a great idea – it is the law. are required to provide coverage, notify all employees of the coverage available and it must meet the standard of affordability. If it does not meet the affordability requirement or if one or more of your employees cannot afford the plans offered and opts to purchase through the marketplace, you may face penalties and/ or fines.

Once you have determined you are required to offer coverage, as an employer you are responsible for notifying your employees of the coverage you offer and if they may qualify for a subsidy in the healthcare marketplace.

There are two versions of the notice that are available for you to distribute to your employees, either provided by your insurance broker or found on the Department of Labor website. I strongly

recommend that you distribute these notices to all employees – both fulltime and part-time – but if you choose not to provide them there is no penalty at this time.

Please be aware that as of 2016, if you employ 50 or more full-time employees you are required to offer coverage to at least 95 percent of your full-time employees.

This is another reason why providing the notice of available coverage is crucial.

As an additional level of documentation, I would also recommend keeping a copy of the form in each employee’s personnel file.

Another employer responsibility is that your company is required to report pertinent details such as employees offered coverage, percentage offered to and how much the employee/employer contributions were. Specific details on the required information determined by the size of your business can be located on the IRS website.

Finally, be sure to give your employees ample opportunities to sign up for coverage. You have done your research, found a broker or a plan through the marketplace and now you are ready to kick off open enrollment.

Unfortunately, some of your employees may not share your enthusiasm.

This is where employee incentives such

as wellness programs can help. Many insurers offer wellness programs, discounts and even prizes for covered employees.

These programs can be extremely helpful for launching wellness initiatives and engaging employees.

Additionally, I recommend that you remind hesitant employees that insurance is no longer just a great idea – it is the law. Per the law, they are subject to a penalty/fine of 2.5 percent of the total household income or $695 per adult and $347.50 per child under 18 (maximum: $2,085 per household) – whichever is greater will apply.

If you need assistance treading through the waters of open enrollment or additional information, please visit: www. jamegeathers.com.

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.

A TIME FOR THANKS

RESPONDING TO A THANK YOU CAN BE A PLEASURE

BARRY PASCHAL

In the hustling, bustling world of customer service, Chick-fil-A figured it out a long time ago: When someone says “thank you,” your response is very important – because it helps define how the person feels about this ubiquitous expression of gratitude.

What does someone mean when they say “Thank you?” Most people probably don’t give it a moment’s thought. I do, but that’s because obsession with the details of communication is the horse that brought me to the circus. Or something like that.

On a basic level, when someone says “Thank you,” they’re expressing gratitude for something you gave them. They’re saying, “I am grateful that you provided a useful item or service to me.” That’s why Chick-fil-A is now so well known for their official response: “(It’s) my pleasure.”

It accepts the receiver’s gratitude with humility by responding, in effect, with “I am glad to have been able to provide that

useful item or service.”

Thank goodness we don’t have to spell things out that way, but you get the point.

Unfortunately, too many people don’t.

That’s why it’s so common, when someone says “Thank you,” to hear the eargrating response: “No problem.”

The “problem” in that expression redefines the meaning of “thank you.” Instead of a simple expression of gratitude, it turns “thank you” into an apology: “I am sorry I imposed upon you by forcing you to perform a service,” eliciting the response, “No problem – it was no imposition. And even if it was, well, I magnanimously accept your apology.”

That’s not the way it’s supposed to work. Nit-picking? Maybe. But Chickfil-A gets it.

As a customer posted on their website after visiting another restaurant and getting the “no problem” response, “I guess I’ve been spoiled by the folks at Chickfil-A. They say ‘my pleasure.’ I love to hear

16 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

On a basic level, when someone says “Thank you,” they’re expressing gratitude for something you gave them. those words. I feel welcome every time I visit one of your restaurants.”

For your customers, feeling welcome is what it’s all about.

Here in the world of non-profits, gratitude is exceptionally important to what we do. A fundamental part of Goodwill’s business model is designed around welcoming donors who freely give their used goods to us so that we can sell them and raise money to support our job training and career education programs. Saying “thank you” is a vital part of our culture, and knowing how to respond when we hear it is equally as important.

It’s important enough, in fact, that we include it in a portion of our Goodwill

101 new employee training sessions. We want to make sure everyone knows that when someone says “Thank you,” the correct response is “You’re welcome” – as in, “I am happy to provide a useful item or service to you.”

We will, however, accept “My pleasure.”

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.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

17

CHANGING TIMES

CHANGES MUST OCCUR TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

EDDIE KENNEDY

The small business owner starts a business with a dream and a vision. They add their heart, soul and sweat equity to it to make their dream become a reality. Over time, they grow the business by adding customers, staff and even services.

One day, they realize the business plan and model they started with no longer work as well as they once did. The customers are different, there is more competition and technology has impacted the way their customer shops and buys products. They wonder, what happened?

When did everything change?

Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, is credited for saying, “Change is the only constant in life.”

Small business is just like everything else. After all the effort the business owner has done to get the business up and running, the last thing they want to do

is change or modify the model. There is comfort with staying the same and maintaining the “status quo.”

But if continued growth is the desired outcome, changes must occur to keep the business current, relevant and adapting to the changing marketplace.

In today’s world we update almost everything on a regular basis. We update our phones and computers every few years.

We update the software on them every few months. But when is the last time you updated your business model or business format?

It almost never happens. Operating the business is challenging enough, without having to keep up with the advances in technology, the demographics of your community, new marketing mediums and the ever present competition. But you must keep updating your business.

In 2000, most bedroom furniture sold

A BIT OF CHEESY ADVICE

Spencer Johnson, in his book, Who Moved My Cheese?, addresses many of the challenges people face with making and adapting to changes. In this story, the cheese can represent whatever you are doing in your business. Here are a few of his points.

• Change Happens. The Cheese keeps moving.

• Anticipate Change. Get ready for the Cheese to move.

• Monitor Change. Smell the Cheese often so you know when it is getting old.

• Adapt to change quickly. The quicker you let go of the old Cheese, the sooner you can enjoy the new Cheese.

• Change. Move with the Cheese.

• Enjoy Change! Savor the adven-

ture and enjoy the taste of the new Cheese.

• Be ready to quickly change and enjoy it, again. The Cheese keeps moving.

Change can mean letting go of the thing you know and are comfortable with to do something that is unknown and uncomfortable. in America was made in America. Between 2000 and 2005, Chinese manufacturing exploded and flooded our shores, stores and homes with imported bedroom furniture. Very few American furniture factories withstood the onslaught.

John Bassett, president of VaughanBassett Furniture Company, fought back by leading a fight for tariffs on the lowerpriced furniture, and also by changing the way his company had operated for several generations. He changed his business model to be able to compete with the changes in the marketplace.

While most of his business contemporaries closed their factories, Bassett chose to change. He used the same woods, finishing techniques and people to make the furniture, but he modified the processes.

He updated the factories by adding new efficient machinery. He eliminated the long cycles between the production runs to allow a more diverse product selection. He increased the amount of finished inventory in his warehouses to cut the lead time on customer orders.

He changed the marketing message to make the consumer aware of the “made in America” furniture.

If Bassett had stayed the same and tried to weather the storm, he would have joined the other furniture factories that closed their doors. He responded by exploiting what he could do best and challenging the imports on their weaknesses – choice of finish and speed of delivery.

While his story is not over and the competition with the importers is still

intense, his plants are still making furniture and providing jobs to more than 700 people in the Galax, Va., area.

For Bassett to survive he had to change.

Webster’s definition of change is, to make or become different. Sometimes change will require you to stop what you are doing and to start something new or different. Change can mean letting go of the thing you know and are really comfortable with to do something that is unknown and uncomfortable. It may seem like starting the business over again, but when the market moves or if your niche changes, your business must move with it.

If not, you will be left behind and become extinct.

Many business owners fail to realize when change happens or what to do about it when it does. Some even refuse to accept the change; they want everything to stay the same. It’s time to realize that change is coming and prepare for it now. Look for opportunities to expand on what you can do to further separate your small business from the competition. Be willing to remake your business and to be different!

ATC has consistently met standards

by Victory Media thus earning the Military Friendly college designation. Criteria the organization considered included academic policies and compliance; culture and commitment to veterans and their families; and student veteran retention.

“Each year, employers and schools competing for the Military Friendly designation are challenged to a higher standard than in previous years via improved methodology, criteria and weightings developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and our Advisory

Council,” stated a press release from Victory Media.

ATC has a long-standing tradition of providing exemplary service to its student veterans, active duty military members, and their families. The College offers many services including a dedicated enrollment advisor for those using Veterans Affairs Educational Benefits; scholarships and cost-ofliving grants for eligible students; peer mentoring by Veterans Ambassadors; career sessions with area employers; and an active Student Veterans Association chapter.

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.com

AIKEN TECH PLACES AMONG BEST COLLEGES FOR VETS

Aiken Technical College has been recognized for its commitment to serve student veterans and their families.

The College is listed among the top 24 career and technical colleges in the country in the Military Times 2017 Best for Vets list. The College has also been named a 2017 Military Friendly college

by Victory Media, a designation it has received for six consecutive years.

“It is an honor for Aiken Technical College to serve our veterans,” said ATC President Dr. Forest Mahan. “Our objective is to help them meet their educational goals. Veterans bring a very

strong work ethic and are a vital part of our student community. These recognitions are honors that we share with our veterans.”

ATC is ranked as the No. 16 career and technical college for veterans in the country in the 2017 Best for Vets list. For its rankings, Military Times used criteria such as military enrollment; staff support; extracurricular participation rates, activity levels and initiatives that support veterans and their families; and policy agreements such as the U.S. Department of Defense Memorandum of Understanding and Principles of Excellence.

18 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

19

BUSINESSPERSON OF THE MONTH

FATHER’S EXAMPLE LEADS TO LIFE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

BY GARY KAUFFMAN

When Billy Jackson of Tile Center heard about iCare, a local organization that rescues girls caught in human sex trafficking, he knew he had a chance to fulfill a long held dream.

“I always wanted to put on a Christian concert to help someone,” Jackson said. “I knew Walt and Ginger (Amerson, who head iCare) and knew they were needing funds.”

Partnering with 88.3 WAFJ and other local businesses, and using his father’s estate in Appling, Jackson held a fundraising concert with Christian artist Laura

Billy Jackson, Tile Center Story in 2015. This past September, he organized a second concert featuring GMA Dove Award-winning singer Natalie Grant.

For Jackson, it was an opportunity to put his background and talents to use.

“I enjoy serving,” he said. “I think that’s one of my talents. I’ve been trained in doing that by doing political events all my life, so it comes naturally. And what better thing to do it for than something that has an impact on people’s lives.”

Most of Jackson’s life has revolved around the Tile Center, an Augusta fixture since 1961, and the political activities of his father, Georgia Senator Bill Jackson.

“My dad started this company in 1961 so I’ve worked in this business all my life,” Jackson said. “I swept floors when I was a real little kid and worked here summers and in college I worked here after school.”

Tile Center started on Broad Street but is now located on Reynolds Street near 13th Street. It has expanded with stores in Martinez, Aiken and Statesboro. As the name suggests, they are experts in ceramic tile and stone products. They carry tile from around the world and stone products from across the United States.

The elder Jackson entered politics in 1968 as a member of the Columbia County Board of education. He later served 16 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, then in 2007 was elected to the Georgia Senate District 24 seat in a special election. He announced earlier this year that he would retire at the end of his term.

“This business allowed him to be able to go out and be a public servant,” Jackson said.

There was some discussion about Jackson following his father into politics but

that was put on hold for now.

“I was very involved with my dad while he was in office,” Jackson said, “but we felt like we needed to enjoy our family without politics for a few years. But if an opportunity comes up in the future, I’m open to looking at it.”

With that legacy of public service, it was natural for Jackson to do the same.

When his daughter was in sixth grade, he started a girls basketball program called the Georgia Sting. That program is now entering its 17th year and now has about 100 girls involved annually.

“The goal is to build character, discipline and confidence,” he said. “There’s so much they can learn through sports.

We’re trying to prepare the girls for life after high school and college.”

Since its inception, Jackson estimates around 1,000 girls have gone through the program, and more than 40 girls received college scholarships as a result.

He is also the board chair of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the CSRA, one of the last Christian ministries that still has access to public schools.

He also is one of the founders of Trac4, a local Christian businessmen’s organization. And he plans to stay involved in iCare.

Like most people, he had no idea how prevalent human sex trafficking is in the area. Atlanta is a major hub for traffick-

20 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

ing, and the I-20 corridor a major thoroughfare for it. That brings it to the Augusta area as well.

“I didn’t know it was happening here,” Jackson said. “It’s something so many people are blind to.”

All of these public service activities often take Jackson away from the Tile Center. He praised his staff for their hard work in his absence.

“All of that’s possible through having great dedicated people at Tile Center,” he said. “The majority of our employees have been here 10 years or more.”

Jackson’s son-in-law is now also part of the business. Jackson’s father still keeps up with the business to help build a transition to the third generation.

“There’s nothing like having family in a business,” Jackson said. “Most of the time it’s very good.”

What are you passionate about in your business?

I try to give our customers great products and service, and give our employees the opportunity to grow. I want my employees to grow even if they end up leaving us. I want them to excel in their job and excel in their communities and homes.

What have you learned from you father?

I learned to do what’s right, no matter the consequence. Character and integrity has to be at the top of the list. If you’re in politics the call is to do what’s right, even if

there’s going to be consequences. Your values and integrity have to be part of every vote. You treat people right and do what’s right, but sometimes it will cost you in the short term. You treat people with how you want to be treated. I’m blessed to still have my dad around. If we ever waver from our values, he puts us back on the straight and narrow real quick.

How do you unwind?

Unwinding is hanging out with my family. I have a 2-year-old grandson I enjoy spending time with tremendously.

I work around the house, I cut wood. My dad and I are always tinkering on projects.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?

Did I Make a Difference by the Oak Ridge Boys.

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in business?

Try to listen. I’m poor at that, but I try to talk less and listen more.

What does the future hold for you and your business?

We’ll continue to strive to do our best and be our best, but there’s no promise of tomorrow. It could all go up in smoke tomorrow or go another 30 years. Small business in under attack. Technology and everything is changing so rapidly and we’ve got to be able to adjust our business with the changing times and our customers’ needs.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

21

AUGUSTA RESTAURANT GAINS NEW NAME

BY GARY KAUFFMAN

At 5 p.m. Nov. 1, an Augusta restaurant gained a new name.

The Snug, a longtime fixture on Davis Road, changed its name at the beginning of the month to Garden City Steak and Grill. A name change had been considered since Tom Sparks and Christine Grove bought the restaurant in June 2015.

“We gave it some time with the old name to make sure we didn’t lose any loyal customers and to get rid of whatever reputation that might remain,” Sparks said.

Sparks’ daughter, Heather Sparks, is the new general manager and she came up with the new name during a brainstorming session. The new name is a tribute to Augusta’s nickname, The Garden City, plus clearly states the prime offering at the restaurant.

In addition to the name change, the restaurant changed its logo from a bear to a bull. Sparks hopes the new image will

also reflect a bullish economy.

Garden City Steak and Grill made another change a few days after the name change when Red Hare Brewery from Marietta took over the taps in the bar.

“We already had a couple of their beers on tap,” Sparks said. “We figured we’d give it a try to coincide with the name change.”

More changes are in the offing. Sparks plans to paint the exterior in black, red and gray, and is considering an interior makeover, possibly to a steampunk motif.

“The Millennials seem to like it,” he said. “We’re trying to bring the restaurant into this century.”

A new website is being created as well, and Sparks said there will be some subtle changes to the menu.

“Our food is really good,” he said.

“We’re trying to get people to give us a try.”

All Snug gift cards will continue to be honored at Garden City Steak and Grill until their expiration dates.

BUSINESS OPENINGS, CLOSINGS AND MOVES OPENINGS

New Downtown Hotels Tourism, conventions and the growth of North Augusta are resulting in plans for two new hotels in downtown Augusta.

One hotel is planned at the site of the old jail, which is currently being demolished, at the corner of Reynolds Street and James Brown Boulevard. A pedestrian bridge will run across James Brown Boulevard to connect the hotel with the parking garage.

A second hotel, an upscale Hyatt House, is planned along Broad Street, between 12th and 13th streets. It will be built at the site of the former Capitol City Bank, next to Frog Hollow Tavern. It will have its own parking deck.

The hotel at Reynolds and James Brown is expected to have 125 to 135 rooms, while the Hyatt House will have 100 to 117 rooms.

Lidl Land is being cleared on Martintown Road for North Augusta’s newest grocery store.

Lidl, a Germany-based supermarket similar to Aldi’s, plans to construct the

36,000-square-foot store at 417 E. Martintown Road, next to the Martintown Plaza and across from the North Augusta Plaza, which is home to Publix.

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. 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.

Lidl is also building a store on Alexander Drive in Augusta near the Kroger on Washington Road.

Harbor Freight Aiken residents will soon have a new option for all their hardware needs.

Buzz has recently received confirmation that the Harbor Freight Tool chain will be expanding to the Aiken area. The store, one of the chain’s 700 nationwide locations, will be located on Whiskey Road behind the Krispy Kreme.

Harbor Freight specializes in tools, automotive equipment, welding, lawn and garden, and abides by the motto “quality tools at ridiculously low prices.”

CLOSINGS

Bradford Health As a result of restructuring, Bradford Health Services will be closing its Augusta office at the end of the year. It is no longer accepting new patients for Intensive Outpatient effective immediately.

Terry Childers will continue to be the community representative and will be

22 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

available to meet with potential patients and their families.

Bradford will continue its partnership with other programs throughout the Southeast in order to provide access to treatment for all. Consultations and referrals are free. Bradford will also place more emphasis on its two long term recovery programs – The Reprieve for Men in Opelika, Ala., and A Reprieve for Women in Tuscaloosa.

Bradford Health will also continue to offer annual workshops and provide continuing education hours for licensed professional counselors, licensed social workers and drug/alcohol counselors. The next one will be held on Dec. 2 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Augusta.

Visit BradfordHealth.com for more information.

Wendy’s Wendy’s lovers in Martinez will have to pick another option to satisfy their cravings for the foreseeable future.

The Wendy’s on Washington Road near Bobby Jones Expressway closed in late October when its lease ran out. Franchisee Mike Iezzi said it was primarily because of the busy location.

“It was near a traffic light that made it difficult for customers to turn in and out, and that had affected sales,” Iezzi said.

“Because of those reasons, when the lease ran out we closed it.”

Iezzi has no immediate plans to replace the restaurant but said he is always considering expansion.

“It may not be in that town but we’re

certainly looking for more sites to develop,” he said.

His franchise company owns nine other Wendy’s locations in the CSRA. Adventure Crossing Turn out the lights, the party’s over – at least at Adventure Crossing in Augusta.

The mini-fun park closed permanently Nov. 5. It has reportedly been sold, according to the former owner, Michael Brown.

The business had been turning around and had been named as a favorite place for birthday parties by Parent magazine.

It had also hosted business team building events. But the selling of the property resulted in the closure.

Adventure Crossing had more than 20 employees, who will be given reference letters and lists of potential job sites in the area.

The park started in the 1990s as Funsville and was renamed Adventure Crossing in 2008.

MERGERS

Alison South Marketing Group Two major advertising agencies in the CSRA, South Company and The Alison Group, have merged, forming one of the largest full-service firms in the region with offices in Aiken, Augusta and Charlotte.

The new firm, Alison South Marketing Group, will be led by Mike Thomas, chief executive officer, Cynthia South, president, and Mark Alison, chief operations officer.

Continued on page 23

PERSNICKETY INTERIORS CELEBRATES SILVER ANNIVERSARY

BY KELSEY MORROW

A local interior design firm is celebrating a major anniversary.

Persnickety Interiors, owned by Jennifer D’Zio and Sue Garland, entered its 25th year of business with an anniversary celebration on Nov. 17.

Garland began working at Persnickety Interiors in 1991 when it was located in the former Port Royal shopping center. In 1993, when Persnickety moved to its current location at 2021 Walton Way, Jennifer D’Zio joined the company. In 2007, Garland and D’Zio purchased the company from its previous owners, and the rest is history.

When asked the secret to maintaining a successful business, Garland immediately mentioned the company’s emphasis on customer service.

“We build long-lasting relationships with our customers, and we value their support,” she said.

Although the design firm’s showroom is based in Augusta, it has provided residential and commercial services for locations as far away as Philadelphia and New York. As a further credit to D’Zio and Garland’s customer relationships, many of those out-of-state projects have come from former local clients.

“We’ve had clients from Augusta that have moved to or have additional homes in other states and will call us up for their

interior design needs,” Garland said. “Our business has been primarily through word of mouth.”

Some of the services that Persnickety Interiors offers include lighting and fixture selection, space planning and interior specifications as well as new construction and remodeling. Garland and D’Zio also attend interior design conventions every

three months to stay up to date on the latest trends in the field, as well as to provide the most current merchandise in their showroom and to their customers.

“We are a full-service interior design firm, and we provide a wide range of services. From designing one room to designing a whole house, from floor plans to completion,” Garland said.

To celebrate their silver anniversary, Persnickety Interiors held a celebration on Thursday, November 17.

“We wanted to invite both our longtime customers as well as new customers to come celebrate with us,” Garland said.

For more information, including contact information and testimonials from previous customers, visit PersnicketyInteriors.com.

BUSINESS OPENINGS, CLOSINGS AND MOVES

continued from page 22 “By combining our talents, we will have the operational systems and expanded design staff to take our firm to the next level, helping our clients achieve their business goals by effectively reaching their target markets,” South said.

The Alison Group, based in Augusta, has been managing national and regional accounts for 34 years. South Company, based in Aiken, was established in 2010.

Together, the staff includes 20 employees, including account executives, multimedia and web designers, event planners, media buyers, referral generators and public relations specialists.

“We look forward to providing enhanced services to our clients,” Thomas said. “With an office in Augusta and Charlotte, we will be more accessible to clients in those markets, and more involved in those communities.”

Alison added, “Our merger is bringing our extensive agency management experience to an agency that is a catalyst of young professionals with innovative ideas, and we are excited about the additional services we can bring to our current client base.”

MOVES

Dr. Robert Mall An Augusta chiropractor has moved his practice across the Savannah River to North Augusta.

After nearly 11 years of serving clients in Augusta, Dr. Robert Mall has joined the practice of Dr. Julie (Brantley) Blankenship and Dr. Viviana Nunez at Brantley Chiropractic, PC. The North Augusta clinic is at 420 West Avenue, right next to Regions Bank.

Mall, an Iowa native and graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic and is a Board Certified Atlas Orthogonal (BCAO) chiropractor. Atlas Orthogonal provides a precise and low-force adjusting technique to realign the cervical spine without physical manipulation.

There are fewer than 400 Board Certified Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractors worldwide.

EXPANSIONS

John Deere Building tractors at a rate of one every seven minutes, the John Deere plant in Grovetown uses lots of parts. Until this week, that meant having parts shipped

from seven different warehouses.

That will no longer be the case as John Deere unveiled its new 542,000-squarefoot warehouse situated between its two plants in Grovetown. The warehouse will reduce the delivery time of parts dramatically. In the past, it could take three hours or more for needed parts to arrive. Now it may be as little as 15 minutes.

The new building is 1,250 feet long (nearly a quarter of mile) by 420 feet wide, and stands nearly three stories high.

It contains about 19 miles of fiber optic cables and has 16,000 pallet racks and 90 dock doors.

ANNIVERSARIES

Tease Hair Salon A local hair salon is celebrating its first anniversary on Nov. 19.

Morgan Weathers and Kaitlin Thigpen opened Tease Color + Hair Design Studio, located on Baston Road across from Augusta Christian Schools, in October 2015.

“It’s been a dream of ours since we were younger to start our own hair salon,” Weathers said. “I was working out of my home after the birth of my third

child, saving up to open my own salon. I wanted someone to work with who was trustworthy and talented, and Kaitlin loved the idea.”

Tease now has nine stylists on its team, including Weathers and Thigpen, giving them combined experience of more than 40 years in the hair and beauty industry.

“We have a very talented team of stylists,” Weathers said. “We wanted to create a place that had no drama and was a fun place to work.”

On Saturday, Nov. 19, Tease will host a celebration in honor of its first anniversary beginning at 7 p.m. All proceeds from the celebration will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of Rick Flake, the husband of a client, who recently passed away from the disease.

Food and beverages will also be available as long as they last.

“It’s been an amazing year,” Weathers said. “Come check us out. We’d love to have you!”

For more information about Tease Hair, visit their website TeaseHairDesignStudio.com.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

23

ELLEFSON TRANSPORTATION EXPANDS

NEW BUILDING NEEDED AS DATA STORAGE BUSINESS GROWS

BY NEIL GORDON

With one shovel of dirt and two years of internal discussions behind him, Brian Ellefson is on the move again. Ellefson, CEO of Ellefson Transportation Group, is now focused on changing the way clients and travelers through South Augusta will perceive the family run company while creating more room for a growing part of its business.

On Nov. 4, ETG broke ground on a 26,000-squarefoot facility adjacent to its existing operations. In the fall of 2017 it will house Augusta Data Storage, a subsidiary company now responsible for 40 percent of ETG’s revenues. The $2.5 million facility will allow for storage space for 150,000 more boxes.

The facility will be outfitted to meet unique specifications for record storage, including climate controlled NARA-compliant storage, making it one of only 26 NARA-compliant storage facilities in the United States.

The current set-up for ETG is a series of buildings totaling 92,000 square feet to accommodate all of ETG’S business.

“When we built this and moved in, everything fit in a third of this space,” Ellefson said. “Now, this space only represents a third of our records.”

This move will help ETG to comply with federal records retention requirements that its customers require.

Ellefson said more government-affiliated customers are requesting compliant facilities for their records. One of Augusta Data Storage’s major contracts is with a company that manages Medicare and Medicaid benefits for railroad employees.

“They were the driving factor,” Ellefson said.

The company also hopes to create 20 more office spaces by relocating Augusta Data Storage personnel, human

An artist rendering of the front elevation of Ellefson’s new building in South Augusta. Courtesy of Studio 3 Design.

Ellefson officials and community leaders at the Ellefson groundbreaking on Nov. 4. Courtesy Kristin Stokes, Ellefson Transportation Group

resources and safety & compliance staffers to better serve the public, with easier access from Mike Padgett Highway.

“I’m proud of how South Augusta is growing,” added Ellefson. Across the street, a developer remodeled three older homes into modern office space and nearby Ireland Electric moved into its new facility.

“This is an exciting time for Ellefson Transportation Group,” Jim Thorpe, the company’s director of business development, said at the ceremonial event. “You might not travel Mike Padgett Highway on a daily basis, but we hope if you get the chance over the next year you’ll swing by, slow down and take a look at the progression of the building here.”

Thorpe was hired in 2013 and along with Ellefson’s daughter Kristin has carefully re-branded Ellefson Transportation Group as an umbrella company providing moving-related services under the names ADSI Moving Systems, Acme Moving and Storage and Augusta Go-Mini’s – and the separate, Augusta Data Storage business, created in 1992.

Their efforts, plus a call from a long-time shredding and storage customer, triggered the re-branding of the name, colors and addition of specific websites and marketing materials.

“He called me to say he had moved so we could change the pick-up location of his company data,” said Ellefson.

When the CEO asked the client why he didn’t choose ADSI Moving Systems for the transition, the client told Ellefson he didn’t know they were movers too.

“I knew right then we had an identity crisis,” said Ellefson. “Moving is 60 percent of our business.”

Ellefson Transportation Group performs local and long distance relocations, records management, shredding, warehousing and portable storage.

The community is likely to see more marketing efforts in 2017 leading up to the grand opening of the Augusta Data Storage building as Ellefson Transportation Group will be celebrating 50 years of service in the CSRA and Augusta Data Storage will be celebrating its 25th anniversary during 2017.

“We look forward to the completion of this project and all that it represents for the growth and future of our organization,” said Chief Operations Officer Nyles Ellefson.

In the late 1960s the company started as a moving company with three employees. Nearly 50 years and 100 plus employees later, Ellefson Transportation Company is on the move again – with big plans in 2017.

—with Damon Cline, Business Editor, Augusta Chronicle

DREAM OF WATER PARK IN NORTH AUGUSTA DYING

North Augusta’s dream of a water park on the north side is in danger of being scuttled.

According to the Aiken Standard, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy has been filed against Scuttle’s Island Water Park. The park has been planned for Edgefield Road near the Walmart Super Center off Exit 5 of I-20.

The bankruptcy was filed in a federal court. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy is filed in

an attempt to collect outstanding debts from a company.

The proposed water park has faced a variety of legal obstacles. Originally designed to be located next to Lights of the South in Grovetown, it was scrapped there after failing to meet Columbia County requirements. It was then moved to the site in North Augusta, with a planned opening date of this past Memorial Day. However, legal proceedings

24 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

involving the original owner delayed the start. Then in March the land was sold to a man who was convicted of fraud.

No site work ever started and there has been virtually no communication involving officials from Cedar Rock Holdings, which owns the rights to Scuttle’s Island.

However, during the summer the Scuttle’s Island website was updated to list the names of various rides and restaurants at the park, fueling hope among some that

construction of the park would soon be underway.

Many of the slides for the water park have already been built. Officials had said about $7 million has already been spent on the park. The total cost of the park was estimated at $21 million.

It was designed to be open between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and anticipated drawing 200,000 to 300,000 visitors.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

25

GOODWILL TO ALL

WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS CREATES ITS VALUE KIM ROMANER

Do you think the value of the “goodwill” associated with your business stems from how many of your customers you know by name? Or perhaps how many of your customers know you by name?

First of all, let me assure you that it is not. (In fact, this is probably a sign that when you leave the business, all of the goodwill will walk out the door with you.

Another reminder: Take yourself out of the equation of business value!) But even if it was, how do you establish a value for those relationships?

When it comes to valuing your business, there is nothing subjective about the definition of goodwill. It is defined as the difference between what someone is willing to pay for your company minus the value of your hard assets.

Let’s imagine you own a plumbing company and the main physical assets in your company are the five vans you own and some tools with a total value of around $100,000. If you sold your plumbing company for $1,000,000, the acquirer would have paid $900,000 in goodwill ($1,000,000 - $100,000).

When a company sells for the value of its fixed assets, it is often a distressed business one step away from closing down. One way to think about your job description as an owner is to maximize the difference between what your business is worth to a buyer and the value of your fixed assets.

For an example of the difference between valuing a business for its hard assets vs. its goodwill, take a look at the recent acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide by Marriott. Neither Starwood nor Marriott own many of the hotels that bear their name. Instead, they license the name to operators, franchisees and the owners of the bricks and mortar.

So why would Marriott cough up $13 billion for Starwood if they don’t even own the hotels they run? In part, Marriott wanted to get its hands on the Starwood Preferred Guest program, a loyalty scheme which has proven more popular than Marriott’s program for frequent travelers.

Similarly, Uber is worth something north of $50 billion because more than one million people per day hail a ride using Uber, not because they own a whole bunch of cars.

What Starwood and Uber have in common is that they’ve created a unique business model that’s very difficult to duplicate. In Starwood’s case, not even a fierce competitor like Marriott has been able to successfully copy their method of creating value for their customers.

In your case, focus on what uniquely creates value for your customers and you will maximize the value of your business far beyond the value of your hard assets.

And be real. Are you truly creating unique and differentiated value for your customers? Do you have a documented process for creating that unique value?

When it comes to valuing your business, there is nothing subjective about the definition of goodwill.

For example, did you know that Chickfil-A has a customized hiring process and a unique and differentiated set of interview questions its operators pose to potential employees? You might not have thought about Chick-fil-A’s hiring process until just now, but you do know that your experience with Chick-fil-A employees is quite different from your experience with employees of other fast food restaurants.

Of course, Chick-fil-A’s model is different from the bottom to the top. Its franchisees are referred to as “Operators,” an indicator of how closely the corporate entity manages its units. Whereas most fast food franchises are very serious about selling multiple units to one buyer, Chickfil-A has staunchly stuck to its “one unit per Operator” stance. And of course, we all know that Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sundays.

These decisions and differentiators were not come upon lightly. Serious thought was given to the ways in which the company would reflect its values, and how doing so would directly feed its business model. As a result, this $6 billion business is still family owned and has posted 48

consecutive years of positive sales growth.

Do you know what your company’s values are? Are you looking for new ways to differentiate your company every day?

Do you have your unique business model written down so that anyone could take those policies, procedures, values and examples and successfully start and operate a franchise of your business? Have you analyzed the risks to your business model and defined strategies for overcoming them?

That’s a definition of valuable goodwill that will one day optimize the selling price of your business.

Kim Romaner is president of Transworld Business Advisors of Augusta, a business brokerage and franchise consulting firm, and a Multi-Million 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.

DUE DATES

RULES CHANGE ABOUT WHEN SOME TAX DOCUMENTS ARE DUE CHRISTINE HALL

For tax years beginning after 2015, there are revisions for the initial due dates and/or extended due dates for various tax returns that affect small businesses. Since these new due date provisions are effective for tax years beginning after 2015, the new deadlines will first apply to 2016 which are due in 2017.

It is important that you keep these changes close at hand because failure to file the returns in a timely manner will result in late filing penalties.

The following list includes some of the more common returns and their new due dates: Partnership Returns (Form 1065).

The initial due date for a Partnership Return (Form 1065) will be the 15th day of the third month following year-end. For example, a calendar-year partnership will have a due date of March 15 of the fol-

Failure to file the returns in a timely manner will result in late filing penalties. lowing year. Previously, partnership returns were due the 15th day following the fourth month (i.e., April 15). The extension due date for partnership returns will not change; it will continue to be September 15.

C Corporation Returns (Form 1120).

The initial due date for a calendar-year C corporation return will be April 15 of the following year and the extended due date will remain unchanged and will be September 15. The prior initial due date for Form 1120 was March 15 of the fol-

26 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

lowing year.

W-2s and 1099s. In order to cut down on identity theft, for information returns filed after 2016 (2016 forms filed in 2017), the new due date for W-2 and 1099-Misc forms that are to be filed with the Social Security Administration is January 31. This is the same due date the forms are to be filed with the recipient of the compensation. Previously, the due date for these returns with the Social Security Administration was the last day of February.

Failure to timely file information returns has also become more costly. Effective for returns required to be filed after 2015, the new laws increase the failure to file penalty from $100 to $260 per return. This penalty is applied to both the payee and the IRS. Therefore, failure to file a 2016 Form 1099 required to be filed in 2017 with both the payee

and the IRS would trigger a total penalty of $520.

The act changes the due dates and/or extended due dates for several other tax forms not mentioned in this article. Be sure to ask your tax preparer about the new due dates and their impact because the changes could apply to 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 706-855-7733 or email at cmh@ HMandScpas.com.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

27

ON YOUR OWN

AS BUSINESS GROWS SO DOES NEED FOR COMMERCIAL COPIER SCOTT THURMOND

How do you know when it’s time to step up to a commercial copier?

It’s that time of year that we business owners reflect about where we have come and where we are going. We’ve all made it through the depths of the recession, and the strategies which we adopted during the worst of times we find have helped us succeed in the best of times. We are all looking –or should be looking—at our 2017 goals along with our longer term business plans and developing strategies to take us where we want to be at the end of the coming year.

Having the resources, both in terms of people and equipment, is crucial to your success. Yet, every business owner, particularly those who survived the recession, has a fear of getting in over one’s head in business investment.

When you opened the doors of your business, you probably just went down to the office supply store around the corner or to one of the big box warehouses. You went cheap, you toted the printer home, and plugged it up. Later as your business grew, you may have progressed from an inkjet to a laser. As you added employees, each had a personal printer, with the newest being faster than the older, which often got replaced as the patience of waiting for a printed page wore thin. Your business was suddenly swimming in a myriad of personal desktop printers, and your budget was being attacked by growing costs of ink or toner cartridges.

Let’s define commercial copier versus big box warehouse version. Mainly, the difference is the way the unit is designed by the manufacturer. Box store products are mainly designed to be serviced by the end user. Cartridges are replaced whether all the components of that cartridge are expired or not. Commercial machines are designed with each component separately. A professionally trained technician

will have to exchange these pieces when they expire. Because the full life of each component can be gained, the design saves money in the long run.

How do you know when it is time to bite the bullet, so to speak, and take your business to a new level with a commercial copier? There are several questions we routinely ask small business owners to determine if they are ready for the next level, such as “How much do you spend on cartridges a month?” and “How many sheets of paper do you use in a month?”

Typically, customers who are spending in the neighborhood of $100-$300 a month on ink or toner need to look into commercial copiers. Those who run through a third or more of a case of paper in a month’s time need to think about entering the commercial market of copiers.

You need to consider other things as well. For example, is your company sending printing to a fast-print company because greater quality is desired? Are you paying the fast-print company to produce your pages on a commercial machine?

Would you be able to produce that file at your office, if you had a commercial copier? How much time would that save driving back and forth to the fast-print store? Another common issue is service.

Help when an issue does occur can save time. If your current equipment breaks, does it have to be mailed off for repair or replacement? This can be very disruptive to an office environment.

Today, the commercial copier industry has a wide range of options for a small business wanting faster, more professional results. Entry level machines come in either desktop or small freestanding units.

They are physically smaller, but possess most of if not all the same features of the bigger versions.

Most machines today will copy/print/ scan (folder and email). Common options are fax, staple and more paper sources. Use

your salesperson as a resource. They will ask you all these questions, not to “upsell” but to qualify. This will help make sure you get a machine to match your needs.

If you are purchasing the first copier, get multiple quotes on a new and maybe an off-lease machine. An off-lease machine could get you more features for less money. Because most copiers are sold with a service agreement, the dealer will stand behind the product. However, if technology is a major factor, newer is most always better.

We all know the end of the year is a good time to purchase cars, but it is also a good time to purchase copiers as companies upgrade their machines at this time.

If this is your first upgrade or you are adding more copiers, keep in mind these can

be purchased or leased. Your salesperson can help with this also. Ask about end of term options.

Don’t stay frustrated with your current situation. There are many flexible options to take you to the next level.

Scott Thurmond is CEO and Co-Owner of Duplicating Systems, Inc. (DSI), which provides multi-function copiers, software solutions and other technology. The company has been serving the CSRA for more than 30 years. For comments or questions, email sthurmond@ duplicatingsytstems. com

WALTON OPTIONS GIVES AWARDS TO LOCAL GROUPS

Walton Options for Independent Living and Tedford CPA recently announced the winners of the Most Valuable Partner (MVP) Community Awards during a Celebration Brunch at the Legends Club. Five community awards and two organizational awards were presented to businesses, organizations and individuals, recognizing the work that has been done to create a more inclusive community for persons with disabilities in the CSRA. The MVP Community Awards winners are:

Inclusive Employment Award: Adaptive Driving Solutions Community Government Award: Project Burke Build Public Accommodation & Communication Award: Regal Augusta Exchange Stadium 20 Outstanding Service Organization Award: Veteran K9 Solutions Outstanding Individual Advocate Award: Aldwin Yarbrough The Walton Options Special Recognition Awards are: MVP Award: Carolyn Free

28 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

Dedicated Volunteer Service Award: Lura Maryland “As an advocacy organization, our goal is not always just to bring the negative attention to necessary change, but also to highlight what is working and share those examples for good practice,” said Tiffany Clifford, Executive Director at Walton Options for Independent Living. “The goal of these Awards is to raise awareness of the positive steps that are being taken in the CSRA to benefit the disability community as well as get more business and community leaders thinking about

what they could be doing to be inclusive.

After the amazing event here today, I believe we have achieved just that.”

Guest speaker Kellie Irving, City of Augusta Compliance Department Director, is commited to making the CSRA more accessible for all.

“From deep inside I am moved to do something,” Irving said. “No matter how small and insignificant or large and monumental, I must courageously take a stand by speaking up, standing down, sitting in and moving change along. I commit to be fair, impartial and inclusive.”

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

29

READY WIP OR REDDI-WIP?

WIP MEETINGS CAN BE VALUABLE TOOL IN WORK FLOW

BETH PENCE

WIP meeting. “Ugh, I hate those!”

What’s up with that?

WIP (Work In Progress) meetings won’t be as popular as Reddi-Wip on our pumpkin pie. The question is, what’s right with your WIP meetings?

Being a leader means finding the time to discuss with your team what’s happened in the past, the present and the future as it relates to Work you have In Progress, or WIP. WIP meetings are about customer deadlines and the pressure of those deadlines on a daily basis.

They’re about strategy and meeting the budget and making sure you have supplies. It can also be about the staff ’s development, pride, motivations and passion for their work.

Business owners have different situations, production needs, workplace locations, partnerships and structure of work to be completed. There is a “right way” to have WIP meetings and that is to have them regularly. Most effective is having them daily if your work structure allows for this.

Usually there’s a computer-driven system for scheduling the work and that’s the place to start. This is where you look for what’s in the queue and what deadlines are looming.

The WIP meeting allows the team to create an operational plan for the day and week, addressing issues related to workflow, as well as allowing the team members to update everyone concerning specific customer needs.

When structuring your WIP meetings, consider the following ideas: Who: All departments should be represented during the WIP Meeting. If

you’re a small business, it’s good to have everyone attend the meeting. For larger teams, consider rotating attendance in the WIP meeting giving development opportunities to many employees. This increases communication and limits the need to repeat information. The Production Manager should conduct the WIP meeting and keep notes in order to update system information.

Sample WIP Agenda 1.Review current invoices and deadlines 2.Review new work added to schedule 3.Review department needs 4.Review training opportunities 5.Share feedback and expectations

What: Print a copy of the work in progress from your system or production scheduler, for each person attending. A WIP report can be sorted in a number of ways: by location, deadlines, team members or department. Members attending should be prepared to discuss the items needed for successful completion of the items on the WIP report. It’s easy for WIP meetings to drag when people are not prepared, are not on time, are not comfortable or go off topic. Increase efficiencies of this meeting by keeping it a standing meeting and everyone coming prepared.

When: A WIP meeting should be held at the same time and same day(s) so everyone, including sales people, can plan on attending. It’s recommended that they be held in the morning, no later than 9 a.m. WIP meetings should be no longer than 15 minutes. Call another meeting if

LOOKING AHEAD

something is discussed too long.

Where: A WIP meeting should be conducted at a location where all departments are able to congregate; maybe the Production Manager’s area, a large table or a conference room. It’s best to keep people standing during the meeting – this will make it go faster as the team is then poised to move and get on with their day.

Why: The WIP meeting is conducted so everyone has a clear understanding of what is expected of them for the day/ week. The WIP meeting is also critical to identifying needs for training opportunities, strategizing and imparting vital information.

A WIP meeting should focus on the most efficient and profitable way to execute operations. This requires all departments to have that clear understanding of the schedule of work to be completed and how they are completing that work. The meeting is a great opportunity to share sales wins and discuss new clients.

Commit to a WIP meeting daily. Performed effectively, a WIP meeting will save everyone time and increase efficiencies and profitability.

Now it’s time for celebrating those organized and efficient wins with some pumpkin pie and Reddi-Wip.

Beth Pence and her son Phillip own Alphagraphics, located in Martinez, just across from the Martinez Post Office off of Martinez Blvd. on Commercial Ct. They offer full print, signs and design services. Reach them at 706-650-3177 or US650@alphagraphics.com.

CHART CAN HELP FIGURE FUTURE MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS MIKE HERRINGTON

The objective of the required minimum distribution rule is to ensure that the entire value of a traditional IRA or employer-sponsored qualified retirement plan account will be distributed over the IRA owner’s/retired employee’s life expectancy.

IRS regulations include a “Uniform Lifetime Table” that is generally used to calculate the required minimum distributions that must be made from qualified plans, including 401(k) plans, Section 403(b) annuities and regular IRAs. To calculate your annual required minimum distribution, follow these simple steps:

Example: Step 1: Account balance as of the previous December 31: $______ $200,000 Step 2: Distribution period factor based on your age as of December 31 in the year for which the distribution is being calculated: 25.6 Step 3: Divide Step 1 by Step 2; the result is your annual required minimum distribution for the year: $______ $7,812.50 Uniform Lifetime Table: Age Distribution Age Distribution 70 27.4 71 26.5 72 25.6 73 24.7

30 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102 104 106

23.8 22.0 20.3 18.7 17.1 15.5 14.1 12.7 11.4 10.2 9.1 8.1 71 6.3 5.5 4.9 4.2

75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 101 103 105 107

22.9 21.2 19.5 17.9 16.3 14.8 13.4 12.0 10.8 9.6 8.6 7.6 6.7 5.9 5.2 4.5 3.9

108 110 112 114

3.7 3.1 2.6 2.1

109 111 113 115

3.4 2.9 2.4 1.9

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

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

31

WATCH WORDS

CUSTOMERS WILL VIEW SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEOS IF DONE RIGHT KELSEY MORROW

Imagine that you are scrolling down your Facebook newsfeed, and you come to a video. Do you watch? If you are like most social media users, the answer is yes.

Several news sources specializing in digital media trends have declared video to be the biggest social media trend to watch in 2017.

However, just because videos are currently popular with users, they still aren’t a fail-safe marketing approach.

Here are some things to consider in order to make the most out of your social media videos.

Video length: Youtube and Facebook like to promote videos that they deem as popular. The way that they determine this is by the percentage of a video that a user watches before clicking over to another video. For example, videos that get watched 50 percent through will be considered more popular than videos that only get watched 25 percent through.

The best way to optimize your percent-

age is to make your video as short as possible. Attention spans are at an all-time low in our society so the shorter the video, the more likely you will actually get your target audience to watch it. And mathematically speaking, it will help your popularity ranking. If your video is 10 minutes long, viewers would have to watch more than five minutes for a 50 percent ranking. However, if your video is only 60 seconds long, viewers would only need to watch 30 seconds for you to achieve the same popularity level.

Use your best judgment on this. Obviously, if your video is intending to teach a skill, such as changing your car’s engine oil, this will be an exception because you don’t want to leave out any important steps just for the sake of a shorter video.

Topic: Not all topics merit video.

Sometimes a text post or a photo will be more appropriate. For example, things like statistics are much more powerful as a visual infographic or a chart than as spoken words.

Attention spans are at an all-time low in our society so the shorter the video, the more likely you will actually get your target audience to watch it.

Also, with Facebook live, for example, make sure that it’s a topic that your viewers will find important. Every time someone you follow goes live on Facebook, you get a notification. If you are doing Facebook live posts for every little thing going on in your company, people will get jaded. Then when you do have an important event that you want people to notice, it won’t have the same novelty and sense of immediacy.

Save Facebook live for special occasions. If you are a clothing store that just received your new fall items, you could do a preview fashion show on Facebook live.

If you are going to be filming a commercial or holding a major event, use Face-

book live to give a behind-the-scenes look at the production.

By giving your viewers these “fly on the wall” views into your company, you are providing value and incentive for them to watch.

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. Contact her at kelsey.morrow@buzzon.biz.

NORTH AUGUSTA CHAMBER

THINK SMALL WHEN PLANNING HOLIDAY SHOPPING LISTS JESSICA HANSON

The United States is home to more than 28 million small businesses, many of which are self-employed. Our local small businesses are the heartbeat of our community. These hardworking entrepreneurs each do their part in making our community such an amazing place to live, work and play.

These are businesses that stay open late when we need to pick up that last-minute item or ask a question. They sponsor community sports programs, fundraisers and benefits. So when you shop small business you’re helping to pay for ballet classes and recreational football jerseys; you’re putting food on the table for another local family.

But most importantly, you are saying you support and believe in the success of their business. Small businesses are vital to our local economies and you can help make sure these small businesses stay in business and continue making contributions to our local economy.

Small Business Saturday was started

by American Express in 2010 as a way to highlight small businesses in the midst of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, holiday sales that feature larger big-box and e-commerce retailers. The movement has grown from a rather small effort to a

These hardworking entrepreneurs each do their part in making our community such an amazing place to live, work and play. widely recognized and anticipated event each year.

The North Augusta Chamber loves our small businesses and will serve as a Small Business Saturday Welcome Center on Saturday, Nov. 26 from 9a.m.-1:30 p.m.

The Chamber will hand out swag bags, have face painting and light refreshments with hot chocolate for those shoppers who wish to visit.

A Small Business Passport will also be available for pick-up at the Chamber.

Shoppers who wish to participate may get the passport stamped by all participating Passport Stops, then return the passport to the Chamber. Those who return their passports are eligible to win a grand prize

32 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

pack filled with goodies from local small businesses. The winner will be announced at our Jingle & Mingle holiday event at the Chamber on December 5. If you’re interested in information on how you can provide swag or a prize or become a passport stop, contact Jessica Hanson at 803-279-2323.

The Chamber is also now accepting nominations for this year’s Small Business of the Year. The Small Business of the Year Award goes to a North Augusta business that has shown growth or sustainability of their business with strong employee relations and a record of giving back to the community.

The award was formerly the Small Business Person of the Year Award, but is now awarded to the business as a whole.

Quality Printing & Graphics was named the 2015 Small Business of the Year. The Lunsford family has owned and operated the North Augusta business for more than 50 years.

“They truly set themselves apart by continuing to offer great face-to-face customer service, as well as remaining readily available to customers,” said Quality Printing’s nomination form.

There are many ways to support and recognize small businesses in our com-

munity, such as nominating a business for the Small Business of the Year Award. The Chamber encourages you to recognize those small businesses that exemplify the qualities of excellence, and have made a difference in our lives and community, so please take the time to nominate one of them. These special men and women are the individuals consistently contributing to making our community unique, strong and successful.

To nominate a business, email Jessica Hanson at jessica@northaugustachamber.org for a nomination packet.

Nominations must be received by Tuesday, December 27. Say “thank you” to a small business, make a nomination today!

Jessica Hanson is the Director of Programs for the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce. In this role since March 2013 she works to grow and maintain the Chamber’s membership base by developing and implementing events to promote membership growth and increase retention levels.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

33

REMOTE CHANCE

USE CAUTION WHEN ALLOWING REMOTE COMPUTER ACCESS CHARLES KELLY

We like the ease and anonymity of letting someone repair our computers or even our networks through remote services. You give someone your credit card and then are asked to click on a link sent via email. Voila!

They are in your system and it looks very official and highly technical while in fact what you are seeing in many cases is just a highly stylized set of graphics intended to make you think that wizards are zooming through your system fixing everything that could possibly be wrong and saving the day.

In fact, in many cases these companies are outright frauds and do nothing but take your credit card and bill you ever escalating amounts as the story they tell you about your system becomes more and more dire. Often, at the end when you have been billed $300 and request a refund they politely agree and say that they will do that, but that for legal reasons they must wire the money into your checking account, so they need your account and routing numbers.

You can guess what happens after that and it is nothing good. Time to close your checking account and report that credit card as compromised.

In a slightly better version, the company bills you a little less than $100 and someone from another country remotes in and does a quick, automated fix that does improve the speed of your computer a little bit, while the software indicates that massive amounts of work has been done and the system in now “optimal.” Then they offer you discounted future or lifetime service for around $200, which often turns

out to be useless and/or another opportunity to sell you something else.

What these companies neglect to tell you is that they don’t bother scanning your hard drive or memory for defects because they don’t have the ability to help you. In fact, around 40 percent of the repairs that we do involve not only software issues, but hardware defects as well.

So, if you do get a legitimate company to remote in and you do happen to have a failing hard drive, or a motherboard with bad capacitors (which can only be seen with a visual inspection), they will do the software repair and your ticking time bomb of a hard drive is left to fail, taking all of your data with it.

We do remote work for business and home customers all the time and in fact, regular maintenance for business customers is often done remotely. Remote maintenance service is less intrusive and less disruptive to the business.

The difference is that our customers op-

erate in our geographic area and we have actual field engineers that don’t live across an ocean. They can remote in to a customer’s home or business customer and if it cannot be repaired remotely or if a failing hard drive is detected, an engineer can be dispatched to repair the machine on site or to pick the machine up to be taken to our repair facility.

The customer can also choose to drive it to one of our three retail service centers where repairs will be completed and the customer can then choose to have the machine re-delivered or they can pick it up, whichever is more convenient.

In the case of a bad mainboard or the failure of several components, the customer will often decide on a new computer. Once a computer is picked out, we will work with the customer to migrate the data to the new computer and schedule a return service call to deploy and configure it to the customer’s standards.

Rule of thumb: If your IT company

exists across an ocean or in a different time zone or if there is an expensive “trip charge” involved or you feel that your personal information is at risk, you should change IT companies.

For the best results, use a local IT company that can help you quickly when you need it. For example, with three locations the farthest we have to travel is a few miles and most service calls are dispatched the same or next day. Don’t call a stranger in a strange land.

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.

THINK TWICE

GOING CHEAPER MAY COST MORE IN THE LONG RUN

TONY CREIGHTON

As a commercial property manager, addressing problems can be a large part of your daily schedule. With issues seemingly flying at you from all directions, why create more stress for yourself by choosing the wrong contractor for exterior cleaning?

Q: How do you go about choosing the wrong contractor? A: Usually, by looking solely at the lowest price, and not taking into consideration all the things that will minimize the risk of headaches.

The right exterior cleaning contractor knows the role of a commercial PM, and has the knowledge and commercial property experience to help solve their prob-

lem, making their job easier and hassle free!

The right contractor has the proper equipment and experience to efficiently clean surfaces like concrete sidewalks, siding and windows without causing damage.

Concrete can be scarred and damaged by trying to remove chewing gum or stains with high pressure washing. Instead, the experienced, properly-equipped contractor knows to use hot water, combined with special detergents and a controlled amount of pressure to melt gum and remove grease.

Frequently, an inexperienced contractor tries to clean surfaces by blasting away

34 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

with a pressure washer, which can permanently damage window seals, scar vinyl siding, or blow water under siding or door jambs. These issues will quickly create a headache for the property manager who now has to deal with fixing those costly problems.

As a commercial PM, getting the required work done, within the allotted budget is always a priority. A knowledgeable PM knows that a professional, experienced, and licensed contractor can be a better solution, even though they may be more expensive than a “deal” found on Craigslist, or from a flimsy sign stapled to a telephone pole.

In the long run, the cheaper option will

usually impact the budget – and not in a good way. Just remember, if you think hiring a professional is expensive, try hiring an amateur.

Anthony Creighton is the owner and operator of AllClean Pressure Washing, as well as its subsidiary, Augusta ProClean. He is committed to providing a high quality exterior clean on homes and businesses for the CSRA, and can be reached at 706-651-8089 or 762383-5185 or email him at allcleanaugusta@gmail.com.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

35

BALANCING ACT

RETIRING FROM YOUR BUSINESS MEANS PLANNING FOR FUTURE KURT MUELLER

The ability to grab and hold on to the best talent is crucial to the long-term success of any business. One of the most effective ways to keep employees engaged and motivated is by offering them a carefully crafted benefits plan.

Along with salary, it’s what employees look at most carefully when deciding whether to join and stay with a firm.

When you give your employees the benefits they value, they’ll likely be more productive, miss fewer workdays and have a higher commitment to helping you build your business.

In fact, the LIFE Foundation reports that three in four workers consider benefits a decisive factor in weighing job opportunities.

The challenge for many closely held businesses, however, is finding a way to offer the same options and benefits that larger companies enjoy, particularly when it comes to providing competitive health insurance coverage.

Pain or panacea? Much is being written about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and its impact on workplace health benefits. One thing is pretty clear: the Affordable Care Act is likely to shift the relationship between employers and employees as it relates to the selection and use of health insurance coverage.

Self-insurance as an option. As business owners consider their new health insurance options, some are taking a completely different approach to providing coverage. Rather than shopping for carriers on the health exchanges, they’re opting to self-insure. In certain states that permit small plans to

buy stop-loss insurance, self-insurance can provide business owners cost savings and more control than a fully insured option.

What about other benefits? Closely held businesses have plenty of options when it comes to building a benefits plan, each offering tradeoffs between flexibility and affordability. The key is to select benefits your employees will value most. After all, a workforce comprised of 20- and 30-year-olds will have very different priorities than one made up largely of 40- and 50-year-olds.

Saving for the future retirement is a growing priority for business owners. In fact, there has been a sharp increase in business owners offering a retirement plan, up from 10 percent in 2008 to 24 percent in 2013.

One reason for this uptick is that business owners increasingly recognize that any size business can have an affordable plan. In fact, closely held businesses have access to a broad range of retirement plan choices.

Protecting income. As a business owner, you’ve invested a lot of time and resources in growing your business. What would happen if you or one of your key employees suddenly became disabled due to an unforeseen illness or accident? The impact could be devastating to your business and your livelihood.

Still, many entrepreneurs underestimate the chances that disability will strike. That’s why protecting you and your employees’ ability to earn an income is a valued component of a complete ben-

The challenge for many closely held businesses, however, is finding a way to offer the same options and benefits that larger companies enjoy, efits program. The good news is, group disability income insurance is often far less expensive than many business owners assume, and it’s often one of the most cost-effective benefits an employer can provide.

Protecting assets. Long-term care can present physical and emotional challenges for an entire family, and it may require services that are not covered by health insurance or Medicare. Nearly one in five Americans have provided or are currently providing long-term care for a family member or friend, and 59 percent of those caregivers cited increased levels of stress as one of the top challenges in providing care.

A long-term care plan can provide extended care either at home, in the community or in an assisted living or nursing home facility. As part of your business’ overall benefit program, a long-term care plan can foster continuity of productivity and reduction of employee absence if a family member requires care and distinction of your benefit program from that of competitors.

Having a comprehensive, written plan. More and more, business owners are offering financial wellness programs as part of their overall employee benefits. This recognizes that many employees need help with the full spectrum of

financial planning issues, from improving day-to-day money management and budgeting to setting and achieving retirement readiness goals. Often this service is offered by a financial professional and includes one-on-one counseling and the creation and continued updating of a comprehensive written financial plan to help keep employees on track.

The value of partnership. No matter what benefits you want to offer, it makes sense to enlist the help of a team of legal, accounting and financial professionals to help you identify your specific needs and understand and evaluate your various options and their costs.

Once a benefit plan is created, it must be effectively communicated to your employees.

Kurtis W. Mueller is a Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual based in Augusta. To contact him, call 803-671-8792, e-mail him at kurt.mueller@ nm.com or visit his website at kurtmueller.nm.com. This information is not intended as legal or tax advice. Not all products mentioned in this article are offered through Northwestern Mutual.

GREENBRIER STUDENT WINS NATIONAL STEM COMPETITION

A Greenbrier High School senior recently won the individual category in the national Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology.

Alexander Kirov of Evans earned top individual honors and a $3,000 scholarship for research on uncovering the mechanism of the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Competition is the nation’s premier science research competition for high school students and seeks to promote excellence by encouraging students to undertake individual or team research projects.

Kirov’s project was entitled, “Exosomes in Amyloid Aggregates Promote Neuronal Damage: A Mechanism of Alzheimer’s Pathology.” It focused on the cellular triggers of Alzheimer’s disease, which is

characterized by progressive neuronal loss in the brain that leads to thinking, memory and behavioral disorders, and is ultimately fatal.

Today, one out of 10 Americans age 65 and older is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and the number of patients with the disease is rising at an astounding rate. Kirov hopes his research can contribute to reversing this trend.

“Alexander discovered an interesting and novel link between exosomes – the tiny fluid-filled vesicles or sacs released by many cells – and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” said competition judge Dr. Fredrik Vannberg, Assistant Professor of Biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “His findings identify new pathways for treating Alzheimer’s that

36 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

could potentially prevent the disease from developing or slow its progression in patients.”

Kirov aspires to have a research career in the biomedical sciences and hopes to study in an MD/PhD program after he completes college.. As captain of his school’s Science Bowl and math teams, he sees himself as a young leader in STEM. Kirov has competed in numerous science and math competitions, including the US National Chemistry Olympiad as a top nine scorer in his region of over 300 participants.

Kirov’s mentor is Dr. Erhard Bieberich of the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

Kirov was one of three winners in the competition.

“These student projects are evidence of

great teaching in our schools today,” said David Etzwiler, CEO of the Siemens Foundation. “These are high school students presenting advanced research that is helping to solve real problems. That’s pretty amazing.”

The Siemens Competition, launched in 1999 by the Siemens Foundation, was established to increase access to higher education for students who are gifted in STEM and is based on the culture of innovation, research and educational support that is the hallmark of Siemens.

This competition, administered by Discovery Education, seeks to recognize and hopefully build a strong pipeline for the nation’s most promising scientists, engineers and mathematicians.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

37

REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT

CONSISTENCY IN TASKS, WORDS LEADS TO BUSINESS SUCCESS MISSIE USRY

Arsene Wenger once said, “When you look at people who are successful, you will find that they aren’t the people who are motivated, but have consistency in their motivation.”

The textbook definition for consistency is having conformity in the application of a task repetitively; it is believed that consistency is a characteristic that is imperative for leaders in every way of life.

Eric Holtzclaw lists five reasons why consistency is important in business and in leadership.

1. Consistency allows for measurement.

Until you’ve tried a process consistently for a specific period of time, you won’t know if the process is working or not.

Otherwise, how can you measure performance?

2. Holtzclaw says that consistency cre-

ates accountability. When asking employees to be accountable for meeting goals, it’s a priority that a leader does the same with consistent feedback and recurring team meetings. The fact that there is a set time to report on business progress means that employees will be motivated to carry a project to success.

3. Consistency establishes reputation.

Business growth requires a successful track record and this won’t happen if the business is not consistent with a plan.

Constantly shifting gears and changing tactics doesn’t allow enough time to measure success and gives the appearance of a failing business.

4. Holzclaw mentions that consistency makes a business relevant. This applies to leaders as well. A business or leader who is not consistent loses ground, employees lose respect and the business never has a

Business growth requires a successful track record and this won’t happen if the business is not consistent with a plan. chance to gain traction.

5. It’s important to maintain a consistent message. Your team pays as much attention to what their supervisor does as to what they say. Employees watch what a manager does and models after that behavior, despite what rules or guidelines have been set. Practice what you preach!

Consistency is the power that fuels businesses to succeed. Consistency means that a business is providing predictable, reliable results to a customer, client or to an employee every time.

Missie Usry is Enrollment Manager and heads up Georgia Military College’s Augusta campus Admissions department. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accredits Georgia Military College, which means that credits earned at the institution are eligible for transfer to other accredited schools. For questions, please call 706-993-1123, email musry@gmc.edu, or visit gmcaugusta.com.

CAGLE A STRONG ADVOCATE OF EDUCATION

BY AMANDA KING

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle revealed his strong advocacy for education at the most recent Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Pre-Legislative Breakfast Nov 3.

“It’s something that I have not just a great passion for but have committed to make sure that we are creating a first-class work force that is second to none,” the author of Education Unleashed said to a full house at Savannah Rapids Pavilion.

Cagle’s goal is to make Georgia as prosperous as possible, and he believes that begins with education.

“We’ve got to make sure that we are aligning education with the workforce,” Cagle said.

Last year, a study was conducted that showed that 20,000 jobs were available in the health care field that required a two-year degree. Only 5,000 individuals had graduated with the required degree. However, 6,000 graduates obtained a liberal arts degree – but there were only 500 jobs available to those graduates.

Cagle suggested the need to design education around the needs of the community as well as the need of the individual student versus a one-size-fits-all model that

is currently used. He believes students’ needs often lie in the “cracks” in the community resources, such as food and clothing for those in need.

According to Cagle, one out of four children is currently living in poverty. In towns like Milledgeville, that number is even higher, with 48 percent living in poverty.

“The only way that you change that is to have an educational system that is the great equalizer,” Cagle said. “I believe that every single student can have and can experience the American dream.”

Cagle shared about his own experience as a child attending eight different elementary schools and living in a trailer.

“No matter where you start out, you can always end up successful,” Cagle said. “But in order for us to allow that to exist, each of us has to be part of the solution.”

In Henry County, high schools have launched a threeyear program for industrial mechanics. Upon completion, students not only receive a German apprenticeship certification, but also earn an associate’s degree and are paid while at the training facilities. They also have a

$40,000 job waiting for them after graduation, according to Cagle.

Cagle stated that Columbia County is an ideal place to begin similar training programs with the cyber security.

“This is the way education drives the economy,” Cagle said.

Cagle noted that affordability of secondary education is key piece of building the economy as well.

Sen. Jesse Stone of District 23 responded to Cagle’s statements with affirmation that Georgia would get the job done and help create more jobs.

“Education is the engine of growth,” he said. “We have to focus on the students and make sure wherever they are going to school, they have the same opportunities.”

Other local legislators also supported Cagle’s emphasis on education including Reps. Tom McCall, Barry Fleming, Jodi Lott and Mark Newton.

“It’s going to take all of us working together, hand-inhand in working on the critical things that are important for economic prosperity. That is a rising tide that lifts all boats,” Cagle said.

CANCER CENTER DIRECTOR STEPS DOWN; INTERIM NAMED

Dr. Samir Khleif will step down as director of the Georgia Cancer Center.

“I am grateful to Dr. Khleif for his leadership and wish him much future success,” said President Brooks Keel.

“We have a talented group of clinical and research faculty who will capitalize on the work that has been done to further advance the Georgia Cancer Center’s journey to become the state’s second National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.”

Dr. John Cowell, associate director of

basic science for the cancer center and leader of the molecular oncology and biomarkers program, will serve as interim director until a permanent replacement is named.

Earlier this year, Dr. Daniel Albo,

38 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

Distinguished Chair in Surgical Oncology at the Medical College of Georgia, was named director for the cancer center clinical service line, and Dr. Sharad Ghamande, professor and director of gynecologic oncology at MCG, was named associate director for clinical research.

“The interim appointment of Dr. Cowell, coupled with the leaders we already have in place to oversee clinical care and translational research, will ensure a smooth transition for our pa-

tients, faculty, staff and visitors,” Keel said.

Khleif joined the cancer center in 2012. Prior to that, he held positions at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, where he served as medical oncology fellow, senior investigator, and chief of the Cancer Vaccine Section.

Following a year of educational and professional leave, Khleif will return to his faculty position in the university’s medical school.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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CHICK DISH

REAL MEN (AND WOMEN) LOVE CHICKEN SALAD CHICK SUSAN O’KEEFE Real men eat chicken salad. I know because I witnessed it with my own eyes.

Just because Chicken Salad Chick was founded by an Alabama chick and finds its bread and butter in what many people call a “chick” dish, its menu still offers something for everyone.

From the unique deli sandwiches to a soup of the day, as well as sides like broccoli and pasta salad, this Washington Road eatery has quickly become a local go-to for lunch. During a recent visit with a colleague, we noticed the long lines as the noon hour approached. We were grateful to have arrived around 11:30.

The cleanliness, newness, and overall brightness of the restaurant makes for a welcoming environment. With an easyto-navigate ordering system, we stood in line for a minute or so, placed our orders with a friendly clerk who offered suggestions and substitutions, then found a table for two in a quiet side booth.

Around us were babies and moms on what seemed to be moms-day-out dates.

There were professionals in suits heav-

Chicken Salad Chick

Chicken Salad Chick is located at 2817 Washington Road in Augusta. Their phone number is 706-729-6556 and website is chickensaladchick.com ily engrossed in corporate conversations.

There were servicemen and women, retired folks and college kids scattered among the patrons.

With a table marker designating our location, the food deliverer found us shortly after we prepared our drinks and were seated. I ordered the signature chicken salad sandwich served on a flaky croissant with a piece of romaine and a slice of tomato. The sandwich was deli-

40 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

cious. The chick delivered.

To avoid carb loading, I shared the side of pasta salad with my colleague and opted for the broccoli salad drizzled with sweet vinegar-based dressing as my side item.

My colleague is not a chicken salad fan and instead opted for the traditional turkey sandwich. It’s billed as ovenroasted turkey on a New York style hoagie dressed with lettuce, tomato, mayo, honey mustard and Provolone cheese.

My colleague awarded the sandwich two thumbs up.

For the non-chicken salad lovers, the deli menu also offers roast beef, Virginia ham, and pimento cheese sandwiches.

As popular family music played low over the speakers, the hum of conversation increased as the chick house became more crowded. My colleague commented on the vinyl, floral tablecloths and how the atmosphere had a very comfortable, homey feel. Instead of being in a sterile

commercial space, we felt like we were eating lunch at a friend’s house.

Whether a casual business lunch or to feed several in a business meeting, Chicken Salad Chick seems more than capable to meet the need. There’s also a catering menu and carry out option.

We walked away with only a $16 tab for the two of us. Spending less than 10 bucks for lunch put a little more spring in our afternoon step, and motivated us to spread the scoop about the latest lunch option in Augusta.

Susan O’Keefe has been reviewing restaurants for Buzz on Biz since August 2015. Her reviews are based with a business lunch in mind.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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LEADER OF THE PACK

LEADERSHIP IS THE KEY TO BECOMING A GOOD MANAGER BOB JOHNSON

Recently I wrote a column with suggestions on becoming a better leader. This was asked of me by a bar manager who had been “thrown” into a management position because he was really good at what he was doing previously. It was “assumed” he must have the abilities to be a good manager because of his previous great work performance. In other words, he got promoted to his level of incompetence.

In the bar business I learned a long time ago that you have to have the horses to pull the wagon. No horses? You won’t go very far and you’ll end up hating your job. You’ve got to continually feed your horses and continually steer them in the right direction! They must be fed (or led?) into performing.

You’ve got to make your team like you and respect you. It’s not going to happen just because you wear a name tag that says manager.

Think about using some of these techniques I have used over the years. They work!

Never walk past or delay an action that needs immediate attention. If you do so you’re just saying to the world, “That’s not my problem.” In other words, “I know it’s wrong and I just approved it by doing nothing about it.” You can’t do that as a leader – ever!

Understand strengths and weaknesses. Every member of your staff has

a bunch of each, including you. Don’t ask someone to do something they’re not qualified for (or capable of ) and expect positive results.

Know something about every one of your employees outside of work. Are they going to school? If so, what are they studying? What are their hobbies? Do they like to travel? Would they be interested in going into management one day?

It’s amazing how many outside-ofwork skills can be used in your business.

I once hired a cocktail waitress who was studying music at a local university. I made her my entertainment director and she loved her second job. During a casual interview one of my employees mentioned how much he loved doing landscaping.

Guess who improved the entranceway to our club? Your employees probably have an abundance of talents that can be used for the betterment of your business. Find out what they are. Use them. They’ll love you for it.

Value the little things. Enhance your team family capability by remembering everyone’s birthday! It’s simple to do, it works, and every member of your staff will appreciate being recognized by everyone else on their special day. Get a cake, or order a couple of pizzas, start a birthday pool where everyone chips in a couple of bucks and gives the cash to the birthday employee at the end of the night.

Look like a manager. Dress appropri-

You’ve got to make your team like and respect you. It’s not going to happen just because you wear a name tag that says manager. ately. Keep a change of clothes with you in case you have to get out of your suit or dress to do a dirty job!

You’ll never need a name tag that says manager if you always look poised and don’t over-react to anything! You must always stay calm, cool and collected under the most difficult situations!

Hide your tattoos and body piercings.

No trendy haircuts. Stay clean shaven.

Look like you’re in a position of importance.

Ladies – don’t overdo the make-up or the jewelry. Avoid high heels and clothes that are uncomfortable to work in.

Always be early for work. Keep a list of things to do that you refer to everyday.

Always be willing to stay late, if necessary.

Lead!

Don’t play favorites, ever. You’ll lose respect. One of the most demeaning acts a manager can commit is showing favoritism to less qualified staff. This takes the wind right out of your team family sail.

Display a great sense of humor. Make it a part of your personality. But know when, how and where to draw the line.

Business always comes first.

Treat your employees better than you

LESS THAN PERFECT

do your customers. Walt Disney said that. I’d say he was pretty successful in the hospitality field, wouldn’t you?

Make sure everyone is making money.

Don’t kid yourself – no one in this business works for minimum wage. If they’re not making money, you need to find out why and then do something about it. Give them more training or split shifts more fairly so everyone has a chance to make money.

Otherwise, they’ll find work elsewhere. The last thing you need is more turnover.

Bob Johnson has more than 50 years’ experience in the food and beverage industry. After years of running a successful bar management business in San Diego, he and his wife, Lisa, moved to North Augusta. In addition to authoring books on bar management, he also teaches a mobile bartending school, a bar management workshop and a bartending school for military veterans. Contact him at bobthebarguy.com or 800-447-4384.

WINDOWS 10 UPDATES CAN BE ROUGH ON YOUR SYSTEM JOHN POPE

The alarm goes off on my smart phone.

It has been a night of tossing and turning knowing that somewhere, someone was pushing through an unnecessary Windows 10 update. Ever since Microsoft offered Windows 10 as a free upgrade – or more so pushed it on the resistant masses – the following updates have caused many software and networking issues for small, medium and large size businesses.

The majority of the updates are centered around security and keeping your files safe from prying eyes. This is the norm with Windows patches. But, some of the pushed software updates and other unnecessary cumulative updates can cause major issues with client’s networks, specifically in newer printer drivers.

One specific example is the new AllIn-One HP Printers. Some of the recent “necessary” updates pushed through by Microsoft not only disrupt printer function, but can give your PC the false in-

Just because Microsoft suggests you update your Windows 10 doesn’t mean it is going to be a good day for your PC. dicator that the networked printer is offline. The solution is often as simple as uninstalling the printer driver and then reinstalling from the disk or the printer manufacturer sites.

This is just a minor inconvenience in the long term, but businesses that depend on networked printers can have some down time, usually in the area of a couple of hours. And no small business wants to be down that long as every minute, second, millisecond of the day counts.

42 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

Some of the other major issues revolve around security, computer freezes and the dreaded death of Google Chrome, which requires a complete uninstall and reinstall, which is annoying after the fifth or sixth time.

Security is also a factor. Most IT companies or contractors have their preference for antivirus software; some people prefer to use the default Windows Defender. My suggestion is trying free software like Avast for a trial period. The problem with some of the boxed solutions is the processing power it takes to run programs like Norton which comes installed with Comcast high speed internet service if requested. The basic point here is to download software to protect your data and information. This will make you and your business less reliant on these gremlin-like Windows updates.

Despite my complaints, and those of many others in the IT field, most of these updates can be harmless. But it is best

to make sure you have a proper backup or restore point set up in case an update crashes your operating system. And absolutely let your IT friend, co-worker, team or company handle these.

Just because Microsoft suggests you update your Windows 10 doesn’t mean it is going to be a good day for your PC. If you have any issues with these, please let my team at On the Level Digital know and we will help and guide you through proper Windows 10 maintenance.

John Pope has worked in digital media sales and marketing for six years. His specialty is SEO. Contact him at pope@ontheleveldigital.com.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Friday, Nov. 18

UPCOMING BUSINESS EVENTS MetroChamber, @Augusta_Chamber ) For a list of participating locations and more information, visit augustametrochamber.com

Tuesday, Nov. 29 Good Morning, North Augusta presented by the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce, Palmetto Terrace, 100 Georgia Ave, North Augusta, SC. Networking: 7:30 a.m.; Breakfast and Program: 8-9:30 a.m. Members: $15; Non-Members: $25. Keynote Speaker: Tom Clark, Executive Director for the CSRA Alliance for Fort Gordon.

Northaugustachamber.org Ribbon-Cutting: S.D. Clifton Construction, 4324 Wheeler Road, Martinez. 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. columbiacountychamber.com SCORE: How to Manage Your Business Reputation on Social Media, Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce, 121 Richland Avenue, East, Aiken. 9:3011:30 a.m. This workshop will cover the following topics: how to get favorable customer reviews, how to respond to good and bad reviews, and how to check out your “On Line Reputation”.

For more information or to register, visit aikenchamber.net

Saturday, Nov. 19 Bark For Life presented by the American Cancer Society, Blanchard Woods Park, 4600 Blanchard Woods Drive, Evans. 7 a.m.- 12 p.m. A charity 5k/fun run with activities for dog lovers, dog owners, and families. For participation information, visit facebook.com/ barkforlifeCSRAGA or contact Sydney Bromfield at sydney.bromfield@cancer. org. columbiacountychamber.com

Saturday, Nov.26

Small Business Saturday: The Augusta Metro Chamber is celebrating Small Business Saturday in recognition of and in support of the small businesses in the greater Augusta region that enrich our community! Stop by some of the local, participating businesses on Saturday, November 26, and post your best selfie with the shop owners and/or employees. Tag the Business, #shopsmall and the Chamber! (@Augusta-

Ribbon-Cutting: Grovetown Dialysis, 444 Park West Drive, Grovetown. 4:305:30 p.m. columbiacountychamber.com Ribbon-Cutting: Silverton Mortgage, 3520 Walton Way Ext, Suite B. Located on the corner of Wheeler Road and Walton Way Extension. 1:30-2:30 p.m. columbiacountychamber.com Wednesday, November 30 Women in Business: Put your own oxygen mask on first, presented by the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, Hilton Garden Inn-Aiken, 350 Eastgate Drive, Aiken. 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. $35. Aiken Chamber 2013 Woman of the Year, Cindy Besson, M.D. will be the featured speaker. For more information and to register, visit aikenchamber.net

Friday, December 9

Aiken Young Professionals Year End Party presented by the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, Inn at Houndslake, 879 Houndslake Drive, Aiken. 7-11 p.m. Members are free, guests are $15, advance registration is required. For more information and to register, visit aikenchamber.net

Saturday, December 10

Thursday, Dec. 1

First Friday Means Business presented by the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, Newberry Hall, 117 Newberry Street, SW, Aiken. 7:30-9 a.m. $18. An informative monthly business meeting featuring a keynote speaker who addresses issues of interest to the business community as well as networking time with other attendees. For more information and to register, visit aikenchamber.net

Auggie’s Holiday Bazaar presented by the Augusta GreenJackets, Lake Olmstead Stadium, 78 Milledge Road, Augusta. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. A family fun event where you can meet Santa and Mrs. Clause, do Christmas shopping throughout a vendor fair, let the kids bounce on inflatables and climb on different cars from Touch-A-Truck. There will also be food and drinks along with free coffee and hot chocolate. Participate in the Toys for Tots drive by making a donation and be entered to win prizes. For vendor information, contact (706) 736-7889 or smitchell@greenjacketsbaseball.com. Columbiacountychamber.com

Monday, Dec. 5

Sunday, December 11

Ribbon-Cutting: Palmetto Propane Hearth & Homestore, 133 Davis Road, Augusta. 12-1 p.m. columbiacountychamber.com

Friday, Dec. 2

Jingle and Mingle presented by the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce, North Augusta Chamber Office, 406 West Avenue, North Augusta.

5-7 p.m. Drop-in networking event.

Northaugustachamber.org

Tuesday, Dec. 6 December Member Economic Luncheon presented by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, Augusta Marriott Hotel and Suites, 2 Tenth Street, Augusta. 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Members: $35; Non-Members: $45. Registration Deadline: Wednesday, November 30. Keynote speaker: Larry Williams, Incoming TAG President/CEO. For more information, visit augustametrochamber.com

44 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

1 Tenth Street, Suite 120. 4-5:30 p.m.

Free for members. Advance registration required. Meet and converse with Chamber leadership, provide your feedback, and get the scoop regarding Downtown Augusta development.

AugustaMetroChamber.com Business After Hours presented by the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, Woodside Plantation Country Club, 1000 Woodside Plantation Drive, Aiken.

5-7 p.m. An excellent opportunity for a company to introduce itself to the business community. This program allows the host/sponsor to showcase its business, services, and facilities to fellow Chamber members. It also offers members the chance to meet one another and network in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. For more information, visit aikenchamber.net Chamber After Hours presented by the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, Location to be announced.

5-7 p.m. An after hours event designed for chamber members to meet and build relationships. For more information, visit columbiacountychamber.com

Friday, December 16 Good Morning North Augusta: State of Our Community Update presented by the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce, Palmetto Terrace, 4th floor Municipal Complex, 100 Georgia Avenue, North Augusta. 8-9:30 a.m. Networking begins at 7:30 a.m. ; Breakfast and programming begin at 8 a.m. $15 Representatives from local government, education, public safety and military will comprise a community panel. The panel will discuss strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats they face in the year ahead, and then, attendees will have an opportunity to address the panel or ask questions.

Northaugustachamber.org

Tuesday, December 20 North Augusta Lions Christmas Parade, Georgia Avenue, North Augusta.

2-4 p.m. Theme: “Under the Christmas Tree” Businesses and organizations that are interested in participating can download an application at northaugustachamber.org

Monday, December 12 Member Town Hall presented by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, Augusta Metro Chamber office,

Women In Business Luncheon presented by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, The Legends Club, 2701 Washington Road. 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. $30 Members,$40 non-members.

Advance Registration Required. Holiday Luncheon, sponsored by Queensborough National Bank & Trust. AugustaMetroChamber.com

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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HISTORIC AUGUSTA NAMES TOP PRESERVATION PROJECTS Historic Augusta presented seven awards at its annual meeting on Nov. 1. Historic Augusta recognizes outstanding historic preservation projects each year throughout the city.

The 2016 recipients of Historic Preservation Awards are: The Partridge Inn Augusta, 2110 Walton Way. An iconic landmark building in the Summerville Historic District, the most recent rehabilitation has brought this historic hotel up to the Hilton Curio standards while retaining original millwork, plaster, and stamped tin ceilings throughout the interior. Construction management

by Janus Associates, interior design by Sims Patrick Studios, and architectural design by Dickinson Architects.

Award presented to Jane Spano, Regional Director of Operations and Tijuana Jenkins, Director of Sales and Marketing.

Windsor Manor, 3594 Windsor Springs Road. Built in 1921 for Arthur T. Cole, a prominent Chicago resident, and designed by architect Willis Irvin. Listed on Historic Augusta’s Endangered Properties List in 2012, the property was purchased in 2014 by Ian Shiverick who has performed nearly all of the rehabilitation himself and was recently featured in This Old House magazine for his mesmerizing hand-painted floor detail. Award presented to Ian Shiverick.

1438 Anthony Road, built c. 1910, this large Queen Anne style home located in the Summerville Historic District was purchased in 2011 by Abby Wood. Rehabilitation work included removal of layers of wallpaper and linoleum and refinishing the original hardwood floors and moldings and installing a contemporary kitchen.

46 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

After completion of the rehab in 2016, it was sold to a new owner. Award presented to Abby Wood.

2840 Walton Way, built in 1926 and designed by Willis Irvin, this stately Tudor style home was built for Alonzo Boardman, Sr., and was purchased by the current owners in 2015. The adjacent cottage was renovated first followed by the main house. Serious structural issues with original beams in the kitchen were resolved and the meticulous restoration of original flooring, plaster, metal frame windows, and fireplaces were completed over the last year.

Plaster work completed by Cliatt Contractors and Mahoney Stucco and electrical work completed by Ferrell Electric. Award presented to Christie and James Ferrell.

Vineyard Community Church, 3713 Wrightsboro Road. Built in 1934 in the Colonial Revival style, the Old Sue Reynolds School was listed to Historic Augusta’s Endangered Properties List in 2008 with two other surplus school buildings. Vineyard Community Church purchased the school building in 2015, emptied the building of abandoned furniture and cleaned the spray

paint graffiti from the halls and classrooms. The church held its first service in August of 2016 and is very proud to know this historic resource has been saved for those in Augusta-Richmond County. Award presented to Jeffrey Miller of Vineyard Community Church.

The Burum House, 2306 Walton Way. Built in 1900 for Henry Percy Burum as his private residence, this prominent home at the corner of Johns Road and Walton Way sat vacant after the last occupant moved out in 2000. The new owners purchased the home in 2014 and began the lengthy process of stabilizing the home after years of deferred maintenance. The house has been renovated inside and out for a growing family. Original character defining features include moldings, mantles, and built-in shelving. Project contractor was Keith Howard and interior layout and design by Yancey Sherrouse.

Award presented to Anna and Wilson Allgood.

Historic Augusta also presented one award for new construction. The award for 2016 was presented to Sarah and John Eckley.

419 Second Street, this vacant lot at the corner of

Telfair Street and 2nd Street was purchased in 2015 by the Eckleys. As new construction within the Olde Town Local Historic District, the proposed design and materials were reviewed by the Augusta-Richmond County Historic Preservation Commission and approved prior to breaking ground. The Eckleys moved into their new home in mid-2016. RAM Construction served as general contractor and Ray Good Custom Home Designs provided the design.

For more information, contact Historic Augusta at 706-724-0436.

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48 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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TYRANNY OF THE URGENT

BE LIKE IKE TO GET MORE DONE WITH LESS STRESS

BY GARY KAUFFMAN

Have you ever had one of those days where you’re exhausted from working all day yet feel like you didn’t get anything important done? Do you have a lot of those days?

If so, you’re probably fighting the “tyranny of the urgent.”

If you own or manage a business – especially a small business where your responsibility encompasses several different areas – you can often find yourself spending all day putting out fires. In fact, you probably feel like a fireman at a pyromaniac convention – you can’t even get one put out before two or three more spring up.

President Dwight Eisenhower once said, “I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important and the important are never urgent.”

You can see the dilemma: The important things always take a back seat to the urgent, and may be delayed or, even worse, never get done.

One way to combat this dilemma is to use the Eisenhower Box. Eisenhower is said to have divided his daily tasks into four boxes with the following labels: • Important and urgent • Important but not urgent • Urgent but not important • Not important and not urgent Important and urgent Items in this box can crop up suddenly.

You get a call from an upset customer – an order had been filled wrong, for example – and they want some answers. This is obviously important, because keeping customers satisfied is a key to a successful business. It is also urgent, because the customer wants answers right away.

While items in this box are often unplanned, sometimes focusing on the important can create less of an urgency. If, in the above example, this has happened several times to the same customer, it becomes important for you to take time to discover the root of the problem. Is the customer not understanding something

about the ordering process? Is an employee not understanding the customer’s specific needs?

Taking the time to sort out the important can reduce the amount of “urgent” calls from a customer.

Important but not urgent These items absolutely have to get done, but there’s either no deadline or it’s in the future, making it not urgent.

These can be items like planning for the business’ future, creating systems to make things more efficient or taking some personal time to run that errand you promised your spouse you’d do.

The problem is that since they’re not urgent, it’s easy to push them to the side until they become urgent.

For example, there are some items I have to post to our website each week.

But I have those items a month in advance. They are important, and I usually set aside a few hours to schedule them to be automatically posted on future dates.

However, if I don’t take that time and go to the week-to-week mode of posting, I find that I am then often in urgent mode.

Urgent but not important There is no better example than the ringing (or buzzing) of a cell phone, either with a call or a text or even a tweet. It immediately draws our attention. Of course, sometimes these are important, but most of the time they’re not. Especially tweets – and even most texts – if the person really needed your immediate attention they

would have called.

Neither urgent or important We would all probably be amazed at how much of our time is spent each day in these activities. Reading tweets, playing Words with Friends, figuring out why your desk drawer sticks a little bit, writing to-do lists that you never look at again… the list can go on and on. These are anchors to your productivity and success in business. Sure, they can’t always be avoided. You can’t be rude to the business colleague who dropped by to chit-chat for a few minutes. And you may have a few minutes of down time (it really does happen!) where you can examine that desk drawer. But as much as possible, keep the important boxes as the top priority.

HOMES FOR HEROES HELPS PUBLIC SERVANTS BUY HOMES Homes for Heroes, a program that helps people in public service save money on buying a home, has new market affiliates in Columbia County.

Mike Vickrey of Mike Vickrey & Associates, Inc., is the new affiliate who works with military (active and veteran), law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, teachers and healthcare professionals

who serve the community and nation every day.

Inspired by the home-town heroes who serve and protect their communities and the country, Homes for Heroes was created through a partnership of realtors, mortgage lenders, title companies and other affiliated service providers. Their sole purpose is to offer savings these pub-

50 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

lic servants buy or sell a home.

Vickrey’s first Homes For Heroes closing was with Travis Kennedy (Marine Vet) and Alicia Boyce (Georgia Highway Patrol Officer). They received a check for $1,100 after they closed on their new home.

While the program’s genesis and primary concentration was originally

intended to serve the Minnesota real estate market, word of the Homes for Heroes benefits spread throughout the country. With the far-reaching power of the Internet, this small local effort spiraled into a growing nationwide program.

For more information about Homes for Heroes visit HomesForHeroes.com.

THE

HOLIDAYS ARE

HERE What’s inside this section: Enjoy Christmas without breaking the bank......52 Living Spotless Cleaning Services .......................53 Thanksgiving can be part of daily lives ..............54 A Merry Heart .......................................................54 Family Y of Greater Augusta ................................54 Smart Safe .............................................................55 Greene’s Fine Foods ..............................................56 Lanier’s Meat Market ............................................56 Fly AGS...................................................................56 Be proactive with holiday eating ........................57 Living Spotless Cleaing Services .........................57 Putt-Putt ................................................................58 Small Business Saturday tips ...............................59 Fat Man’s ................................................................59 WAFJ ......................................................................59 Edgar’s Cheesecakes ............................................60 November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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ENJOY CHRISTMAS WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK Ready or not, the holiday season is nearly upon us and you know what that means. Christmas shopping! Black Friday! Unfortunately, with the joy of the holidays comes the stress of over spending. Every year, many consumers overspend during the holidays, starting off the New Year in debt. But not to worry! You can make this year debt-free by creating a holiday budget and sticking to it.

The National Retail Federation is finding that most consumers will still be generous on their holiday spending this year, with 87 percent of those surveyed stating that they could be convinced to spend more with the lure of a good sale. A surprising 58 percent of respondents admit that they plan to purchase a few gifts for themselves this year.

Whether you plan to spend more or less than the average, the key is to set a budget and stick to it. And while it is not the most festive way to spend an evening, it is important to sit down and crunch the numbers, because building a budget and sticking to it over the holidays will keep away a painful financial holiday hangover.

BBB recommends the following four steps to help with holiday spending this year: Step One: Consider your Income.

The first step is to measure how much money is coming in. Add up your monthly salary along with your spouse, dividends or interest payments and other sources of income.

Step Two: Add up regular monthly expenses.

Adding up expenses is usually harder than determining your income because there are so many more factors to consider. Start with your rent or mortgage, utilities and credit card payments. Also

factor in other expenses for gas and car maintenance, healthcare and groceries.

Step Three: Estimate Extra Holiday Expenses A lot of little purchases have a way of adding up over the holidays and it is important to consider all of the expenses for the season including: • Gifts - Make an itemized list of everyone you want to buy presents for and estimate how much you are willing to spend for each. This includes presents

ANGELS AND BELLS The Salvation Army of Augusta is again sponsoring the Angel Tree Program throughout the area.

Through The Salvation Army Angel Tree program, Christmas gifts and clothing are provided for local disadvantaged children who might otherwise go without. This year, more than 700 “angels” up for “adoption.” Community members select an angel from a tree, purchase items for that child based on the information on the tag, and then return the gifts to an Angel Tree drop-off location by Dec. 2.

In 2015, The Salvation Army provided almost 1 million children with Christmas joy and donors spent $50 million on gifts.

The Salvation Army is kicked off

its Red Kettle season on Nov. 11.

Money raised through these kettles provides much needed funding for The Salvation Army’s free programs throughout the year. The Salvation Army depends on local volunteers to ring bells at various kettle locations to encourage these donations. The kettle season continues to Christmas Eve. Volunteers are needed Monday through Saturday in a variety of locations throughout the Greater Augusta Area. Individuals, churches, schools, businesses, and other organizations can sign up to ring for shifts, whole days, or for an entire season. To volunteer as a Bell Ringer, contact Alice Scavullo at 706-434-3185.

52 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

Charitable Donations The holidays are a time of giving, so budget in how much you plan on donating to a worthy cause. You can learn more about being a savvy donor from the BBB Wise Giving Alliance at bbb.org/charity. for family, friends and coworkers. Also consider the cost for holiday cards and postage.

• Entertaining - Entertaining is big over the holidays. Think about who you will be having over and also budget for any food or beverages you might need to bring to someone else’s party. Also consider the costs for eating out and going to the movies—both popular expenses over the holidays.

• Decorations - Take stock of what you already own and then consider any additional spending you might need to make for a tree, lights, ornaments, wrapping paper, etc.

• Travel - If you are heading out of town for the holidays, consider the cost of travel including any car maintenance or pet boarding if applicable.

Step Four: Revisit, evaluate and revise your budget along the way.

Once you have added up your income and expenses, it is time to compare. If more is going out than coming in, it is time to go back over your budget and pare down expenses. Consider giving fewer gifts or less expensive ways of entertain-

ing. Last year’s decorations are also probably just fine.

Once you have balanced your budget, revisit it frequently over the holidays to make sure you are sticking to it. You might find that you over estimated in some categories and underestimated in others.

Whether you plan to shop either at the store or online, it is good practice to have a “game plan” or, even better, a list of what you want to buy, so as to avoid impulse buys on the side that can add up. Decide what items you will buy online and which items you will purchase at local retailers. Go to bbb.org to check out their BBB Business Reviews before you shop.

Many retailers are offering holiday deals, but it’s always a good idea to comparison shop. Online prices may be better, but don’t forget to factor in shipping costs. Also, keep layaway in mind as on option, as many stores are offering it. Be sure to read all the fine print though, and ask questions to be comfortable knowing what contract you are getting into.

Make your holidays merry and bright with a plan, a budget and the resolve to stick to it. Come January, you can start the New Year with a clean slate instead of a stack of bills. Also consider starting your Christmas shopping early so you can take advantage of all 358 shopping days in 2017.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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THANKS A LOT

THANKSGIVING FOR BLESSINGS CAN BE PART OF DAILY LIVES STEVE SWANSON

The month of November traditionally is a month when we think about what we are thankful for. I think we should expand that practice by choosing to make it a daily part of our lives.

Here are some of the things I am grateful for. I am hoping my list will encourage you to create your own!

A couple of weeks ago, we welcomed out third grandchild (and first grandson) into our family. Seeing a brand new life is a great reminder that every breath, every day of life, is a gift from our creator. Levi is fortunate to be born into a family that has anxiously awaited his arrival.

I work at a 22-year-old non-commercial radio station. Its very existence is possible because of God’s faithfulness through generous people who faithfully choose to give financially. Two times a year we have an on-air fundraiser to provide us with needed funding. During our most recent campaign, 100 percent of our goal was reached in just four days! I am thankful for people who share the heart of what we do and care enough to invest in it.

My wife, Susie, is one of the most incredible gifts in my life. We’ve been married for more than 38 years. She’s been by my side through moves, job transitions, and the adoption and birth of our children. We’ve worked together now for more than 10 years, and now celebrate being grandparents. Susie loves the Lord and fiercely loves her kids, grandkids and friends. She works hard, and embraces those she meets. (I call her the “face and embrace” of 88.3 WAFJ. I am blessed by her authenticity, her prayers, encouragement, and unwavering love.

Both of our kids are amazing. Our daughter joined our family from Korea by adoption. Our son arrived a few years later at a hospital in Minnesota. They are both capable, employed, independent and awesome adults. (I tell folks we have an “import and a domestic.”) Only God can put families together. I am from Illinois, Susie is from the state of Washington. The Lord has shaped us into a family and I can’t imagine it being any other way!

Two blessings that have been part of my life since Day One are my folks. Now married 61 years, they have modeled un-

54 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

I’d like to encourage you to make a “I’m thankful for” list of your own. Think about your blessings. selfish lives focused on others. They are active in their church and motivated by their love for the Lord. All though they live over 900 miles away, their encouragement, texts, phone calls and prayers continue to guide and encourage me.

I am also thankful for the people I work with. We are a small and unique ensemble. Different ages, backgrounds, churches and communities. Yet we each share the daily calling to encourage our community with the Good news of Jesus Christ. We are blessed to serve in the CSRA. Our differences truly are our strengths.

I’d like to encourage you to make a “I’m thankful for” list of your own. Think about your blessings. Tell the people you work with what they mean to you. Encourage them! Let them know you are grateful for the time you get to strive together to make a difference.

Another idea: Try starting a “blessing book” at home. A simple spiral notebook will do. Take the time, at every family meal, to write down daily blessings and answered prayers. This simple act will help you cultivate an “attitude of gratitude” in your daily living. Happy Thanksgiving and Happy ThanksLiving!

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. For comments, email steve@wafj.com.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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56 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

FOOD FIGHT

BEING PROACTIVE WITH HOLIDAY EATING KEEPS OFF WEIGHT KRISTEN LOVELL

Holidays bring feelings of nostalgia, hope and love. We fill our days with family, laughter and….food.

Holidays, with the endless string of parties, pastries and pressure to accept every invitation have the ability to negatively affect our health. We have heard that carrying extra weight around our middle increases our risk of heart disease. Did you also know that many heart attacks occur after partaking in a heavy meal?

The risk is four fold within two hours of eating. When you consider the amount of saturated fat-laden foods we eat from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and the stress associated with the holiday season, you can understand why it is important to take steps to protect ourselves.

Be proactive and follow these simple tips to stave off excess weight and be healthy for the holidays.

Maintain a regular fitness schedule.

Add it to your calendar as you would any important appointment. Moving opens your internal pharmacy and enables your body to make its own medicine. Simply find something you enjoy and just move!

Ensure proper hydration. Drink half

your body weight in water and add coconut water for electrolytes and potassium.

Electrolytes help maintain healthy electrical function in our body.

Eat a salad prior to your event and fill up on fruit and vegetable appetizers.

High fiber foods leave you feeling full and keep your digestive system on track.

Peruse before you choose. See what is available before you fill your plate. If you know you really want a slice of pecan pie, make healthier choices from the main course and side dishes.

Avoid drinking your calories. In addi-

tion to the excess calories, the added sugar of sweet tea and sodas can lower your immune system for several hours.

Limit inflammatory foods. Too many desserts, highly processed foods and animal proteins can increase inflammation in our body that causes heart disease, strokes and gastrointestinal issues.

Practice Dr. Sears’ “Rule of Twos.” Eat twice as often, half as much, chew twice as long and take twice the time to dine.

Just say no. Graciously declining invitations can keep you sane. We often overextend ourselves during the holidays and

wind up paying the price down the road.

Above all, know that you are in control of your health. The choices we make today will impact our health in the future.

Protect yourself by incorporating a clean, whole food diet as well as take a whole food product to help bridge the nutrition gap. Antioxidants are key factors to reducing the damage of inflammatory foods typical of this time of year.

Although the average person gains between 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the good news is, you don’t have to be “average.” Contact me for help staying on track!

Kristen Lovell has 10 years of experience in the wellness industry, focusing on integrating nutrition and fitness to positively affect health outcomes. Learn more by visiting Healthyandfitcoaching.com. Contact her at Amerryheartcoaching@gmail.com, 706-294-4272 or on Facebook at Or on FB: A Merry Heart Health Coaching and Think Well Eat Well Live Well

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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58 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

ANNUAL EVENT CONTINUES TO GROW, HELP COMMUNITIES The changing of the seasons is marked not only by changes in weather, but changes in activities. Autumn brings brilliant leaf viewings, plenty of pumpkin to sniff, sip and carve, as well as the realities of retail.

November is historically known as the month when many retailers aim to break even. Black Friday got its name from the ink in adding machines. (For Gen X’ers: adding machines proceeded calculators. For Millennials: calculators proceeded smart phones.) An adding machine would print negative numbers in red ink, and positive numbers in black ink. By the Friday after Thanksgiving, retailers hope to be “in the black” and no longer “in the red.”

A new retail trend began in 2010 started by American Express. It quickly gained momentum, and is now part of the regular holiday shopping trilogy: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. American Express estimates that in 2015 more than 95 million Americans patronized small, locally-owned stores and restaurants on Small Business Saturday.

Communities in Georgia and across the country participated by promoting their downtown retailers, holding special holiday events and providing “the extras” such as gift wrapping.

Another phenomenon of Small Business Saturday is the social media buzz that it has increasingly generated each year. Last year American Express and the National Federation of Independent Businesses sponsored a survey of consumers which revealed that: “In the month

of November (2015) more than 241,000 posts combined were posted on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using Small Business Saturday and Shop Small related hashtags, more than 100,000 of which were posted on November 28 alone.

Posts included consumers showing their love for their favorite small businesses, business owners raising awareness for promotions and activities taking place on Small Business Saturday, as well as government officials and celebrities showing their support for the day and their favorite small businesses.”

The University of Georgia SBDC is excited to support this day where Small Businesses, their clients, are in the national spotlight! To do its part, this month the UGA SBDC is posting daily tips to retailers and others participating in Small Business Saturday, so this day can be as successful as possible.

A sample of tips from the UGA SBDC in Athens office is included at right. Businesses can share these tips, follow the SBDC on social media, and keep them posted on their successes on Small Business Saturday by using the hashtag #UGAShopsSmall!

For more Small Business Saturday information from American Express and the U.S. Small Business Administration visit: americanexpress.com/us/small-business/ shop-small or sba.gov/about-sba/sba-initiatives/smallbusiness-saturday.

— From the University of Georgia SBDC in Athens: Laura Katz, Michael Myers, Bart Njoku-Obi and Stacy Johnson

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Tips for a Successful Small Business Saturday

• Staff appropriately or even “over staff” – you never get a second chance to make a great first impression.

• Expand your day – open early – stay late.

• Have something extraordinary at your business that day: holiday music or treats, special guests or demonstrations – make it a memorable day!

• Door Buster Specials – motivate shoppers to visit to your store.

• Cross Promote with other businesses in your shopping center, downtown or those nearby.

• Give a percentage of sales to charity for the day.

• Thank everyone for stopping in – even if they don’t buy anything.

• Display seasonably appropriate merchandise.

• Strongly promote the day and any of the items listed above that you decide to incorporate on your social media platforms.

• Ask patrons as they enter your store to check in on Four Square or Facebook!

(Source: Small Business Saturday Results: Shoppers Provide Encouraging Start to the Holiday Shopping Season, 2015)

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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60 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

A MAJOR LEAGUE EXPERIENCE

PROPOSED NEW STADIUM WILL BE STATE OF THE ART

BY GARY KAUFFMAN

Attending a baseball game at North Augusta’s proposed new home for the GreenJackets will be as much about the experience as it will be about the play on the field.

“It’ll feel like going to a Major League game,” said Jeff Eiseman, president and partner of Agon Sports and Entertainment, which owns the team. He spoke at the North Augusta Power Luncheon on Nov. 10.

The proposed new 4,500-seat stadium for the GreenJackets is part of the longawaited Project Jackson along the Savannah River in North Augusta. Project Jackson will also include apartments, offices, a hotel and retail shops.

After several court delays, plans for the project are moving ahead and Eiseman said he expects to see “shovels in the ground” by the end of this year.

While much talk lately has been about the overall scope of Project Jackson, Eiseman brought the focus back to the stadium.

“We don’t spend enough time talking about the facility that is the epicenter of the project,” he said.

One misconception for many people is that the stadium will simply be an upgraded version of Lake Olmstead Park.

But the stadium will look and feel much more like a scaled-down version of a Major League stadium.

One distinct feature of the proposed stadium is The Landing, a two-level area in right field that offers not only a view of the field on one side, but a view of the river and downtown Augusta on the other side.

The seating from first to third base will be protected by overhangs, which provide some protection for fans should inclement weather strike during a game.

The upper deck contains the club level, which has meeting rooms that are avail-

GreenJackets owner Jeff Eiseman discusses plans for the proposed new stadium in North Augusta at the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce Power Luncheon Nov. 10. Photo by Gary Kauffman

able year-round to host events, retreats and even use as classrooms, with windows on both sides that present views of the action on the field and of the Project Jackson Village.

There are also 11 “skyboxes” or suites that can be purchased for the season by businesses.

“This is an ideal place to watch a game

“

by 80-foot LED ribbon video boards along the outfield walls.

The stadium lights will also be LEDs, which allows for them to come on instantly and uses less energy. For the fans’ entertainment, the lights can also change color. Eiseman said, for example, that after a homerun the lights might flash in multiple colors to celebrate.

This will be a home for the GreenJackets – and be a tremendous home for them – but it will be a great home for everybody. for people who find the CSRA weather less than hospitable in July and August,” Eiseman said.

The new stadium also offers a great increase in the number of concession areas plus a beer garden along the first base line.

“You probably won’t have to go more than 15 feet to find what you want,” Eiseman said.

Fans will also enjoy a Major League style scoreboard – a 22-foot by 42-foot LED video board – as well as two 6-foot

”

“Even the new Atlanta Braves stadium is not doing that,” he added.

While the stadium will have a Major League feel, that won’t be reflected in prices. Eiseman said ticket prices will range from $6-17, a $1 increase from Lake Olmstead Stadium. Club boxes range from $980-$1,500 per season, and suites run $22,500-$35,000 per season.

Outside, fans can stroll around the entire stadium, and the outfield concourse will be open for walking even when games

aren’t being played. Eventually there will also be a landscaped amphitheater between the stadium and the river.

But Eiseman emphasized that GreenJackets baseball is only a part of the plans for the proposed stadium.

“This is so much more than just a baseball stadium,” he said.

Among planned uses are attracting college baseball contests and perhaps even a Major League exhibition game. But the stadium could also host other sporting events like soccer or football. Eiseman expects it to be used during Masters Week, and concerts will also be a big part of the planned use. Other types of events that he projected for the venue are home and garden shows, weddings, banquets and perhaps even some wintertime activities.

“This venue is meant to be a civic center,” he said. “This will be a home for the GreenJackets – and be a tremendous home for them – but it will be a great home for everybody.”

A third and final reading on the master plan for Project Jackson is expected soon, opening the way for work to finally begin.

Construction for the stadium is slated to start March 1 and be completed for the GreenJackets to play the 2018 season there.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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ELECTABLE BREWS

PUMPKIN IS TASTE OF CHOICE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR

milieu of Thanksgiving food and drink.

Whether or not it worked is beside the point. We’re here. So, let’s just go ahead and move on to dessert pairings.

With that said, one of my favorite Scotch Ales is Old Chub from Oskar Blues, and I think it goes very well with pumpkin pie. It also goes very well with a conversation at Pint Night down at Stillwater Taproom on Broad Street.

The malts dominate with their sugary savor, but there exists a smokiness throughout which doesn’t really dampen the malts, but rather gives the tongue something else to ponder. This is a busy beer, but busy in all the right ways – just as an 8% Scotch Ale should be.

BEN CASELLA

At the time this month’s column was written, we had not yet decided on our new president.

People from the Right were mongering fear regarding an absolute end to borders and an updated tax code which would include payment in the form of first-born children for those in the higher tiers.

People from the Left were shouting dire warnings about our country becoming a racist totalitarian state governed by a man who would press the button on the nuclear football in order to get a fly off of his suit.

Me? I was sitting at the office writing a column on craft beer, basking in the delightfulness of having such an apolitical task as my charge – truly a luxury I was not taking for granted.

Terrapin Cranberry Pumpkinfest – It’s no secret I’m a fan of the Terrapin Brewery up in Athens. Interestingly, their rye ale is my least favorite of the whole bunch.

Cranberry Pumpkinfest isn’t my favorite Terrapin brew, but I think it’s really good. So, I’ll tell you the secret to enjoy-

ing this brew: Think of it as a sour ale and not a pumpkin ale. If you’re looking for pumpkin notes, you’ll find them, but you’ll have to search them out.

However, if you’re looking for notes of a well-balanced sour ale, you’ll be happy

to enjoy this brew with a charcuterie plate and some funky cheeses or completely on its own. I may be serving it with turkey and cranberries in a couple of weeks.

Old Chub – Alright. So, I attempted a seamless transition into the cultural

GRATEFUL VIEWS

Ben Casella is grateful for all of you this and every season. He understands that, without you, there would be no him (or maybe just a version of him that didn’t drink as much craft beer…). Cheers!

SHOWS ABOUT THOSE WITH LESS BRING THANKFUL FEELINGS SAMANTHA TAYLOR

Sometimes we all just need to take a moment to be thankful for what we’ve got. Sure, we all go through tough times.

As a teacher, I can’t count the number of times I’ve felt unappreciated, overworked, and underpaid.

Ultimately, I always come back to one thought; I have a lot more than some of my students and I need to be grateful for that.

This month, my reviews are dedicated to reminding us all to be grateful for our homes, families, and friends.

Queen Mimi This film came up on my Netflix recommendations recently and since I love documentaries, it only took a second for me to decide it was worth a try. An hour and a half later I was left deep in thought, appreciative of not just my family and friends, but my home in particular.

Queen Mimi is a documentary that tells a story of Mimi, a homeless woman living in Santa Monica, Calif. Well, Mimi isn’t really homeless; she’s been living in a laundromat for 20 years.

Mimi isn’t your typical homeless woman. In fact, she doesn’t care for the homeless and chooses not to participate in any programs that might provide her assistance because she doesn’t want to be associated with them. Mimi is actually a

Hollywood fixture and has ties with Zach Galifianakis and Renee Zellweger.

Even though Mimi has been fortunate enough to have some pretty famous people play an instrumental role in her life, it’s important to remember that she did make a series of choices that led to her homelessness. After watching her story, I was more grateful than ever for my small rental with poor water pressure.

Audrey and Daisy As someone who works with teenagers on a daily basis, Audrey and Daisy hit me pretty hard. Day after day, I watch young girls accept unacceptable behavior and all of my advice – my words of wisdom – all

62 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016

seems to go unnoticed.

Even worse, I’ve heard stories of girls I’ve taught being taken advantage of, having private photos shared with the masses, and watched them walk into the school building the next day, somehow different than the day before.

Audrey and Daisy is the true story of two young girls who have been sexually assaulted while under the influence of alcohol, with everything having been recorded and shared with others. These incidents have a ripple effect on the families, friends and communities of these girls, with members of each community taking sides.

If you decide to watch Audrey and Daisy, be ready to hold your children tight. Life is so much more complicated than it ever was before.

Sure, my friends and I made a few poor choices as teenagers, but kids today face greater challenges than most of us can imagine. Not only do they face difficult decisions, any mistake they make can be caught on camera and shared with an entire online community. Making a mistake can not only ruin a reputation, but actually destroy a life.

If you have teenage girls, I highly recommend that you watch Audrey and Daisy with them. It isn’t easy, but it will shine a light on some of the dangers teens face. It will not only be good for your daughters, but also for you as a parent.

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.

November 17—December 21, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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64 Buzz on Biz November 17—December 21, 2016