4 18 16 buzz on biz april may 72 pages

APRIL 21—MAY 18, 2016 • THE CSRA’S MONTHLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Giving local businesses a bigger voice Three women lead area chambers, help businesses thrive

By Gary Kauffman Running a successful business, whether large or small, requires access to resources and marketing beyond the scope of what can be done on your own. That’s where the local Chamber of Commerce steps in as a voice for the business community.

For the CSRA, that role of advocacy is in the capable hands of a triumvirate of women with strong backgrounds in service.

Sue Parr has been president of the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce for 10 years, Tammy Shepherd has been president of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce for six years and Terra Carroll has served as president for the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce for nearly four years.

But all three were involved in chamber activities for years before moving into the top spot.

A chamber’s role is often reduced in people’s minds to the place where out-of-towners call for information about a community or to provide the scissors for the ribbon cutting of a new business, but there is much that goes on behind the scenes to help businesses succeed.

“The chamber’s value in a community is immeasurable,” Shepherd said. “It celebrates new businesses but it is also helping communities work through their challenges.”

Tammy Shepherd, Columbia County, Terra Carroll, North Augusta, and Sue Parr, Augusta Metro, head the local chambers of commerce. Photo by Gary Kauffman

“The reality is that we have to do it all,” Parr said. “We have to be an organization that knows just as much about plutonium distribu-

tion with the MOX facility as we do about how to help a small business get a loan. No job is too small and no job is too big.”

Because of the movement of people between the three geographical areas and because some businesses have memberships in

two or even all three of the chambers, the three presidents often collaborate on issues. That is made a little easier since all three have been involved in the area chambers for many years – Carroll has worked for all three chambers – and have developed many personal relationships along the way.

“They respect the work we do and know what we bring to the table,” Carroll said. “It helps that you don’t burn any bridges.”

While more than half of all businesses are owned or run by men, women in leadership in the chamber of commerce is not unusual. Estimates are that at least half of chambers in the United States are led by women, and many other leadership positions are held by women.

None of the three feels that women have a particular advantage or disadvantage in the role, although since leading a chamber often involves passion, Shepherd and Carroll felt women might have a slight edge because they’re often more open about displaying their passion.

“Being female gives us a little more compassion and nurturing,” Carroll said. “The want and need to assist people is somewhat natural for me.”

That assistance can be as local as stopping at a chamber member’s See CHAMBER, page 6

Aiken company finds benefits in apprenticeship MTU America builds local work force by training students

By Gary Kauffman When MTU America first opened its diesel engine manufacturing plant in Aiken County in 2010 it found a bountiful harvest of skilled applicants for jobs. But subsequent job searches have found a dwindling supply of those with the requisite skills.

So MTU America borrowed an idea that has been a big part of their parent company’s home country of Germany – create

their own skilled labor supply through an apprenticeship program.

“There’s a long history of German apprenticeship,” Jeremy Diebel, senior manager of machining for MTU America, said.

“They have about 350 different apprenticeship programs.”

MTU America, wholly owned by Rolls Royce, makes large diesel engines that are used in oil and gas exploration and for gen

sets to provide emergency backup power.

The 280,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing plant is located in Graniteville, just off exit 11 of I-20.

Production of the engines requires highly-skilled labor and at first MTU America had plenty of people to choose from. But later when they sought more workers, the situation had changed.

“When we went to the well again, we found it a little dryer,” Diebel said.

Starting an apprenticeship program That’s when the idea came up for an apprenticeship program like those in Germany. Diebel said apprenticeship is really

a common occurrence, even in the United States, but usually isn’t formalized.

“If you think about it, we’ve all been through an apprenticeship,” Deibel said.

“We just call it different names, but at some point someone took you under their wings.”

In Germany, students decide by age 15 or 16 if they are going to take a college path or a vocational path. While the way the U.S. school system is set up and OSHA limitations meant MTU America couldn’t exactly duplicate the German pattern, Diebel found that he could partner with the Aiken Career See APPRENTICESHIP, page 4

Land purchased for Project Jackson The baseball stadium at Project Jackson in North Augusta took a step closer to reality recently when Greenstone Properties closed on the purchase of 29.4 acres of land.

The land is in the commercial district of Hammond’s Ferry development in North Augusta, running along the Savannah River west of Georgia Avenue. This demonstrates their financial commitment as master developer to the long anticipated Ballpark Village at Hammond’s Ferry, a 35 acre public/ private mixed-use development.

First Community Bank provided the acquisition financing. The project, subject to final approvals, would include a new, cityowned baseball stadium for the Augusta GreenJackets, residential homes, apartments, retail/restaurants, senior housing, office building and a hotel.

“From the beginning, Project Jackson has been promoted as a public-private partnership,” said Todd Glover, City Administrator for North Augusta. “The investment and purchase of the land further solidifies Greenstone’s commitment to the project.”

Greenstone is a privately owned, boutique real estate firm based in Atlanta.

Greenstone is boutique by design, as its principals desire to practice real estate rath-

er than management and endeavor to be project driven rather than overhead driven.

“Purchasing this land is an important next step in realizing the vision of the live-workplay environment that will comprise North Augusta’s new Ballpark Village,” said Chris Schoen, managing principal of Greenstone Properties.

“First Community Bank values its relationship with Chris Schoen and Greenstone Properties for the development of the Ballpark Village at Hammond’s Ferry,” said Jeff Spears, Senior Vice President of First Community Bank. “Greenstone has prior experience with this type of development activity that is enhanced with the support of the City of North Augusta. Once completed, Ballpark Village will be a desired destination in the CSRA for numerous entertainment events and high quality residential offerings for the continued growth of the CSRA market.”

First Community Bank, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Lexington, S.C., is a wholly owned subsidiary of First Community Corporation. First Community has a network of 15 banking offices located in the Midlands of South Carolina, Aiken, and Augusta.

Unemployment rate stays unchanged The Georgia Department of Labor announced last week that Metro Augusta’s unemployment rate for February was 6 percent, unchanged from January. The rate in February 2015 was 6.6 percent.

While the rate was unchanged, the number of jobs in Augusta decreased to 226,800, down by 400, or 0.2 percent, from 227,200 in January. Most of the decrease came in education and health services, retail trade, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services.

However, over the year, Augusta gained

2 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

400 jobs, a 0.2 percent growth rate, up from 226,400 in February 2015. Most of the job gains came in retail trade and education and health services.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 1,271, or 57.4 percent, to 945 in February. Most of the decrease came in manufacturing and construction, accommodations and food services, and trade, transportation and warehousing. And, over the year, claims were down by 10, or 1 percent, from 955 in February 2015.

Publisher’s Notes Neil Gordon

Record Setter

Many people contribute to largest issue of Buzz ever This is a record-setting issue of our publication. For the first time since we started with a six-page insert in June 2008, we achieved 80 pages!

Part of the reason we reached a record is our special “Women In Business” advertising section.

We invite you to get to know why these female entrepreneurs are successful. You’ll read about a mother/daughter

virtual assistant team, the charitable owner of Trendz Salon, the executive director of Morningside Assisted Living, an England-native who trains seniors to use technology, a dynamic duo with 20 years together at Best Office Solutions, the owner of Learning Laughter & Love Day Care Center, the female partner at Great Deals on Furniture, a veteran travel agent from Vacations To Remember and my wife, Melissa, a talented professional photographer.

Our main section features the steady monthly input of unbelievably smart businesswomen who write about their areas of expertise. You’ll find them in our table of contents below.

I want to thank business broker Kim Romaner of Transworld Advisors for her insight into buying and selling businesses; Jame Geathers Consulting for great HR advice; CPA Christine Hall for the latest tax information; Shannon Jones, our “serial entrepreneur;” Carolyn Ramp for her sound counseling advice for workplace and personal issues; Missie Usry from Georgia Military College with updates on education; Daph-

ne Jones, a senior staffing expert with Express Employment Solutions; Susan O’Keefe for her restaurant reviews each week; Samantha Taylor for her takes on the latest Netflix offerings; and “funny girl” Nora Blithe, who writes about humorous happenings at work.

Our resident Millennial, Kelsey Morrow, gives us a peek inside the social media world of a “twentysomething” who can help us forty, fifty and sixtysomethings adapt to changing technology.

Kelsey also helps keep Buzz going with her talents at event coordination, writing, proofreading, graphic design and much more.

Janine Garropy sells and manages dozens of clients, while overseeing our circulation department, and proofreading every word you read in our publication!

Newest employee Tiffany Stone also sells and distributes, and will be managing our upcoming Business To Business Expo.

Setting our 80-page record could not have been done without our Editor In Chief Gary Kauffman. We all appreciate his steady hand at writing, copy editing,

lay-out work, ad design, photography and much more to put together this publication each month.

That leaves yours truly free to focus on sales, networking, marketing, running the business and more because of a great team that is strong where I am weak.

We all appreciate our clients, many who have advertised for years, our vendor relationships with our printer Morris Communications of Savannah, and the distribution company who helps our Ken Brown add onto his rack deliveries with supermarket deliveries....and of course all female and male writers who help us achieve success.

We will continue to serve the small business community and workplace leaders as we continue to set records!

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

Features New Headquarters........... 6

New Blood...................... 36

EdenCrete, a manufacturer of a concrete additive, picks Augusta for its global headquarters.

Training and a change in focus have renewed the rich heritage of Sherman and Hemstreet Real Estate.

Business Events............ 60 Social Buzz............... 65-71

Top 1 Percent.................. 42 Augusta University Medical Center doctors rank in top 1 percent in nation.

2016 Camp Guide........43-49 Businessperson of the Month: Ginger Connell.. 20 Ginger Fox Connell creates a family atmosphere at Fox Appliance Parts.

Danger Zone.................. 10 Business Briefs............... 22

North Augusta safety officer urges businesses to develop plan to deal with threat of an active shooter.

Buzz Bits....................12,13 Bank Adaptation............ 16 Banking world is adapting to the different ways Millennials interact with banks.

Lights, Camera, Action.. 70

Real Estate Investing..... 23

Georgia is becoming an increasingly popular locale for the movie industry.

Locals are realizing that the Augusta real estate is a ‘gold mine’ of opportunity.

Work and School............. 34 The Columbia County Chamber is collaborating with businesses and schools to create a work force for the future.

Cruising the Past........... 65

The Augusta Canal is still drawing people to Augusta, just like it’s been doing for 170 years.

Catching Zzzzs............... 55

Special Section......... Insert

Lack of sleep can affect employee performance. Read some tips to combat sleep deprivation.

Women play a vital role in CSRA’s business community. Read about a few of these women business owners.

Columnists Mark Alison: Simple handshake and being nice pays off in the long run.............................8 Eddie Kennedy: Trade association increases buying power, helpful advice..................... 14 Mike Herrington: Increasing health care costs necessitate planning now........................ 14 Gary Kauffman: Remembering that business is about people leads to success............. 16 Charles Kelly: New generation of computer hard drives have raw speed......................... 18 Kim Romaner: Answering questions prepare you to buy or sell a business..................... 18 Russell Head: Take time to examine eligibility of health plan dependents....................... 24 Dagan Sharpe: Following the right recipe can lead to a tasteful financial future........... 26 Christine Hall: Paying estimated taxes is advised in some cases.......................................... 26 Kelsey Morrow: Should you add co-workers as friends to your social media?................ 28 Barry Paschal: Confronting people with facts sometimes has backfire effect................. 28 Steve Swanson: Don’t panic when life sends you in a new direction.................................. 30

Justin Anderson: Patience and one step at a time is key to reaching the top.................. 30 Shannon Jones: Set your company culture to avoid being a control freak....................... 32 Terry Childers: Addiction chances increase the earlier someone starts using................. 38 Carolyn Ramp: Developing a simple, realistic plan key to changing yourself.................. 40 Kevin Wade: Putting the pieces together to face HIPAA desk audits.................................. 40 Daphne Jones: Managing varied age groups can present challenges............................... 50 Jame Geathers: Have a structured plan to get the most out of an intern......................... 52 Missie Usry: Take time to search for ‘free money’ to pay for college.................................... 54 Susan O’Keefe: Whiskey Bar Kitchen perfect place for business lunch............................... 62 Ben Casella: Trip west gives writer new appreciation for IPAs............................................... 66 Samantha Taylor: Not all summer movies on Netflix are a hot idea.................................... 66 Nora Blithe: Writer eschews annual spring cleaning for fresh website............................... 68

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

3

APPRENTICESHIP continued from page 1 and Technical Center where high school juniors and seniors are groomed for a vocational career.

With MTU’s program, the students spend a half day in school and then work two days a week at MTU’s facility. They also work there during the summer, 40 hours a week and overtime if necessary. By the time they graduate they have 1,000 hours on the shop floor. A graduate of the program receives an Industrial Mechanic Basic certificate from South Carolina.

MTU America has also partnered with the German-American Chamber of Commerce to monitor the program. Once a student graduates from the MTU program, they have the option of taking a test with the chamber, which includes observation of

It’s in our best interest to grow our own work force. We have to stop depending on schools to put out job-ready kids. a student’s machining abilities. If they pass, they will receive a German apprenticeship certificate that will allow them to take jobs in Germany.

Vocational training gives more options Diebel said one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is the stigma that taking a vocational path is somehow lesser than a college path.

“People think going into a vocational program is closing the doors (for their future),” he said. “That’s absolutely false. These students have more doors open to them than the valedictorian.”

To that point, MTU has had four classes of six students go through the program.

Some students have gone directly from graduation into jobs at MTU, some have gone on to two- and four-year colleges, some went to college part-time and worked at MTU part-time and some have even been recruited by other companies.

When choosing students for the apprenticeship program, Diebel has five criteria – their history in working with hand tools, their disciplinary record, their grades, their history of absenteeism and an interview he conducts to see how the student would fit into a team atmosphere.

The students do their apprenticeship in MTU America’s machine shop. But they learn more than technical skills – Diebel said they also learn the “soft” skills like showing up to work on time, how to work as a team and how to speak to their boss.

The few students who failed to finish the program failed not because of a lack of technical skills but because of a lack of the

4 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

Area high school students learn valuable skills in MTU America’s apprenticeship program. Photo contributed

soft skills.

Diebel said that it isn’t only the students who are learning and improving.

“It makes our existing workforce even better,” he said. “Our team leaders love teaching these kids. They’re learning from the kids, too.”

Encouraging other companies to follow Diebel has become a missionary of sorts for apprenticeship, taking his message to other companies in the area. He hopes that in the not-too-distant future the CSRA can emulate Charleston’s apprenticeship program, which has 64 companies working with the local technical college.

“It’s in our best interest to grow our own work force,” Diebel said. “We have to stop depending on the schools to put out jobready kids. We have to work with the school systems.”

He also works closely with guidance counselors and the parents of the students to help the students get the most out of the program.

While MTU America concentrates on apprenticeship in the industrial setting, Diebel said apprenticeship programs can work in a wide variety of occupations, and even in small businesses.

Diebel noted that some students will fare better in a vocational program than in college, but that has no bearing on being a professional.

“If you put your heart in it and dedicate to your craft, you’ll become a professional no matter what level of education you have,” he said. “These are good jobs, really good jobs.”

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

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

Publisher Neil R. Gordon

Photography Gary Kauffman, Melissa Gordon

Editor in Chief Gary Kauffman/803-341-5830

Writers Kelsey Morrow, Neil Gordon

Sales Manager Neil R. Gordon/706-589-6727 neil.gordon@buzzon.biz

Calendar Coordinator Kelsey Morrow kelsey.morrow@buzzon.biz

Sales Janine Garropy/803-480-2800 janine.garropy@buzzon.biz

Distribution Janine Garropy, Kenneth Brown, Tiffany Stone

Tiffany Stone/803-640-0627 tiffany.stone@buzzon.biz

Submit Information gkauffman@buzzon.biz thegordongrouppr@comcast.net kelsey.morrow@buzzon.biz

Design Gary Kauffman

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

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

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

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April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

5

CHAMBER

continued from page 1 business to advocating for legislation at the state or national level. With the internet making almost every business a global business, the chamber has to be aware of what’s going on internationally as well.

Many business owners lose track of those issues in the bustle of day-to-day operations, which is where the chamber steps in.

“The business person is often very focused on their business and rightly so,” Parr said. “As their partner, this is an opportunity for us to be their eyes and ears.”

These bigger projects often don’t seem to be directly related to business, although they ultimately benefit all businesses. The Transportation Investment Act (TIA) in 2012 is an example of that.

The TIA was a collaborative effort between the Columbia County and Augusta Metro chambers that resulted in legislation bringing more than $800 million to the area for transportation projects, such as improving and widening roads.

“We all know how badly congested these roads are now and they would only get worse, if we had not advocated for this piece of legislation,” Shepherd said.

Parr said the ability to advocate for the TIA and other issues that affect businesses are the result of building relationships with local, state and federal officials.

“You can’t just show up on their doorstep when you have an issue,” Parr said. “We spend a lot of time working with local officials so when the issues arise we have that relationship.”

The advocacy can also reach beyond the geographical borders of the chamber. Both Parr and Shepherd are involved in advocating for the Savannah River Site, which not only doesn’t lie within their chamber districts, it isn’t even in the same state.

But many people who work at SRS live in Richmond and Columbia counties and what happens there affects the customer base of businesses in those counties. Shepherd estimates that 1,400 people who work at SRS live in Columbia County, so a major change in employment at SRS could have a major impact on local businesses.

Serving as chamber president also means thinking toward the future.

“I’m always thinking of ways we can make it better for the members,” Carroll said. “I do take my work home with me. I have notepads in every room to write down

ideas. I’m thinking outside the box.”

All three chambers are poised for growth – Columbia and Richmond counties because of the expansion of Fort Gordon and new industries, and North Augusta with the building of the baseball stadium project.

“I’m looking forward to it because it gives

The Augusta Economic Development Authority announced that EdenCrete Industries Inc. (ECI), a manufacturer of carbon nanotube enriched solutions, will establish its global manufacturing headquarters operation in Augusta.

This project represents the creation of more than 250 new jobs and an overall investment of $67 million in the local community. ECI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian-based Eden Energy Limited.

With this business venture, ECI will expand

the manufacturing of its proprietary product, EdenCrete, in the United States.

“We selected Georgia, and in particular Augusta, to establish our global manufacturing base for many reasons,” Greg Solomon, Chairman of Eden Energy, said. “Not only because of the local and state government support for industry, Georgia’s highly efficient transport access to both the North American and international export markets, but also, because of the warmth of its people, the quality of its workforce and the

us more opportunities here,” Carroll said.

The growth will continue to push the three presidents to find creative ways to enhance the business experience for their members.

“We have businesses that have thousands of employees and we have businesses that are one-person shops,” Parr said. “We have

to make sure we’re available and attentive to every size business.”

But it is also important that businesses realize how much more effective the chamber of commerce makes them.

“It’s important for businesses to understand that they can achieve more together than they can on their own,” Parr said.

Experienced leadership in local chambers Sue Parr

Parr has been president of the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce for 10 years after moving to the area from Lansing, Mich., where she had been involved with the chamber for 16 years.

“The move was a good opportunity for me and my family,” she said. “I’ve always been a big golf fan and I’ve always been intrigued by this community.”

Business has also always intrigued her.

“If I didn’t do what I do, I’d probably be an entrepreneur of some fashion,” Parr said. “I’ve always had a lot of respect for small businesses, especially what they do to create jobs.”

Parr said she’s had a lot of mentors along the way, but her first Chamber of Commerce mentor was the one who urged her to go to chamber school, a four-year course in chamber leadership.

“That really helped me refine the role of the chamber and my responsibilities to the community as a leader of a chamber,” she said.

She believes one of her biggest successes as president of the Metro chamber has been advocating for the business community and the community at large on larger issues.

“Our organization has become well known for its work in the public policy area,” she said.

Augusta has many opportunities ahead for growth, Parr said, and that requires work on the part of the chamber to stay relevant to its members.

“We will be addressing the everchanging needs of the business community,” she said. “The needs of the business community 10 years ago are not the same as now.”

Tammy Shepherd

Shepherd has served as president of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce for six years after a career that included working at DisneyWorld, hotel management, managing Savannah Rapids Pavilion and Columbia County Magazine. It was while at the magazine that she became involved with the chamber and eventually came to work for it as director of events and programs.

In her role as president, she helps develop the big picture plans and oversees the day-to-day operations.

“I’m like the manager of a small business,” she said.

She points to Yvonne Meeks of SRP Financial Credit Union as a mentor, but she also gained valuable insights from her father’s role with Georgia Power.

“A lot of what I do in the community is patterned after what I saw my dad doing,” she said.

Her biggest success, she said, was leading the way to 5-star accreditation for the chamber. Only 102 of the more than 7,000 chambers in the United States have this distinction. The accreditation sets a high standard of operations for the chamber.

“This is our chamber bible,” Shepherd said while hefting a 5-inch thick threering binder.

In the future, the Columbia County Chamber will be integrating business and education. The Chamber has set up a foundation to expand its revenue for programs that help the community create a better work force to supply the jobs that are available.

“If we don’t elevate our own population those companies will have to pull in people from elsewhere,” she said.

Terra Carroll

Carroll has been president of the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce for almost four years. Originally from Jacksonville, Fla., she moved to Augusta while working for the Radisson hotel chain.

She started working for the Chamber of Commerce in Columbia County and then spent six years with Augusta Metro before taking the North Augusta position.

She believes her time in hotel management was beneficial to her chamber career.

“It helped in dealing with different people and different personalities,” she said. “It helped in being patient and learning to listen.”

Carroll said she hasn’t had a specific mentor or leadership influence, but rather takes her cues from the experiences of others and her own experiences.

“I try to observe others, to see what they’ve done well and not done well,” she said. “I take my lessons, good or bad, and build on those. I’m a lifetime learner.”

Carroll said her biggest success has been in simply making people aware that the North Augusta Chamber exists.

“We’re having more interaction with the community,” she said. “The everyday citizen was not familiar that North Augusta has a chamber.”

Continuing the growth of the chamber and keeping up with the demands of the business community are the biggest challenges the chamber faces.

The chamber plans to hire another staff member in the near future to work on membership development.

“We have a great board of directors and a great group of volunteers, so we’re ready for the challenges,” she said.

Company picks Augusta for HQ, will create 250 jobs

6 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

attractive standard of living and opportunities that it offers our future employees.”

EdenCrete is ECI’s carbon-strengthened concrete additive which significantly improves a wide range of performance characteristics of concrete. The product is suitable for use in applications including the construction and maintenance of concrete roads, bridges and other infrastructure networks.

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has already approved the use of EdenCrete in its 24-hour highway con-

crete repair mix and plans a further field trial of EdenCrete for use in new concrete highway construction. EdenCrete has potential for use in other concrete applications including high-rise buildings, marine and coastal constructions, water storage pipelines and pre-fabricated concrete structures.

“EdenCrete combines a long-time manufacturing process with new age technology innovations, and we are proud to welcome them,” Henry Ingram, chairman of the Economic Development Authority, said.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

7

Business Marketing Mark Alison

Shake On It

Simple handshake and being nice pays off in the long run It was a sticky hot August morning when my car decided to break down somewhere between Augusta and Savannah. A steamy blanket of mist covered the asphalt and spilled over into the ditches. Sunburned corn stalks that had given up their bounty a month earlier stretched forever on both sides of the road. This was definitely rural Georgia.

Running on what sounded and felt like three cylinders, my car limped into a boarded up convenience store. I was hoping the outside pay phone was still working. As I explained my situation and told my 10 a.m. appointment I would be a little late, she said, “If you can’t make it on time, don’t come.”

We had spent days preparing this pitch. I knew I had one chance.

“I’ll try to be there,” I said, and hung up.

A couple of miles back I had seen a crooked sign for a crop dusting service so I headed that direction. The pavement gave way to an overgrown dirt road that ran alongside a cane break for a few hundred yards. When it opened up, there was no paved air-strip and no airplane hangars, just a faded blue single-wide mobile home on a raised concrete block foundation. No dogs, thank God. I climbed the rickety wooden steps and knocked three times on the aluminum door. Nobody came. I reluctantly but desperately knocked again and saw the curtains move through the corner of my eye.

Then my confidence turned to mush. Did I mention

this is rural Georgia and I am dressed in a suit, standing on some porch, on someone’s private property? Nobody would even hear a gunshot, I thought to myself.

“Yep?” was his response when he opened the door about halfway. A bearded man in his late 20s stood there, coffee cup in hand. He wore blue jeans and a working man’s shirt.

I spoke to him through the half screen door. I explained my car situation and asked, sheepishly, if it was possible that he could fly me to the Savannah airport.

He stared at me, turned his head slightly and then in a calm baritone voice said, “Hey, ain’t you Mark Alison?”

A million scenarios flashed through my mind in the instant before I owned up to the fact and said “Yes,” with an anxious smile. “How do you know me?”

“You worked for the Chronicle-Herald when I was working for Jack and Betty Pender’s plant nursery,” he explained. “You’d come by weekly to sell ads dressed in a white shirt and tie. Me and the other guys were slopping manure and re-potting plants but before you went in to see Ms. Pender you’d always take time to greet us and carry on a conversation. You seemed interested in what we had to say. You even shook our dirty gloved hands. Me and the others all figured you for a pretty good guy.”

He said his name was Jim and stuck out his hand. I didn’t remember Jim but that didn’t matter to him. He remembered me or at least had a positive perception of who I was from 13 years past.

I remembered reading Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends book around that time and he reinforced what I already knew about being nice to everyone. I guess it paid off.

“I remember there were always some guys who were busy around there,” I said, and we chatted for a few minutes more. He glanced around for the time, I guess a clock inside the trailer. “I’ll call Pete,” he said. “He has the fastest plane in the county and he will get you to your appointment on time.”

Fifteen minutes later Pete buzzed in low across the tall pines and landed in the front yard. I climbed up on the wing with my portfolio of work. The seat and instrument panel was literally held together by wire and duct tape.

Before I could finish my thought he said, “She don’t look like much but she flies like hell. I rebuilt the engine myself.”

There were no headsets so he and I yelled at each other to be heard above the engine noise. At 2,000 feet I could see the ocean and in no time we landed.

He said he would wait. Ninety minutes later I was back after making the pitch on time and we made the short flight back to Jim’s field.

As we landed I thanked Pete profusely, kind of happy to be on the ground.

“What do I owe ya,” I asked before climbing out.

“How bout five bucks for the gas,” he said.

“That’s all?”

“Any friend of Jimmy’s is a friend of mine,” he said with a wave.

I shook his hand, thanked him again and watched him clear the trees.

“Nobody will believe this story,” I thought.

In those days it was simply a good deed rendered for a kind word spoken.

If it happened today we would call it positive reputation management, social media marketing, sales and perhaps even a blog story. Heck, it might even go viral.

Either way Carnegie was right – good marketing still starts with a handshake. And a bit of appreciation doesn’t hurt either.

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

Customer service lacking in many B2B transactions

By Kelsey Morrow Would you consider it a success if only 5 percent of your customers were satisfied after doing business with your company?

Chances are you would not.

However, according to a recent Gallup poll, 5 percent is the number of people who were “very satisfied” with the way their most recent business-to-business (B2B) transaction handled a problem. This means that a whopping 95 percent of customers are leaving transactions unsatisfied that their situation has been resolved!

How can you make sure that this isn’t true of your customers?

• Understand that mistakes will happen, and be prepared to fix them.

It is not realistic to expect that your business will never encounter any problems.

8 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

A whopping 95 percent of customers are unsatisfied that their problem has been resolved Many companies concentrate so much on not making mistakes that when something inevitably goes wrong, they haven’t created a contingency plan to handle it. Customers do not expect your business to never make mistakes, but they do expect you to be able to handle problems when they arise.

Consider the following responses: “I don’t

know” vs. “I will find out.” I don’t know might be the truth, but it doesn’t inspire confidence in your customer. I will find out, however, reassures the customer that even though this is not what your company intended to happen, you will find a way to resolve the problem.

• Communicate with your customer.

B2B relationships are unique in that it might not always be a problem with your actual product or service that can cause a dificulty. Rather, it might be a lack of communication within the company.

For example, your customer might have expected that you would provide a certain service and become upset when they realize that is not the case.

Make sure to clarify arrangements at the beginning of your relationship with the customer so that they are clearly

aware of what their company will be receiving, and your company is clearly aware of what you are expected to provide.

The same applies to communication within your company. Often business partnerships span several different departments. It isn’t enough for only the senior leaders to know the terms of the deal. All departments involved in the B2B relationship must be kept up-to-date with all expectations that concern them.

• Be proactive. Even if you are lucky enough to have a product or B2B partnership that is functioning well in the present moment, don’t make the mistake of assuming it will always be that way. Make sure to keep open communication with your customers and regularly keep track of their feedback.

Being proactive will allow you to catch smaller issues before they become big problems.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

9

Businesses urged to set active shooter plan

By Neil Gordon Business leaders from major CSRA businesses almost choked on their bacon and eggs at the April 15 “Good Morning North Augusta” breakfast.

Chief John Thomas, Director of North Augusta Public Safety, played a realistic FBI video designed to scare business and school leaders into making a plan in case there is an active shooter situation in their building.

“It was intense,” said Ken McDowell, an executive at Halocarbon Products, a North Augusta manufacturing plant.

He was one of about 100 business leaders in attendance from companies like Textron, AT&T, SRNS, SRP, Aiken Regional Medical Center, Security Federal Bank, Pruitt Health, Medac and EDTS. The 20-minute training video spanned less than 24 hours in the life of a troubled college dropout as he prepared for and executed his plan to go onto his former Virginia campus and shoot victims in his path. There were gory images shown on screen.

The video also presented the side of family members, local police, FBI and others in the “all hands on deck” scenario.

“You may think it cannot happen here. It can happen here,” Thomas declared.

It did happen here several times, including in Aiken County in 1996 and 1997.

In 1996 David Mark Hill, 37, killed three social workers at the Aiken County Department of Social Services in North Augusta.

DSS was in the preliminary stages of looking into the case involving his three children.

In 1997, Arthur Hastings Wise, a terminated four-year machine operational employee at the Phelon Manufacturing Company in Aiken, returned one afternoon, walked into the facility and opened fire.

“Those who were shot had arguments with Mr. Wise or got jobs the alleged gunman

wanted,” Sue Ewing told the Aiken bureau of the Augusta Chronicle a few days after the shooting. She was the receptionist that day who called 911 shortly after 3 p.m. before fleeing to safety.

Four of Wise’s former co-workers died.

Three others were wounded.

Wise was executed by lethal injection by the State of South Carolina in 2005.

Thomas told the Chamber crowd that ac-

cording to FBI reports, active shooter cases have increased 200 percent since 2000 – some in the workplace and some in grade schools and colleges.

“Do you have a plan to keep you and your employees safe?” Thomas asked.

As he exited the North Augusta Municipal Building after the program, McDowell vowed, “We’ll be revising ours.”

He said that with 170 employees on site,

his Human Resources Department and Management team are meeting constantly to identify any challenging employee situations.

Thomas told the startled crowd that he would be willing to go to any of their companies and work on entrance/exit plans and give instructions how employees can run, hide or fight their way through an active shooter situation.

American drivers’ annual driving cost to operate a motor vehicle has fallen to a sixyear low of $8,558, according to AAA’s 2016 Your Driving Cost study. This year, a driver can expect to spend 57 cents for each mile driven, approximately $713 per month, to cover the fixed and variable costs associated with owning and operating a car.

“Due to lower gas prices consumers are expected to have extra disposable income,” said Garrett Townsend, Georgia Public Affairs Director, AAA. “With a likely increase in road travel, motorists can use the annual savings for vehicle maintenance and other costs related to operating a vehicle.”

AAA also factors in other expenses including fuel, insurance, depreciation, licensing, registration and taxes, which all are expected to increase.

Fuel: Down 24.62 percent to 8.45 cents per mile/$1,267.50 per year (-$414).

Compared to last year’s study, the average price of regular fuel fell more than 25 percent to $2.139 per gallon in the fourth quarter. At the same time, vehicle redesigns and improved powertrain technologies increased the average fuel economy of the sedans used in the study to 26.71 mpg.

Insurance: Up 9.60 percent to $1,222 per year (+$107).

Insurance rates vary widely by driver, driving habits, issuing company, geographical area and other factors. While AAA’s insurance cost estimates are based on lowrisk drivers with good driving records, even this group has seen rates rise over the past few years. Rising costs are likely attributable to lower gas prices, which have resulted in more miles driven, greater numbers of collisions and higher insurance payouts.

Depreciation: Up 2.87 percent to $3,759

per year (+$105).

The single-largest ownership expense, depreciation, rose for 2016 due to robust new-car sales and, therefore, increasing numbers of used and off-lease vehicles entering the marketplace. This reduces retained value and resale prices, thus increasing depreciation.

Maintenance: Up 3.33 percent to 5.28 cents per mile/$792 per year (+$25 per year).

While there is significant variation among individual vehicles, modest increases in vehicle maintenance are attributable to engines requiring more expensive semi- or full-synthetic motor oils. There were also increases in extended warranty pricing and shop labor rates.

License/Registration/Taxes: Up 3.31 percent to $687 per year (+$22).

License, registration and tax costs are

impacted by vehicle sales prices and state/ local tax rates. In addition to rising vehicle prices, many states, counties and cities have increased their fees related to vehicle purchasing, titling, registration and licensing.

Finance Charges: Up 2.09 percent to $683 per year (+$14).

The average vehicle finance rate remained relatively unchanged in 2016. The modest dollar increase in finance charges is attributable to higher new car prices combined with increased tax, title, license and registration fees, which are typically rolled into the vehicle financing.

Tires: Up 2.04 percent to 1.00 cent per mile/$150 per year (+$3).

Due to the competitive and dynamic nature of the tire market, tire costs in 2016 are relatively unchanged, rising by just .02 cent per mile.

North Augusta Chamber of Commerce members watch a video about an active shooter situation. Photo by Neil Gordon

Cost to drive drops because of decreased gas prices

10 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

11

AU Health adds $1.2 billion to local economy

Augusta University’s health system has generated more than $1.2 billion in revenue for the local and state economy, according to a recent report by the Georgia Hospital Association, the state’s largest hospital trade association.

In addition, the health system’s partnership with the state’s Roosevelt Warm Springs Rehabilitation and Specialty Hospitals contributed more than $43 million for a combined impact of nearly $1.3 billion for the health system.

“While our health system prides itself on being the hospital that meets the critical health care needs for this area, we are equally proud to be a major regional employer and a business partner to many, contributing countless added benefits to the Georgia economy,” said Shawn Vincent, Augusta University Medical Center’s interim chief operating officer.

“We have our Warm Springs partnership, our telestroke programs across the state, and we’re exploring other partnerships to improve public health.

In addition, we hope to provide even greater impact by building the first hospital in Columbia County – one of the fastest growing counties in Georgia,” said Vincent, who also serves as the university’s vice president of Partnerships, International Healthcare and Strategic Affiliations.

The GHA economic impact report noted that Augusta University Medical Center provided nearly $50 million in uncompensated care while sustaining 7,869 full-time jobs throughout Augusta and the rest of the state.

The report also revealed that the medical center had direct expenditures of more than $540 million in 2014. When combined with an economic multiplier developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, the total economic impact of those expenditures was $1,238,664,825.

This output multiplier consid-

buzz bits Local chef competing on Food Network show A local chef will be competing to become the next Food Network Star when the popular Food Network program starts on May 22.

Havird Usry, a third-generation chef at his family’s popular Augusta restaurant, Fat Man’s Café, is one of 13 chefs from around the country who will be competing for the title of Food Network Star.

The contestants are mentored by celebrity chefs Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay.

Usry, 28, is one of the youngest contestants in the field but enters with plenty of experiers the “ripple” effect of direct hospital expenditures on other sectors of the economy, such as medical supplies, durable medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. Economic multipliers are used to model the resulting impact of a change in one industry on the “circular flow” of spending within an economy as a whole.

Document shredding day planned

Shredding documents containing personal information is crucial to keeping those documents out of the hands of thieves and helps protect businesses and individuals from being victims of identity theft.

To make that happen, The Cleveland Group, CPAs will be offering a Free Shred Event from 8 a.m.-11 a.m. on May 14 at their office on Davis Road in Martinez.

All documents will be shredded onsite and all shredded material will be recycled.

For more information, contact Bethany Surles at 706-288-2800 or bsurles@clevelandgroup.net.

New home development planned A new home development on Edgefield Road (Highway 25) at Exit 5 of I-20 could also bring in some of the restaurants North

12 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

ence from having grown up in the family business. He also was a first-in-class honor graduate from Helms College Augusta’s culinary program in 2015.

According to the Food Network’s bio of Usry, he has a focus on modern Southern cuisine, creating modern dishes from staples like fried chicken and Augusta has wanted.

Meybohm Commercial group announced plans to build Walnut Village, a 50-acre development near where Scuttle’s Island Water Park is planned.

The village would include not only homes and apartments, but retail space and a hotel.

Meybohm hopes their plans will attract some of the sit-down restaurants that North Augusta has been seeking.

Plans are to begin construction by midsummer.

New website helps airport travellers Augusta Regional Airport recently unveiled a new, responsive website, FlyAGS.com. The new website features a simplified navigation structure with several new and useful tools integrated into the site such as a trip calculator, economic development opportunities listings and quick link hubs.

FlyAGS.com now has the ability to automatically adapt to all mobile devices. The responsiveness offers viewers the ability to easily access the most popular links on the website. Along with the quick link access points, passengers can now calculate their overall trip cost when flying out of AGS vs. Atlanta or Columbia.

The site also offers businesses the chance to view development opportunities, DBE opportuni-

shrimp and grits.

Usry is married to Dr. Brooke Usry, a dentist in North Augusta.

This is the 12th season for the show. The first episode will air at 9 p.m. Sunday, May 22.

Fat Man’s Café traces its roots to the 1940s when Horace Usry, the Fat Man, took over his father’s grocery store and added a restaurant called The Pit. A year-round Christmas display known as Fat Man’s Forest grew up around the restaurant. That closed in 2008 when the land was sold and Fat Man’s Café moved to the Enterprise Mill. ties, and overall construction projects at the Airport. The site has been designed to offer quick link hubs for easy access to the most viewed links such as the flight search databases, General Aviation, News & Notices, and Social Media links.

“Air travelers have become very tech savvy,” said Gary LeTellier, interim executive director. “In order to live up to the high quality demands of these travelers, we needed to upgrade our online presence and communication options.”

SWU offers online masters course in management Southern Wesleyan University in North Augusta is offering the New MSML (Master of Science in Management and Leadership) Program online starting on May 1. It will begin onsite at the campus on Martintown Road in North Augusta starting May 4.

The program focuses on key areas of management integrated with the best leadership practices. It will also implement subjects that will help people lead teams and organizations effectively, plus gain skills in strategic planning, organizational development, information management and effective decision making. It is ideal for

those who want to expand their management and leadership skills.

For more information visit swu. edu/admissions/adult-evening/ degree-programs/ms-in-management-and-leadership-msml To apply, call 803-426-7981 or online at swu.edu/apply.

EDTS honored for technical certifications Augusta IT company EDTS has been named to yet another prestigious list, this time for the number of its technical certifications.

CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named EDTS to its 2016 Tech Elite 250 list. This annual list honors an exclusive group of North American IT solution providers that have earned the highest number of advanced technical certifications from leading technology vendors.

To compile the annual list, The Channel Company’s research group and CRN editors work together to identify the most customer-beneficial technical certifications in the North American IT channel. Companies who have obtained these elite designations – which enable solution providers to deliver premium products, services and customer support – are then selected from a pool of online applicants.

EDTS is a company built on people, processes and technology with the mission of attracting the best employees, working with the latest in emerging technologies and providing the highest level of technology services to clients.

“We are honored to be recognized alongside the most exceptional IT companies in North America,” said Charles Johnson, CEO of EDTS. “We pride ourselves on hiring the most talented and hard-working IT professionals in the industry; their tireless dedication to excellence and improvement continues to propel EDTS forward as an industry leader.”

Coverage of the Tech Elite 250 will be featured in the April issue of CRN, and online at crn.com.

Corbin to speak at Chamber breakfast

Gretchen Corbin, commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia, will be the featured speaker at the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s Post-Legislative Breakfast on May 10 from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion.

Other local elected officials will also attend.

The Post-Legislative Breakfast is presented by the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee.

Ga. Southern online MBA again among best in nation The Georgia Southern University Online MBA has been ranked as a 2017 Best Online MBA Program for the second consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report. This is only the second year that U.S. News has published its rankings of distance education MBA programs.

U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings, released in March, include the best online master’s degree programs in business administration. Online MBA programs were evaluated on admissions selectivity, reputation for excellence among peer institutions, and academic and career support services offered to students. The Online MBA rankings evaluated schools based solely on data related to the distance education MBA programs.

Five categories – student engagement, admissions selectivity, peer reputation, faculty credentials and training, and student services and technology – were used to rank the distance learning MBA programs.

In a separate ranking, U.S. News & World Report ranked Georgia Southern’s online graduate business programs (excluding MBA) for a second consecutive year. These programs, which include the Georgia Southern online Master of Science in applied economics program and web Master of Accounting, were

buzz bits

ranked based on level of accreditation, reputation for excellence among peer institutions, and academic and career support services offered to students.

University Health brings $850M to community In 2014, University Health Care System in Augusta generated nearly $850 million in revenue for the local and state economy, according to a recent report by the Georgia Hospital Association.

The report also found that, during the same time period, University Health Care System provided approximately $33 million in uncompensated care while sustaining more than 6,700 full-time jobs throughout the CSRA and the rest of the state.

“University Health Care System is proud to be an economic force in our community,” said James Davis, president and CEO of University Health Care System.

“More importantly, we are proud to be a mission-driven health system dedicated to providing high quality care to improve the health of those we serve.

University also understands the high cost of care and we work very hard to keep our costs as low as possible to help make care affordable in our region.”

State official speaking at Metro Chamber breakfast Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens will be the featured speaker at the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce’s PostSession Legislative Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. April 27 at the Augusta Marriott Convention Center.

Olens has been the state attorney general since 2011. He was named 2016 Georgian of the Year by Georgia Trend magazine.

The event is free to chamber members and $25 for non-members. Registration is required at Augustametrochamber.com.

Augusta Airport hires new executive director The Augusta Aviation Commission has selected Herbert Judon, Jr. as the new executive director of the Augusta Regional Airport. The announcement follows a nationwide search.

Judon has more than 20 years of experience in aviation. He has held the position of Assistant Aviation Director of Operations with Charlotte Douglas International Airport since 2012. He has also served as an Air Support Operations Operator/Instructor with the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as Commander for the North Carolina National Guard’s

Lanham named to prestigious travel club Julie Lanham of Vacations to Remember achieved the highest levels of success in selling Sandals, Beaches and Grand Pineapple Beach resorts and has been inducted into the prestigious 2016 Chairman’s Royal Club, an exclusive by-invitationonly club for travel agents that sell a minimum of 100 rooms in a calendar year. The club is administered by Unique Vacations, Inc., an affiliate of the worldwide sales and marketing representative for Sandals, Beaches, and Grand Pineapple Beach resorts.

“I am thrilled to have achieved this status with Sandals, Beaches, and Grand Pineapple Beach resorts,” Lanham said. “I have focused my business on providing my clients the very best vacation experience possible, and I remain confident that the Luxury Included vacation provided by Sandals and Beaches Resorts is without a doubt the very best.”

“We are delighted with the success of Julie Lanham and Vacations To Remember, and welcome her into the Chairman’s Royal Club,” said Gary Sadler, UVI Sr. Vice President of Sales. “The CRC program was designed by our chairman to celebrate and reward agents who consistently demonstrate outstanding service in their representation of our

1450th Transportation Company.

“We were pleased with the quality and talent of candidates applying for the position but the Commission felt, as a body, that Herbert stood out as the best match for the Augusta Regional Airport as we move brands and a commitment to sell them. We will continue to find meaningful ways to invest in the agents who invest with us.”

Since its founding in late 2011

by Sandals Resorts International chairman, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, membership in the Chairman’s Royal Club has become a highly sought after distinction with members earning prominent benefits – depending upon their membership level, including higher commissions, reimbursement for promotional expenses, discounts on Island Routes Adventure Tours, airfare reimbursement, resort discounts on spa treatments and sundries.

Author to speak at Successful Superwoman Best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn will be the keynote speaker at the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s Successful Superwoman event 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. April 28 at the Doubletree Hotel.

Feldhahn, best-selling author of For Women Only, will speak on “Leading Well as a Woman.”

Networking and booth expo will begin at 9 a.m., with breakout sessions highlighting four speakers who will share their testimony and encouraging messages for women in the workplace, including Amy Kilpatrick and Crystal Smith. The luncheon and Feldhahn’s pre-

forward,” said Cedric Johnson, Chairman, Augusta Aviation Commission.

Judon holds a Masters of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. He also holds accreditations as an Accredited Airport Executive from the American Association of Airport Executives as well as the International Airport Professional from the Airport Management Professional Accreditation Program.

Judon is expected to begin his new position at the Augusta Regional Airport in early May. sentation will start at noon.

Business Woman and Administrative Professional of the Year Award will be presented during the luncheon portion of the event.

For information about registration and admission fees, visit columbiacountychamber.com.

Senior Citizen Expo to fight hunger The Senior Citizens Council has joined forces with several other area organizations and will be presenting a Senior Resource Expo on April 23 at Trinity CME Church on Glenn Hills Drive, in South Augusta.

Economic conditions continue to give many families difficult situations; one of those situations is having sufficient funds to purchase good, wholesome food for their families. During the Expo, the Senior Citizens Council hopes to help obtain food for those families in need by having the Manna Truck from the Golden Harvest Food Bank as one of the vendors.

Typically, the Manna truck carries from 5,000 to 10,0000 pounds of food and has a mixture of fresh produce and non-perishable items. Each delivery will provide up to 200 individuals or families with 25 to 50 pounds of free, fresh, wholesome food and should provide food for 20 to 40 meals.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

13

Deeper Thinking Eddie Kennedy

Business Buddies

Trade association increases buying power, helpful advice Starting and operating a business can be challenging.

Many times having a business degree does not prepare you for everything you will have to do to make your business successful.

One of the best ways you can find answers and solutions to your pressing problems is from other business owners who have gone through the same situations already. A question I hear often is, Where can I find someone who can give me some advice? You can find those people in a trade association.

Almost every industry has a trade association or a buying group. If you don’t belong to one already, you should look into joining one. Typically, these groups offer benefits and discounts you cannot acquire on your own. As you become involved, you will have the opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals and start great friendships.

Business Advice Mike Herrington

Future World

Increasing health care costs necessitate planning now The rising cost of health care in the United States has become one of the primary risks to a financially-secure retirement. With health care costs expected to continue increasing faster than inflation, the time to plan for your future health care needs is now…before you retire.

Your ability to enjoy a financially-secure retirement can be enhanced by planning for future needs such as: Long-Term Care Services: Are you familiar with the variety of long-term care services available? If it becomes necessary, what type of long-term care services would you

14 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

Joining a buying group or trade association can be the best thing to happen to your business, because you will save money on things you use every day in your business and you will be able to tap into the expertise and experience from many other business owners.

In October 1993, I met with some retailers from other states to discuss the need for a national buying cooperative.

After several months of planning, conference calls and face-to-face meetings to write our vision, mission statement and by-laws, on January 1, 1994, Furniture First National Buying Group was started by six retailers with a shared vision and mission.

We started small, but we believed that Furniture First could become a viable national buying group. Through the past 22 years, our buying group has grown from the original six members to 218 member stockholders, operating 461 store fronts nationally and accounting for more than $1.75 Billion in annual sales.

Last year, the International Home Furnishings Reps Association presented Furniture First with their coveted “Retailer of the Year” award. It was the first time ever for a buying group to be recognized with such an honor. I believe the single most important decision I have made in business, was being involved in this buying group.

If you need some assistance to grow your business to the next level, think about some of the possible benefits you

prefer? How will you pay for any needed long-term care services?

Advance Directives: Have you communicated your medical care wishes in the event you suffer a catastrophic medical event? Have you named someone else, a spouse or other family member, to make medical decisions for you in the event you are incapacitated?

Paying for Health Care in Retirement: Do you know what your out-ofpocket health care costs might be after you retire? Are you aware that Medicare, while it covers many health care costs, has significant limitations? Are you familiar with the various types of insurance that can help pay health and long-term care costs not covered by Medicare?

Did You Know: • In 2013, men reaching age 65 had an average additional life expectancy of 17.9 years, while women reaching age 65 could expect to live an additional 20.5 years on average. (Source: A Profile of Older Americans: 2014, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) • While estimates vary, a couple retiring at age 65 without private health

could gain from joining a buying group or trade association.

• Receive discounts and vendor rebates on the products you sell.

• Receive discounts on the products you buy to operate your business: such as office supplies, computer equipment and point of sale materials.

• Receive discounts on marketing services: such as website hosting, direct mail, email blasts, and other advertising.

• Receive better rates on consumer financing and credit card processing.

• Receive product or market exclusivity on best-selling items in your industry.

• Collaborate with others in your industry to share best practices, ideas to improve your services, and solve common business problems.

One of the best benefits you will receive is in the connections and relationships you make with other business leaders. Look for a group that offers you

an opportunity to meet similar noncompetitive business people like yourself. Get as involved as you can. Be open and honest. Be friendly to others and make new friends. Ask questions about their business. Listen to them tell their stories and challenges. Attend the meetings, conference calls and conventions.

It has always amazed me how many other business people have been through almost identical circumstances as I have and how willing they are to help another retailer.

We have an expression we use in our group: “Leave your ego at the door.”

The more you contribute to the group, the more you’ll get out of the group.

Many years ago, I heard an older successful business man say “You already know about yourself and what you know. Ask questions and find out what other people know.”

It was Henry Ford who said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” That has been the mantra in our buying group as we have worked together to help each other’s business.

I hope you find a group that you can serve in and allow the group to positively affect your business.

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

A 65-year-old couple who retired in 2015 needs $245,000 to cover medical expenses throughout retirement insurance from a former employer can expect to pay significant out-ofpocket health care costs during their retirement years. Fidelity Investments, for example, estimates that a 65-yearold couple who retired in 2015 needs about $245,000 to cover medical expenses throughout retirement, a 29 percent increase from the $190,000 estimated for those retiring at age 65 in 2005. This estimate applies to retirees with traditional Medicare coverage and does not include costs of dental care, long-term care or over-the-counter medicines. (Source: 2015 Retiree Health Care Costs Estimate, Fidelity Investments) • At least 70 percent of people over 65 will need long term care services and supports at some point in their lives.

(Source: 2016 Medicare & You, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) • The national median daily rate in

2015 for a private room in a nursing home was $250, an increase of 4.17 percent from 2014. (Source: Genworth 2015 Cost of Care Survey, March 2015) • The average length of a nursing home stay is 835 days. (Source: CDC Vital and Health Statistics, Series 13, No. 167, June 2009) • At a median daily rate of $250, an average nursing home stay of 835 days currently costs over $208,000.

If you would like assistance in planning for your health care needs in retirement, please contact my office.

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

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

15

Business Lessons Gary Kauffman

Smooth Sailing

Remembering that business is about people leads to success A few years ago a client of mine related a story about his friend George that had changed his outlook on his own business.

George was vacationing in Florida and one morning decided to take a walk along the beach. Because he was just going for a walk, George didn’t bother to shave and he donned a simple white T-shirt, cut off jeans and some raggedy flip-flops.

Along the way, he passed a marina offering yachts for sale. One of them drew his interest and he stopped to examine it. George noticed the spiffy salesmen glance at him, then look away. None of them came out to help him, thinking he was a beach bum or, at best, a poor tourist.

Finally a young kid named Donnie, whose job it was to clean the boats and sweep up, noticed George and asked if he could help him. George indicated his interest in the yacht and Donnie eagerly filled him in on the yacht’s details, taking him for a quick tour, before returning to his job of drudgery. George continued with his walk.

What the salesmen and Donnie didn’t realize was that

George owned a large company and was a multi-millionaire who could afford several yachts if he wanted them.

The next day George drove to the marina in his Mercedes, wearing a tailored suit. The salesmen practically tripped over themselves in their eagerness to help him and show him the boats for sale. George merely asked to speak to the manager.

When the manager arrived, George said, “I want to buy that yacht, but on one condition – that the commission goes to Donnie.”

After some hemming and hawing, the manager agreed to the request.

Donnie ended up with a fat commission check probably greater than his monthly salary – perhaps yearly sal-

ary – because he didn’t let appearances sway him from treating George with respect.

My client said it was a good reminder to him to treat all his customers with equal respect, regardless of their appearance.

Years before that happened a friend of a friend named Ken took my family and me to a large gameworks facility. What we soon discovered is that almost all the workers greeted Ken by name and were genuinely glad to see him. And Ken greeted most of them by name.

And soon we were receiving special privileges – early admittance, entry into games that were closed off to other patrons, a few extra tokens here and there

– all because of Ken. Ken worked for a company that had installed much of the wiring in the facility, and required his periodic attention for maintenance. During his visits, Ken made a point of talking to the people – not the big shots, but the ordinary workers. Ken didn’t do it because he thought he might get some extra game tokens but because he genuinely respected and cared about the people. He learned their names and some of their background, and talked to them each time he did any work there. As a result, he earned their respect.

It was a good reminder to me that people matter, no matter what their position. That custodian or secretary is just as important to a company as the person who occupies the corner office, even if their position within the company may not seem as valuable.

It may seem like our businesses are about products and services, but in the end, they’re all about people, both customers and staff. Customers go to companies where they’re treated well; employees work where they’re valued and respected. And, as Donnie and some redfaced boat salesmen learned, it pays to be nice to everyone you meet.

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

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

Banking world adapting to Millennials

By Kelsey Morrow The millennial generation has provoked change in many aspects of life, and their approach to saving money is no exception.

“Millennials are a very mixed generation, but in general, they want to do things on their own terms,” Kyle Amerman, Marketing Manager at Augusta Metro Federal Credit Union, said. “We have seen a trend of less people in this age group opening traditional savings accounts, and so we have gone full tilt into the digital arena.”

Although financial institutions are bound by regulations that they need to follow, there has been a greater push toward providing as much flexibility as possible to this new generation. In order to cater to this desire for autonomy, banks and credit unions have had to become increasingly creative in both the services they offer and their marketing.

“I believe that Millennials prefer to do their banking online,” May Clare Scherer of Queensborough National Bank and Trust, said. “They like to have options.”

16 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

In addition to online banking, it is now increasingly common to see more personalized savings programs and mobile banking apps.

Four years ago, Augusta Metro Credit Union created a mobile app and also created their own person-to-person app, called “Pocket-2-Pocket,” which further simplifies the ability to manage finances. And Queensborough provides a wealth management program that allows them to focus on each customer’s individual needs and help them prepare for the future.

“Our wealth management program is a wonderful tool and segue into the future of savings,” Scherer said. “We can also assist our customers if they have troubles that could be hindering their ability to save.”

This desire to save but inability to get started is a well-documented trait of this generation. According to a recent study by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Ad Council, although saving was voted as the number one goal for the year, the majority of respondents also

responded that they find saving to be impossible for several reasons, including their current salary, bills and student debt. They

also cite their overall inability to establish and stick to a personal budget.

“I think the Millennials in general see the need for savings,” Millennial Emily Martin of Augusta said. “But even though I know the necessity, I just don’t put as much money towards savings as I probably should.”

However, while the generation as a whole may not be as focused on savings as other generations, those who are actively saving are very focused.

“While we have seen the average age of our account holders going up,” Amerman said, “we also have seen a small but steady group of very serious young account holders.”

“I am definitely a saver” said Millennial Rebecca van Loenen of Augusta. “I do not like to be unprepared to pay off any surprise bills or not have the funds to do something I like. Living on a minimalist budget and shoring up my savings can be rough at times, but it has provided freedom from worry on many occasions. I don’t want my present or future to be characterized by financial worries.”

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

17

Business Tech Charles Kelly

Need for Speed

New generation of computer hard drives have raw speed The first hard drives were physically enormous, about the size of two refrigerators standing side by side. The IBM Model 350 disk storage unit held a whopping 3.75 megabytes.

For comparison, consider that it would take 4,272 of these IBM Model 350s to equal the 16GB storage of an average smart phone today. It would take 26,700 of these Model 350s to equal a one Terabyte drive (1TB) available on an average computer today.

So, hard drives are faster, enormously larger and tremendously cheap by comparison. Through all of these changes in storage size and speed, the basic electro-magnetic structure of the hard drive has remained, meaning spinning platters that have billions of sectors that are magnetized or not magnetized with an armature and magnet system, designating a 0 or a 1.

That is the type of hard drive that is most likely in your computer today.

All of that is about to change.

The Solid State Drive (SSD) is here with no moving

parts and is all electrical in nature, not electromechanical. These SSDs have been around in the PC and laptop market for several years, but were relegated to game rigs or expensive, super thin, ultrabook-class laptops. The failure rates weren’t good at first and they were very expensive.

Today, SSDs are very reliable and becoming cheaper every month. They’re found in more and more brand-name laptops as standard hardware. In our retail store, what used to be special order is now stocked in several sizes, allowing us to offer customers with failing laptop drives the option of a standard mechanical replacement or a super-fast SSD. One of the primary advantages of the SSD is raw speed – watching a computer boot in less than 10 seconds is a refreshing example of that. Another advantage of the SSD is that because it has no moving parts, it is less susceptible to temperature changes and G force damage. So, in a consumer laptop they are more reliable in that they can take the everyday abuse that some laptops go through.

One would think that since they don’t have moving parts that they would be perfectly reliable, but they are still electronic devices and over time, they still have a substantial failure rate, just like mechanical drives.

For customers who need speed – like architects, graphic designers and gamers – we like to build desktops with a SSD as the boot drive, in a 256 or 500GB size, and install a 1TB or larger

Business Leverage Kim Romaner

Ready or Not

Answering questions prepare you to buy or sell a business A quick examination reveals that, as in many areas of business and financial trend analysis lately, the experts and pundits are not all in agreement with each other as to how 2016 is trending and will trend regarding business sale transactions.

18 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

One expert source reports that business acquisitions are slowing down and will continue to do so in the year to come.

Another says the last quarter of 2015 was hot, the first quarter of 2016 is hot, but that they’re expecting a slow down in deal flow later this year. And you can probably guess that there are others that say optimism for the year is high throughout.

If you’re looking at the “trends” to tell you whether this is the right time to conduct a business sale transaction or not, you might consider another approach. Let’s start with some facts.

2015 was a record year for Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed loans, totaling $23.6 billion.

That’s a good sign. That means the government is trying very hard to kickstart the small business engine in this country by making it easier for banks to loan money.

Here’s what we’re seeing locally in the market: Bankers are indeed eager to fund business sales, particularly with SBA backing, but they want each business sale transaction to cash flow prop-

The refrigerator-sized IBM Model 350 hard drive.

mechanical drive for storage.

So, one more pretty large step in the evolution of the computer is upon us and it will be a pretty good, yet still incremental, movement towards the speed we all crave as we consume and manipulate vast amounts of digital data. It won’t happen overnight, but by the end of 2017 expect most laptops to come with SSDs. Desktops won’t be far behind.

We have been building desktops with SSDs for three years now and have deployed several high end workstations with a hybrid SSD/standard hard drive configuration and customers are astounded at the speed. If you have pur-

2015 was a record year for SBA loans erly going forward.

This last point is nothing new, but do you, as a potential business buyer or seller, know what that means? Do you know how it figures into how the business should be – nay, must be – priced in order to make the numbers work?

Do you know how much cash a buyer needs to bring to the table, and how the banker will view the buyer’s personal financial statements as a plus or minus in any transaction? Do you as a seller know that the SBA will likely want you to have some skin in the game as well via some amount of seller financing to make sure the business stays on its feet after you leave, and that the way you’ve conducted business until this very minute will impact whether or not any banker will likely fund the sale of your business?

chased a high-end computer and are disappointed at the performance, the weak link is often that name brand computers will use low RPM mechanical drives in theses supposedly fast computers.

If you have a need for speed, just tell us just how fast you want to go.

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.

And do you know that selling a business for all cash is extremely rare? Are you familiar with other transaction structures you should be ready to consider? Have you thought about how all of this figures into your retirement plan, your individual tax situation, your partner’s wishes?

As a seller, do you have and are you executing on a plan to maximize every area of your business so that any buyer that walks into your front door or looks at your books and records will easily recognize the value you’ve created? As a buyer, do you know what to look for?

So, the question is not whether 2016 is the right time to buy or sell a business.

The question really is…are you ready?

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

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

19

Businessperson of the Month Ginger Fox Connell, Fox Appliance Parts

All in the Family

Ginger Connell keeps family business thriving into second generation and beyond

By Gary Kauffman All the confirmation you need that Fox Appliance Parts is a family business is to see the 3-week-old baby asleep in the offices upstairs. The baby represents a fourth generation in the Fox family.

“The beauty of a family business is that it’s pretty flexible,” Ginger Fox Connell said.

Connell and her brother, Stan Fox, now run the company started by their father, Richard, and his uncle in 1955.

The baby is the daughter of Connell’s niece and it was Connell’s idea to bring the baby to work. Connell herself literally grew up in the business.

“Our building burned in a fire during the riots in the ‘70s,” Connell said. “I remember at age 3 or 4 helping lay out the parts that were salvageable.”

Fox Appliance Parts sells exactly what the name states – parts for appliances. That includes air conditioners, heating systems, washers, dryers, refrigerators, even microwaves, although Connell makes it clear they don’t have parts for TVs or cell phones. About 70 percent of their business is wholesale to people who repair appliances.

The store on Wrightsboro Road stocks about 50,000 parts, but the company can also order more obscure parts.

During the summer they ship 200-300 packages of parts per day to small-town appliance repair shops in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Air conditioner parts play a big role in the business.

They are the largest distributor of air conditioner motors in the southeast. That makes them among the few people who relish the hot summers.

“Dad used to say he likes it to be 90 degrees at midnight,” Connell said. “Last summer was very hot so it was great for us.”

There are 11 other Fox Appliance Parts locations and, in keeping with the family theme, all run by cousins.

Although Connell grew up in the store, taking over the business was not her intention. She has a master’s degree in psychology.

“Neuropsychology and brain diseases really interested me,” Connell said.

She was working part-time for a physician when her mother, the company’s bookkeeper, died suddenly in 1999. Her father recruited her to take her place, two days before corporate tax day.

“I said, ‘I’ll go where I’m needed,’” she recalled.

But it wasn’t easy. Her mother was a pencil-and-ledgersheet bookkeeper who still handwrote checks for the company.

“It was a sharp learning curve,” Connell said.

She revamped the accounting system to a computerized system and is still the company’s bookkeeper. When her father retired in 2008 and passed away two years later, the company leadership passed on to the second generation.

Connell is officially secretary-treasurer of the company and her brother is the president and in charge of purchasing parts.

“We get along really well,” Connell said of the relation-

20 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

ship with her brother. “I don’t want to do what he does and he doesn’t want to do what I do.”

Being family in Fox Appliance Parts doesn’t just have to do with a blood relationship.

“I try to extend the concept of a family business to all of our employees,” Connell said. “If I treat them like family, they’re loyal to us. It makes us a lot more approachable. My door is never shut and I want them to feel like they can talk to us if they have a problem.”

A key component in fostering that family concept is that everyone is expected to pitch in to get the job done.

“Your job description is to do whatever needs to be done,” Connell said.

“No job here is beneath anybody and no job is above anybody. We’re a small business; we can’t have the attitude of ‘that’s not my job.’”

What are you passionate about in business?

I’m passionate about it being a family-owned business. I don’t want to disappoint my parents. I think familyowned businesses are a dying breed and I don’t think that’s good. We’re very aware of how we treat our customers.

We want them to know we appreciate them and don’t take them for granted.

What did you learn from your parents about running a business?

To always be honest and fair. To always work hard and don’t expect anything to be handed to you. And no matter how you’re treated to always treat other people with respect. We’re an honest company and I’m proud of that.

Was it difficult to transition into running the company?

Probably the most difficult thing was going from being the boss’ daughter to being the boss. Some of these employees were here when I was in elementary school. Changing things was difficult.

Customers would say, “That’s not the way your mother did it,” and I’d have to say, “Well, that’s the way we’re doing them now.”

Is it difficult being a female in a profession that’s primarily men?

I used to work the counter and I’d get a lot of “Let me talk to one of the guys” even though you’re basically looking up parts. There’s less of that now because they know me. I grew up knowing these people and now I have some that ask for me. We have a female counterperson now who is excellent.

How do you unwind?

I ride horses every weekend at Mount Vintage in North Augusta. I get on a horse and go into the woods. It’s great.

I’ve been riding since I was 8. I own three horses, all of them rescues. I adopted a thoroughbred the year my dad

died because I needed something to take care of. I take more time off now than I did five or six years ago. I take a week off for a riding trip, and we’re taking a week off in December. It’s good for me to take time off. It’s good for my brain. It recharges me. My passion outside of work is animals. I like animals better than I like some people. We have nine animals, all from rescue shelters or that we found. I decided having 10 pets would just be crazy so I only have nine.

How do you give back to the community?

We sponsor a lot of things. We used to be heavily involved in the rowing regattas and water sports. Things that helped build up Augusta. We give a lot to local schools, to the Savannah Riverkeepers and Music for Memories with the Alzheimer’s association. We work closely with Augusta Tech’s repair courses. Some of our employees teach classes. I feel that if you want to be seen as part of the community then you should be part of the community.

What does the future hold for you and the company?

It all depends if any of our kids end up working here. Eventually we’ll probably join with the Atlanta store. Now all the stores are run as separate corporations, but we join for the buying power.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

21

Former MLB pitcher opens sports, batting cage facility

By Neil Gordon Former Atlanta Braves pitcher Matt Childers is putting down turf in a former flooring store on Washington Road near the Bobby Jones Expressway.

He had run his Platinum Sports and Complete Game facility on Columbia Industrial Boulevard for the last four years until the current building came open. It had previously been Floors 360, and prior to that an Appliance Land store for decades.

The batting cages are in use for local little league and college baseball teams.

“In about three weeks our entire complex should be open including our ‘Virtual Simulator Machine,’” Childers said.

It’s set up like a batting cage except technology allows a simulated pitcher’s hand

mimic the release of the actual pitch. Teams get to select hitting against a range of speeds, from 45 to 95 miles per hour.

The cost is $25 for 25 minutes with 10 percent off for members. Childers’ business model is set up like a fitness club in which individuals, families or teams participate in different membership levels. Trial memberships are offered via Quick Pass options.

In addition to batting cages, Platinum Sports offers open gym time for basketball, volleyball and weight and cardio training. There are also fun nights set up for those sports. Saturday is Cosmic Night, a rotation of cosmic volleyball, wiffleball, dodgeball and soccer.

There are also locker rooms, parental viewing areas, and an academic study area for after-school athletes.

Business openings, closings and moves

Name Change Big Daddy’s Bar and Grill A local barbecue restaurant has made a slight name change to better reflect what it serves and added a few new menu items.

Big Daddy’s opened in February 2013 as Big Daddy’s Bar and Grill, but recently changed its name to Big Daddy’s Southern Grill.

“We felt it better described the cuisine we’re serving,” owner Bo Handy said.

Big Daddy’s, located at 4045 Jimmie Dyess Parkway, serves hickory-smoked barbecue products.

“I don’t know what other restaurants do, but we spend a lot of time worrying about that barbecue,” Handy said. “It’s a very forgiving meat but it takes a lot of effort.”

He prefers the lighter hickory smoke flavor that doesn’t overpower the natural taste of the meat.

It is basted with their homemade Marty’s Sauce (named for his late friend who helped him open the restaurant) and charbroiled before serving, creating a gooey product that proves to be finger-licking good.

“We can get you a whole roll of paper towels if you need it,” Handy said. “We put out big portions. You can’t be named Big Daddy’s and serve small portions.”

Recently added to its new menus are a spicy sausage and cheese dip, a spinach and artichoke dip, barbecue quesadillas, a marinated pork loin and the sloppy Joe-Daddy melt, with the warning that “this is not your momma’s sloppy Joe.” Big Daddy’s also caters and sells products by the pound or pan, which are now listed on the menu. Handy said those products are placed in pans that can be heated or refrigerated.

To make room for the party-sized products on the menu, Handy had to move the desserts listing from the menu to table tents, which proved serendipitous.

“Our sales of desserts have exploded,” he

22 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

said.

That is a good sign for a business that has already been doing well. Handy said the business has increased by 25 percent each year it’s been open. He expects that to continue as traffic on Jimmie Dyess Parkway has increased, especially now that Wrightsboro Road construction has been completed.

Expansions Inside Drive Whether it’s too hot or too cold or too rainy, golfers can enjoy the game with a new product at The Men’s Refinery & The Inside Drive of Augusta.

The dual business has partnered with Sports Coach Simulator Limited and The Golf Simulator Company in the release of the new GSX software. The Inside Drive features two Sports Coach Simulators which now feature the new GSX simulation software with several championship and world renowned courses to choose from, including a local Georgia golf course. The Inside Drive is more than just a place of leisure but a great way to improve an individual’s golfing game with personal lessons and leagues.

Dubbed “Augusta’s Ultimate Mancave,” The Inside Drive is inside The Men’s Refinery Barber Spa which has had roots in the CSRA for eight years. The Men’s Refinery offers men’s grooming and massage.

Closings Lokey Pressure Cleaning After 44 years, Robert Lokey is hanging up his pressure washer.

Lokey started his business, Robert Lokey Pressure Cleaning and Sand Blasting, in 1972 in Okeechobee, Fla. Since that time he has serviced customers in three other states before he moved to the Augusta area in 1992.

“I started the pressure cleaning business because I needed to clean before I could

paint,” Lokey said. “I really loved doing it, but because of my age, it’s not wise for me to be climbing ladders and climbing on roofs anymore.”

He currently does not have any plans to sell the business, but would not be opposed to it if the opportunity presented itself.

Sho Chin’s Asian Kitchen One of the first Japanese-Chinese fusion restaurants in the CSRA has closed after 10 years of business in Columbia County.

Sho Chin’s Asian Kitchen was one of the first restaurants to take part in the explosive growth in Evans.

The sign on the door of the upscale restaurant mentioned that Monday night, April 18 was their last night of service.

A few years ago the Hokkado Hibachi Sushi restaurant opened within 100 feet of Sho Chin’s in the Liberty Square Shopping Center. The owners of Sho Chin’s also suffered a setback as a casualty of the Whole Foods expansion into the Washington Crossing Shopping Center.

They own Shangra-La Chinese Restaurant, which remains open on Washington Road in Martinez.

Doctors Hospital Doctors Hospital’s Urgent and Primary Care facility in the Riverwood Town Center in Evans is now closed.

Since opening two years ago, competitors such as MedNow and Perfect Health have opened nearby facilities. The physician on staff at the Riverwood urgent care, Dr. Sharon Palmer, has taken a position with Perfect Health at 4244 Washington Road in Evans.

Maurice’s BBQ If you’re a fan of Maurice’s BBQ, you’ll have to enjoy a night at the ball game or travel east.

The local Maurice’s franchise in North Augusta closed in March. According to a Facebook post, the reason was so that Maurice’s could focus more on their hometown locations. The restaurant had been located at 1223 Knox Ave. and had been in North Augusta for seven years.

Maurice’s will continue to cater the Augusta GreenJackets games and USC-Aiken basketball games.

The closest Maurice’s BBQ to the Augusta area is in Lexington, S.C., along I-20 at exit 55A. There are 11 Maurice’s locations in South Carolina, primarily in the Columbia area.

In recent years, Maurice’s faced stiff competition from an influx of barbecue restaurants, including Pot Smoker and Barbecue Barn in North Augusta, Buckwheat’s Barbecue in Aiken and Big Daddy’s Bar and Grill, Willie Jewell’s Barbecue and Woody’s Barbecue in Augusta, as well as other long-time favorites.

Making an investment in a ‘gold mine’ Investment real estate has a strong market in Augusta

By Neil Gordon Augustans Joe and Mandy Foster are going on a $4,300 working cruise together this year. They’ll set sail on The Art of Real Estate (AORE) Conference Cruise ship this November.

They’ll learn from more experienced investors on the trip and help new investors answer questions.

The husband and wife members of AORE own several three-bedroom, two-bath homes in Columbia County that they rent out.

Mandy and Joe Foster

“We call it our farm area,” said Joe Foster, the owner of a consulting company in the CSRA. They were the guest speakers at the April 16 monthly meeting of AORE at the Savannah Lakes Pavilion – and one of several married couple investors at the event.

The Fosters told the crowd of 60 fellow members, real estate agents, contractors and guests that their road to investing was filled with a lot of seed planting along the way by some unlikely acquaintances.

Joe Foster met “Sandy the mechanic” in his downtown Augusta shop as a high school student. Foster wanted to talk about jeeps and trucks and Sandy wanted to share his knowledge of real estate.

Fast forward more than a decade later and “Sandy the investor” asked Foster to hear him give a monthly AORE talk. Out of politeness, Foster obliged. He liked it, but also knew he didn’t want to be a landlord.

“I didn’t want to unplug toilets,” he told the crowd who laughed with him in empathy, “or work on HVAC units.”

He was still hesitant to invest but came back next month to hear the speaker/investor Keith Fell.

Fell impressed Foster by sharing his version of what he believed the word “time” meant to him.

Fell told the crowd that TI means “take

initiative” and ME means “make excuses.” It may have been the kick in the pants Foster needed.

Each speaker recommends a book to read to help fellow members. Fell chose “Rich Man Poor Man”.

“I hadn’t read a book since college,” gasped Foster to the smiling audience.

His wife Mandy noticed that Foster couldn’t put down the book and finished it the same day.

Mandy Foster just had the second of their three children and was afraid real estate investing would take away valuable family time. She didn’t attend any of the monthly meetings with her husband, but did go with Fell as he showed them six homes he had for sale. They bought one in Martinez.

Mandy Foster noticed there wasn’t a lot of work to do on the Martinez home.

“I thought if all goes wrong, we’ll just live here,” she chuckled.

Still, Joe Foster was hesitant to rent out the property. He delayed on getting projects done and then finally put a “For Rent” sign in the yard, planning to take photos and advertise it, but couldn’t.

“We had qualified tenants to pick and choose from within the first week,” he said.

More than two years later, that tenant is still in the home paying rent on time. There are still few issues with repairs.

At that point, Mandy Foster jumped in and took a landlord course AORE offered one Saturday at the Columbia County Library. She’s learned about screening for tenants, allowing pets, conducting background checks, collecting rents, writing and rewriting leases and more.

“Five minutes into the class I knew it was a good class to be in. I felt empowered, in control, and learned how to work with tenants,” she said.

She runs the business side while her husband looks for properties to buy.

“You should stay in your skill set,” said Justin Anderson, who co-runs AORE with his real estate mentor, Don Morant.

They say AORE is about helping each other to find the right contractors, tenants and even properties – kind of a twist on an old adage, “If you help people get what they want, you’ll get what you want.”

Those two full-time investors have organically grown their real estate training company to Oklahoma City and next to Philadelphia due to meeting students who ended up relocating there.

Anderson and Morant lead the group on the second Saturday of each month and hold a monthly book club meeting on real estate.

April’s meeting created a positive “supply and demand” vibe with the group.

Investors and potential investors learn about the market in Augusta at the April meeting of AORE. Photos by Neil Gordon.

They say AORE is about helping each other to find the right contractors, tenants and even properties – kind of a twist on an old adage, “If you help people get what they want, you’ll get what you want.”

“Inventory is down, home pricing is up and interest rates are about the same,” said Morant, a former longtime government employee turned full time investor.

Anderson shared a newspaper article with the group that he received from south Florida stating that the return on rental investment there is generally around 7-9 percent, while Augusta is a bit closer to Clayton County, Ga., which has a 25 percent return.

“We live in a gold mine in Augusta, Georgia,” Anderson said.

Attending the Fosters’ talk in mid-April were two investors who planted the seeds for them many years ago – Sandy the mechanic and Keith Fell.

“I was so proud to hear them speak,” said Sandy the mechanic. “I believed in it so much I wanted to share with Joe. My success is others success.”

“I just wanted to help someone get started the way I got involved,” Fell added. “It took me a year of research to start investing, so I gave him my cellphone number and offered free advice.”

He was there for encouragement and now the Fosters and Fell do business together.

Mandy Foster left her career as a school teacher to be home with her kids. She finds AORE’s information sharing refreshing.

“There’s enough business for everyone and everyone is helpful,” she said.

On the November cruise AORE members will share success stories, lessons learned

and plan goals for 2017.

For more information on meetings, the cruise and upcoming workshops, visit www. aore.com.

The TIME illustration – TI means “take initiative” and ME means “make excuses” – was the kick in the pants Joe Foster needed to start investing.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

23

Business Benefits Russell Head

A Closer Look

Take time to examine eligibility of health plan dependents

Is it time to audit the dependents on your plan? There are a number of reasons for health plan sponsors to implement a dependent eligibility audit. Employers can lower health plan costs by identifying and removing ineligible dependents from coverage.

An employer will also meet its legal obligation to follow the terms of the plan by enforcing the plan’s eligibility requirements. In addition, a dependent eligibility audit promotes fairness in the workplace by restricting health coverage to those dependents that are actually eligible.

To implement a successful dependent eligibility audit, an employer should address the following issues: Set the Scope of the Audit • Determine which benefit plans will be covered by the dependent eligibility audit. Typically, an audit might include medical, dental and vision coverage. One important factor to remember is the change in rules for dependent children, based on the health care reform law. For all plan years beginning on or after Sept. 23, 2010, children can be considered dependents until age 26. This includes both married and unmarried children, and student status is not required.

• Decide how and when the audit will be conducted, including whether to administer the audit in-house or

hire an independent audit firm. Some audits are scheduled to coincide with open enrollment dates to minimize the administrative task of disenrolling plan members.

• Decide upon a dependent verification method. The sign-off method requires employees to complete a questionnaire confirming each dependent’s eligibility. Because this method does not require supporting documentation, it typically does not provide the best results. The documentation method requires employees to submit documents confirming each dependent’s eligibility.

This method requires more effort, but provides better results than the sign-off method.

Structure the Steps of the Audit Typically, audits have two steps: • A period of amnesty when employees can voluntarily remove ineligible dependents without any penalties.

• The verification process when all employees must submit documents confirming each dependent’s eligibility. Enrolled individuals not confirmed as eligible dependents are disenrolled, and the employee may face penalties.

Share Information about the Audit Communication with employees is essential to the success of the audit.

• Notify employees in advance of the dependent eligibility audit so they can watch for important information about the audit.

• Inform employees about the amnesty period for removing ineligible dependents from coverage and any penalties that may apply to ineligible dependents after the end of the amnesty period.

• Notify employees about the dependent verification documents that must be submitted for dependents who remain covered after the amnesty period is over. Detail the required documents

for each category of eligible dependents (for example, spouse, natural children, adopted children, step-children and foster children).

In all employee communications, stress that the purpose of the audit is to help control costs by removing ineligible dependents from coverage, and to promote fairness by covering only those dependents that are actually eligible for coverage.

Address Dependent Verification Going Forward Address how dependent status will be monitored going forward. This could include tightening up documentation requirements when new dependents are enrolled for coverage and/or performing audits periodically for new dependents. Plan documents, including SPDs,

should be updated to reflect the process that will be followed in determining dependent eligibility going forward.

To be successful, a dependent eligibility audit requires careful planning and preparation. If an employer takes the time to carefully structure the audit on the front end, the audit process will generally proceed more smoothly and will be more successful from both a cost savings and an employee relations perspective.

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

Chip card readers protect business from fraud The new chip-enabled credit cards could protect your business from being liable for fraudulent credit card transactions. But nearly half of all businesses – including some large retailers – still do not have the chip-enabled card readers.

As of October 2015 a mandate has transferred the liability for fradulent charges from the payment card companies to the business that accepted the charge, unless the business has an EMV-enabled payment system. EMV stands for Europay, Mastercard, and Visa, and is the system that allows businesses to accept chip-enabled credit and debit cards.

But even with this mandate in place, a recent Gallup poll reported that nearly half of all business owners have not yet made the switch to chip-enabled technology, and another 20 percent say that they never plan to make the switch.

24 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

Here are some reasons why chip-enabled technology will benefit your business: • Save money and time. Chip cards reduce fraud, so your business will spend less time resolving disputed transactions, and lower fraud-related expenses.

• Increase customer confidence. Prior experience has proven that your customers will be better defended against credit card fraud. According to ABC News, when the United Kingdom switched to chip-readers in 2005, the rate of credit card fraud decreased by 63 percent. Providing a chip-enabled payment system can help your customers feel safer about doing business with your company and earn their trust.

• Upgrading is simple. American Express and other card companies have offered their resources to assist businesses with the upgrade. According to the American Express

merchant services page, “To upgrade, contact your payment processor or terminal provider and tell them you’d like to start

accepting chip cards. They’ll provide you with a chip-enabled system and guide you through each step.”

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

25

Business Finances Dagan Sharpe

Key Ingredients Following the right recipe can lead to a tasteful financial future Any great meal begins with a quality recipe, but the recipe’s ultimate success will be determined by the type of ingredients we choose in preparation.

Similarly, families, businesses and individuals can prepare a “tasteful” financial future. Sadly, many come up short in this, usually due to lacking the proper recipe and/ or the proper ingredients.

However, those with proven track records of success demonstrate and reveal three primary components to supporting long term financial vitality. Thankfully, these ingredients are available to us all, regardless of our beginnings, background and former bad decisions.

Passion. Without passion, we lack the primary spark to even start the flame necessary to get us started. However, with passion, what we can accomplish is staggering. This is true for us both professionally and financially.

The key is for us to unite our existing passions and desires with our financial goals. In other words, what are the reasons for our goals?

Passions typically exist because they serve a greater good and stretch beyond benefiting just ourselves. Therefore, define what drives you and why.

Is it to protect and provide for our families, help the lives of others and/or improve our communities? Whatever the reason, forge it with your financial goals and you will be more likely and more inspired to achieve them.

Vision. When we have vision, we have hope, and with hope, people have literally impacted the world.

Vision is like seeing the picture of what our recipe will create. It is the outcome of our efforts. It helps keep us from cheapening the process, taking shortcuts and giving up.

This is important because without passion, we are simply robotic in our efforts, and without vision, we can’t fully appreciate why we are choosing to do what we do. This can lead to feelings of frustration rather than stimulation. Vision propels perseverance and often serves as inspiration for others to join the cause.

Clarity. Without clarity, we are left with confusion and chaos. This can cause us to get distracted, discouraged and disenchanted when our goals don’t seem to be making headway.

This is like taking the cake out of the oven before its fully cooked and

Business Accounting Christine Hall

Thinking Ahead

Paying estimated taxes is advised in some cases Tax season is finally over and most folks have filed their tax returns for 2015. Based on their 2015 tax return, many taxpayers have been set up with quarterly estimated payments for 2016. Every year we are asked the same question, “Do I have to pay these estimated payments?”

If you owed additional tax for the prior year, you may have to make estimated tax payments for the current year.

Estimated tax is the method used to pay tax on income

26 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

that is not subject to withholding. This includes income from self-employment, interest, dividends, alimony, rent, gains from the sale of assets, prizes and awards. You also may have to pay estimated tax if the amount of income tax being withheld from your salary, pension or other income is not enough.

In most cases, you must pay estimated tax for 2016 if both of the following apply.

1. You expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax for 2016, after subtracting your withholding and refundable credits.

2. You expect your withholding and refundable credits to be less than the smaller of: a. 90 percent of the tax to be shown on your 2016 tax return, or b. 100 percent of the tax shown on your 2015 tax return. Your 2015 tax return must cover all 12 months.

If your adjusted gross income for 2015 was more than $150,000 ($75,000 if your filing status for 2015 is married filing a separate return) you must pay in 110 percent of your 2015 liability to avoid penalty.

If you are filing as a sole proprietor, partner, S corporation shareholder, and/ or a self-employed individual, you gen-

trying to decorate it so that it looks ready to eat. This happens when we lack direction and allow our impatient emotions to rule. We can’t allow the same thing to happen to our financial dreams. We must be diligent, disciplined and dedicated to the process, and clarify the hows and whys to what we do to help make this happen.

We all like the idea of financial independence and security, but in the end, it requires a plan, or a recipe, in order to achieve it. One person’s definition of financial stability may differ from another’s and that’s okay. Ultimately, it’s the ingredients we have in common

that make the difference.

Therefore, define your dreams, know your passions and envision the value of making them a reality. Then, clarify how to get there. Obviously, this involves commitment to a process, but now your passion is focused to help move you forward.

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

You can avoid having to pay estimated taxes by asking your employer to withhold more tax from your earnings. erally have to make estimated tax payments. However, if you receive salaries and wages, you can avoid having to pay estimated taxes by asking your employer to withhold more tax from your earnings.

Complete a new form W-4 for your employer and reduce your exemptions.

A lower number of exemptions results in more tax being withheld from your paycheck. The most amount of money will be withheld with a single/zero status. Remember, you don’t have to be single with no dependents to ask for that status on your W-4.

Also keep in mind that at times a taxable event in the prior year may make it appear that estimated payments will be due for the current year, when in fact they are not. For instance, if you sell stocks or a piece of investment property at a gain, receive a severance package or win the lottery you will owe tax, but the absence of that event in the current year

may negate your requirement to pay estimated taxes for the current year.

Estimated tax payments should be made in four equal installments and do not follow the traditional monthly quarters. The due dates are April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15.

Failure to make the payments by their due dates will result in an estimated tax penalty in most cases.

There are some exceptions to this rule if you do not receive your income evenly throughout the year so give us a call if this pertains to you or if you are unsure as to whether you need to make estimated tax payments.

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

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

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

27

Social Media Kelsey Morrow

Friendly Advice

Should you add co-workers as friends to your social media?

When people find out that I have a social media column, one of the biggest questions that I receive is “Should you add your co-workers to your social media accounts?”

I’m sure that these people would love me to give them a resounding yes or no answer, but my answer is always the same: It depends on your situation.

I personally lean more towards the side of transparency.

If you were to look me up on Facebook you would see lots of pictures of my miniature dachshund, some Star Wars references, and the occasional funny quote, but that’s

about it. I don’t post anything to Facebook unless I am 100 percent okay with anyone being able to see it.

But I also know people who tend to lean towards the side of privacy and are not okay with just anyone having access to their posts.

I currently work for two different companies, Buzz on Biz and a local marketing firm. Each company has a different view, so I have experienced both sides of the spectrum.

At Buzz on Biz, I am not connected with my co-workers on my social media pages. This doesn’t mean that we dislike each other, it just doesn’t come up.

At the other company, however, I am connected with my co-workers on my personal social media accounts. We don’t comment on all of each other’s posts often or interact a whole lot. But sometimes offline we’ll mention, “Oh, I saw this picture that you posted. It was so cute!” or “I saw that you went to see this movie. How was it?” or something to that effect.

Neither of these approaches is right or wrong, they are just what fit the dynamic of the individual or the company.

Of course, I am assuming common

sense. If you are frequently posting things like “I hate my job” or something similar, my answer to whether or not you should be on social media with your co-workers is a vehement “no” (and while you’re at it, why don’t you use all that time that you spend writing those negative posts to perhaps find a job that you don’t actually hate?).

But if you do possess common sense, consider the following situations: Adding co-workers on your social media accounts can create a sense of camaraderie if you discover shared similarities. For example, through our

social media accounts, a co-worker and I discovered that we both loved painting and crafty activities. It wasn’t something that we ever had an opportunity to discuss at the office, so if it wasn’t for social media, we might never have known about this shared interest.

But on the other hand, sometimes you might learn things about people that you wish you didn’t know. When people believe that they are hiding behind the safety of a screen, they may post things that they would never consider sharing with anyone in real life.

Seeing that a coworker is a vehement supporter of a political candidate that you dislike or seeing negative views about something that you highly value could negatively impact your view of that coworker and make working together an awkward situation.

So, to go back to that original question my answer is yes…unless you’d rather not.

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

Career & Education Barry Paschal

Fact or Fiction?

Confronting people with facts sometimes has backfire effect Have you ever heard of the “backfire effect?” Even if you haven’t, you’ve probably experienced it. Or even participated in it.

This election season is a great big petri dish for studying the phenomenon.

Long a puzzle for researchers, the backfire effect was succinctly explained in a recent study by researchers at Dartmouth College as “the effect in which corrections actually increase misperceptions among the group in question.”

The psycho-social analysis goes much deeper, of course, but what it boils down to is this: When confronted with facts that dispute their views, people who have strongly held opinions about a particular topic will tend to hold

28 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

tighter to their beliefs rather than change their mind. That’s why it’s called the “backfire effect:” Disagreeing with someone, even with verifiable facts, typically backfires and makes them argue their views more vigorously.

As the PR guy for Goodwill, I encounter a slice of this pretty often. It’s not unusual to have to respond several times a week to social media posts from people attacking the non-profit based on entirely false information. In many cases, the person making the claim is immune to correction and plows right ahead with proven falsehoods.

Are you starting to see the correlation with politics?

As Joe Keohane wrote in the Boston Globe, referencing the University of Michigan’s research on the topic: “We often base our opinions on our beliefs, which can have an uneasy relationship with facts. And rather than facts driving beliefs, our beliefs can dictate the facts we choose to accept. They can cause us to twist facts so they fit better with our preconceived notions.

“Worst of all, they can lead us to uncritically accept bad information just because it reinforces our beliefs. This reinforcement makes us more confident we’re right, and even less likely to listen to any new information.

“And then we vote.”

Ridiculous, right? But we’re all guilty.

Let’s face it: Few people listen to talk ra-

dio, for example, so they disagree with the host and guests; they listen to have their own views affirmed. Fox News found success in the cable news cycle not by offering high-quality programming, but by counter-programming the other networks and playing to a substantial niche audience that previously wasn’t seeing its views validated.

Unfortunately, people often believe what they want to believe, no matter what the facts. That’s dangerous for democracy because it gives greater weight to popularity than to objective evaluations of candidates and their views.

It’s also dangerous for non-profits like Goodwill when we’re forced to

spend precious time battling (and rebattling) persistent misinformation when we could instead be sharing good news about job creation and career advancement.

Is there a cure? We’d like to think so.

It starts with admitting we are entitled to our own opinions – but we aren’t entitled to our own facts. If we learn that lesson, everyone could choose better candidates, support better charities – and maybe even get a little smarter along the way.

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.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

29

Faith at Work Steve Swanson

Pushing Reset

Don’t panic when life sends you in a new direction My Dad grew up in a different era. He began working for the phone company (remember Ma Bell?) when he was 18. He worked there for 33 years, then retired at 51.

That is a very rare scenario these days.

I do have friends that have worked at the same company for decades, but those stories are certainly not the norm, and haven’t been for some time.

Over the course of my work life, I have had the opportunity to embrace some adventures. Just after we were married, my wife and I moved from Washington State to Minnesota (where we knew no one) to take the position of Youth Director at a vibrant church in a suburb of the

Twin Cities. We were there for 11 years.

A new opportunity then opened up for a position in radio (in Illinois) and again, we packed up memories, our earthly belongings, and our two young children to take on some big challenges. (Including a pay cut of 60 percent).

God faithfully provided all that we needed. No, not all we wanted. But we never lacked anything.

I thought we’d be there for maybe two or three years. Six years later (when the radio station where I worked was sold) we packed up our growing kids and moved to Florida. Again, heading for a place where we knew no one.

We stayed there 11 years then we packed up our belongings and moved to the Augusta area where we again didn’t know a soul. This time, though, was different. Our son stayed in Florida and our daughter had moved to Atlanta. So it was just my wife and I saying goodbye to the familiar and moving.

We’ve been grateful for our first decade in this area and very thankful we were willing to say “Yes” to the unknown adventure before us.

I share this part of my background with you for a couple of reasons. For starters, you too can start over with a new opportunity. Remember God’s faithfulness. He provides all we need as we need it when our trust is in Him.

I am also grateful for Susie, my wife of 38 years, for her willingness to go where the Lord has opened doors for us. It has made our life together quite a journey!

If you find yourself seeking a new opportunity, or your work situation shifted under your feet and you’re now forced to look in a new direction, here are several recommendations: Don’t panic! There is a place for you.

Even if this time of transition was totally unexpected, God has not been taken by surprise. He knew this was coming!

Be confident that there is a place for you to use your skills, training and experience. You might be surprised where you land when the dust has settled, but you will get there!

Put your confidence and trust in the God who has created you and crafted your skill set. Even more than having

the “big picture” perspective on your life and situation, he knows exactly what is to transpire moving forward.

Ask Him for daily wisdom during this time.

Be grateful for all of your blessings! I was without work once for five months.

God provided in some incredible ways and all of our needs were met!

Choose to work hard at finding work but don’t allow it to consume you. God and family should always have priority.

Expect a bright tomorrow. As the saying goes, “The future is bright with the promises of God.” Don’t try to navigate life on your own. It wasn’t designed to be lived that way! Choose to trust God. Have faith that he knows what’s going on, and always gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him. The familiar Old Testament verse in Jeremiah 29:11 is true! “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

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.

Real Estate Investing Justin Anderson

View from the Top

Patience and one step at a time is key to reaching the top I am not a sophisticated real estate investor. In fact, what I do is very simple and uncomplicated. Some might even say “boring.”

However, I like it that way because any time in my career where it has gotten really exciting, it has usually been really expensive, too.

Real estate investing works best when you don’t over complicate it. The game is simple: Buy a house, rent it out and let the tenant pay it off for you. Rinse and repeat.

Where I see investors run into a lot of trouble is when they start focusing on what other investors are doing and the rewards others are receiving. They stop focusing on simply playing the game one step at a time, buying one

30 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

deal at a time. They look at an investor who has already climbed the Empire State Building and they focus on how awesome his view must be and how they want to have that view.

But they often don’t really want to put in the work. They just want to enjoy the view. They don’t see the thousands of steps it took the investor to get up there. They only see the reward that investor is receiving now.

That’s when it starts to get really exciting! Now they start conjuring up ways to get 20 years of results in six months or less. Forget climbing stairs!

I’m going to figure out how to leap tall buildings in a single bound!

As a result, they start chasing all the wrong things.

Those who persevere eventually figure out that no two real estate deals are the same anyway. So looking at another investor’s success and measuring your returns or results against theirs is totally senseless.

If you want to truly achieve success in your life, start by getting rid of the measuring stick. When we stop worrying about judging our success based on what others have accomplished and simply focus on doing the work, amazing things will begin to happen in our own lives.

The thing is, today there are so many

deals out there. We live in this amazing little gold mine here in Augusta! But what is a deal for me is not a deal for you, and vice versa.

The skills, knowledge, time and resources you have available are unique to you. As a result, the deal you are going to look for to meet your investment needs is also going to be unique to you.

Get rid of the measuring stick and simply focus on putting together your next deal. The most awesome part is, if you just keep taking one step after another, before you know it you will be standing at the top of your Empire State Building enjoying your breathtaking view, too!

For more guiding investment principles and to meet other active local real

estate investors in the Augusta area, join us at the next AORE Smart Session, where a local successful investor will share their story of how they have built their real estate investment business right here in Augusta. Our next Smart Session will be on May 14 at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion. The doors open at 8 a.m. for coffee and networking, with the Smart Session beginning at 8:30 a.m.

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

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

31

Diary of an Entrepreneur Shannon Jones

Out of Control

Set your company culture to avoid being a control freak With the unexpected rapid growth of Southern Pawz, I am now experiencing “growing pains” and must hire employees. At this point in my journey, I have been forced to evaluate both my past mistakes and my plan for ensuring that I do not repeat them.

In my StartSmart class last year (offered by the UGA Small Business Development Center), we learned that our need to control directly affects our opportunity for growth. Since one of the goals for my business is to become a national (and eventually international) brand, I realized that I would have to learn from past mistakes and completely transform my strategy for achieving my milestones, no matter how painful the process may be.

All of you “control freaks” can certainly relate to the thoughts that are bouncing around in my head…“How will I ever find someone who will do it as I will?” “Will I ever be able to instill my standards for excellence into my employees to the level at which they will take ‘ownership’ of the company?”

What will I do differently this time? As I asked myself this question, I began researching a number of successful businesses and their leadership strategies and found

a common denominator – company culture. As I set out to define this term and to apply it to my business, I identified a few areas that I will correct immediately: • Before hiring the first employee, our vision and mission statement will be established and clearly communicated.

Creating a company culture based on a clear vision and mission statement is the defining factor in great companies.

(And we all want our companies to be great!) If you do not have this piece in place in your business, do yourself a favor and make this step a priority. As promised, I will address this point in more detail next month.

• I will write a company manual that specifically outlines consistent HR procedures. Ok, all my friends say that I have a big heart and will hire and keep employees (friends, friends of friends and family) because I can’t say “no” and will avoid confrontation at all costs. With my last venture involving a significant number of employees, the ultimate cost was my business. No, I will not make that mistake again!

• I will establish job descriptions so that employees know what is expected of them.

In the past, I have truly failed in this area as I expected each employee to receive job expectations through “osmosis.” I would often become frustrated when an employee could not read my mind, and then the control issue would set in as I would just do their jobs instead of taking the time to communicate with them.

After all, they could never do the job the way I would, right?

• I will identify the gifts and talents of my employees, place them in a position that matches their skill set and empower

them to achieve success. In prior business ventures, I have failed miserably in this area, and the result was a motley crew of individuals who could not embrace my vision because they were not achieving their maximum potential. Recently, I have caught myself saying that I need a few clones in order to complete my overwhelming daily “to do” list. Wrong! I should be hiring employees that possess strengths that offset my weaknesses.

Recently, my son and his girlfriend offered to help me at a large festival. I had already caught myself falling into the nepotism trap as I had promised the girlfriend that she could work with me over spring break and summer. Honestly, I had already decided that she was going to be the stereotypical teenager – phone in hand, attention span of a squirrel on steroids and no ability to self-start.

Then I witnessed something truly amazing. I watched this 15-year-old girl as she took control (from the control freak!) and stepped into her gifting. Not only did she work relentlessly to help me pull off this event on short notice, but she also interacted with customers and made numerous sales with the ease of a seasoned professional!

It was immensely gratifying, especially when she excitedly said to me, “I had so much fun! I know what I want to do with my life, and I want you to mentor me!”

Later that week, we were baking at the commercial kitchen, and as she was rolling out the last piece of dough, she repeated back to me something that she had heard me say before, “Dough is money, and if you waste it, the money will come out of your paycheck!”

Without even realizing it, I had already begun to establish the culture for my company.

Stay tuned as I continue to experiment with this concept of company culture. Hopefully, my journey will save you from unnecessary headaches and costly mistakes.

“Hire great people and give them the ability to be awesome.”—Andrew Mason, Founder, Groupon Shannon Jones of Davisboro has held positions in real estate and insurance, banking, restaurant management, non-profit development, public relations and marketing, as well as entrepreneurial endeavors in retail, insurance, concierge services and event planning. In early 2015, she founded Southern Pawz Petz LLC, a Southern pet treat and gift company that promotes locally sourced ingredients and artisans. For more info, email info@southernpawz.com or visit southernpawz.com.

Trendz Salon plans cutathon to benefit accident victim

By Neil Gordon The tragic one-car accident of a Jefferson County teenager is the motivation for the latest cutathon at Trendz Salon.

Trendz has been organizing fundraising cutathons for several years to help meet the needs of families with children who are battling an illness or accident.

This cutathon, titled Cuts and Clicks for Kelley, is set for Sunday, May 22, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Trendz Salon, 3670 Old Petersburg Road, Martinez. This is the salon’s ninth cutathon and to date, they have raised about $80,000 for area families.

Salon owner Robyn Kelley and her team will provide haircuts all day in exchange for donations. T-shirts are available for a $10 donation. All of the money raised that day will go to the family of teenager Kelley Smith from Louisville, who was in a horrific one-car accident on Pinetucky Road in Swainsboro in September 2015.

Many in Smith’s family believe she is lucky to be alive. She was thrown about 75 feet from her car that night. She was airlift-

32 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

Trendz is getting help from sponsors Coca Cola and Mr T’s again this year, and an inflatible company. They are still in need of gift baskets and gift certificates to give away.

The Trendz staff doesn’t have a firm goal in mind of how much they want to raise from the cutathon.

“We hope to raise whatever God wants,” said Kelley.

There is also a Go Fund Me account set up for the family at gofundme.com/ha4sgkaf.

Kelley Smith before and after her accident. Photos contributed

ed to GRU Health and spent 40 days there.

Ironically, she was in the same room where her father, Mike, had been 13 years earlier when he was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident.

Although there wasn’t much hope for Smith at first, she is beginning her rehabilitation.

“She can talk, but they are trying to teach her to walk,” Kelley said. “She needs a lot of rehabilitation.”

Robyn Kelley said the Trendz staff really wants to help this family because neither of Smith’s parents can work due to illness.

Kelley also wants to raise awareness about how buckling a seatbelt saves lives.

“Kelley wasn’t buckled that night,” said the salon owner.

Her staff came up with the name “Cuts and Clicks For Kelley” to raise awareness for seatbelt use.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

33

Combining work force with education Columbia County Chamber takes future work force needs seriously

By Tammy Shepherd, President, Columbia County Chamber of Commerce In 2015, the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce created the Chamber Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, to accept charitable financial contributions and apply for grants to fund the Chamber’s workforce and education initiatives.

One of the Foundation’s major thrusts has been to bridge the gap between what is

Principal for a Day participants: Tom Denlinger, Augusta GreenJackets GM, and Dr. Ja’net Bishop, Columbia County Alternative School Principal.

being taught in our local schools and what employers need in the local workforce for the future. Currently, the Chamber’s Workforce and Education Committee is working to expand their initiatives as well as adding additional programs to meet the needs of local businesses.

The Columbia County Chamber Foundation recently created Blackboards 2 Business to engage students, teachers, administrators, business leaders and the community in conversation about the need for a different set of knowledge, skills and attitudes in the modern workforce. It also brings a sense of urgency to the process because in less than

a decade, one-third of the area’s workforce will be retiring.

Blackboards 2 Business programs include: Principal for a Day, where a business executive is paired with a principal to experience first-hand the challenges faced in school on a daily basis; Teachers in Business, where classroom instructors spend a day with a business to witness the skills needed in a particular industry; Students in Business, where teens have an opportunity to learn more about jobs available in the CSRA; and two new initiatives: Work Based Learning and STEM. In 2016, the Chamber Foundation adopted Work Based Learning (WBL) as a key initiative. This program is designed to connect school-based occupational instruction with work site experiences. WBL is designed to provide employers with qualified employees.

The Columbia County Chamber’s Workforce and Education committee is looking for businesses committed to providing quality learning experiences for juniors and seniors. They are specifically looking for businesses to partner with engineering, agriculture, broadcast and graphic design.

The Chamber works with the school system to partner students with businesses in their field of interest.

Currently, the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a student from Evans High School as a part of this crucial program. Participating students will work five to 10 hours per week.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is the newest initiative of the Chamber Foundations’ Blackboards 2 Business program. The objective is to unite local businesses with Columbia County middle schools for the common goal of raising awareness about STEM certification and supplement the needs of the school and its curriculum. The Chamber’s Workforce and Education Committee Chair, Anthony Williams, Sr., Director of Strategy Business Development for Textron Specialized Vehicles, is truly leading the way in STEM initiatives

Teachers in Business participants at Textron in February 2016.

within his company.

In addition to Textron, other local businesses participating in the Blackboards 2 Business programs are: ADP, Doctors Hospital, EDTS, Georgia Power, GIW Industries, Goodwill, John Deere, Kendrick’s Paint & Body, Rural Sourcing Inc., and Unisys.

Many of the programs of the Chamber Foundation would not be possible without the support of our members and our community. Donations to the Chamber Foundation to assist in these valuable programs are tax deductible and are greatly appreciated.

The Blackboards 2 Business initiative will

unite local business with Columbia County Schools for the common goal of increasing the quality of education for students, while involving the business community in the development of its own economic future.

These partnerships will help educators improve the academic and personal growth of students while ultimately fueling our region’s skilled workforce.

If you are interested in learning more about the Chamber Foundation, its initiatives or would like to donate to the Chamber Foundation, contact Cassidy Harris, Vice President of Business Development for the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, at cassidy@columbiacountychamber.com.

Program helps businesses, educators collaborate on future work force Is your business willing to help a high school student learn about the types of jobs you need by working for you?

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s Workforce and Education Committee is looking for businesses to participate in its Work-Based Learning experience.

These businesses will provide quality learning experiences for juniors and seniors.

Work-Based Learning is a structured program that prepares students with academic and job skills necessary to be successful in

34 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

their chosen career path, while at the same time meeting the needs of local businesses.

Work-Based Learning is designed to provide employers with qualified employees.

The Workforce and Education Committee is specifically looking for businesses to partner with students studying engineering, agriculture, broadcasting and graphic design.

To learn more about the program and to partner with a student for the 2016-17 school year, contact Cassidy Harris at cassidy@columbiacountychamber.com.

Work Based Learning participant Bailey Booth, Evans High School student, at the Chamber office.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

35

New blood pushes old company to the top Training, change in focus renew rich heritage

By Gary Kauffman When Joe Edge bought Sherman & Hemstreet Real Estate Co. in 2006, he purchased a company with a long history and reputation – and a pack of problems.

Edge shrunk the company to shake off some of the problems, developed a new strategy and created a teaching program for his agents that saw the company actually grow during the Recession. Now, a decade later, Edge has made the 92-year-old company the leader in commercial property management in the CSRA and is looking to boost its offerings in the housing market.

“The name Sherman and Hemstreet gave us instant credibility but we also bought a lot of problems,” Edge said. “The key was it gave us a base in property management that gave us a big head start.”

Edge, a 2000 Evans High School graduate, said a lot of his work ethic is the result of a four-year-stint in the Marines. He has also used the broad base of business knowledge gleaned from working for a business brokerage to explain why he was able to buy a business as a 24-year-old and turn it into a success.

Two changes he made to the traditional real estate model early on made a big impact on the future of the business.

One of those was to adapt to the needs of the market when the bottom fell out of real estate in 2008-09. Sherman and Hemstreet began working with all the area banks to help them sell or lease properties they’d foreclosed on.

At the same time, they also began working with commercial property owners to help them fill their unsold properties with lease-paying clients. Many of those property owners have continued to lease building space now rather than trying to sell because leasing brings longer value.

The second change Edge made was in how agents were trained for the job of selling.

At the time, Edge said, the typical way agents entered the business was by receiv-

After a decade under new owners, Sherman & Hemstreet is poised as a leader in the commercial market. Photo by Gary Kauffman

ing their license, being hired by a firm and then given a phone book and wished good luck in selling properties. Edge began training classes to better prepare the agents to be successful.

“I started to teach people what worked for me,” he said. “They learned from my successes and failures. It makes them 1,000 times more productive from the beginning.”

While other real estate firms have moved into development of commercial properties, Sherman and Hemstreet focuses on working to fill the properties other people own.

Sherman and Hemstreet now has 35 commercial properties it manages in four states.

It has 40 percent of the area’s commercial leasing market.

“My objective is to fill my clients’ properties,” Edge said.

That means Sherman and Hemstreet basically has two clients with each transaction – the business leasing the property and the property owner.

“We’re almost like business consultants, in a sense,” Edge said. “We get to help businesses make good decisions.”

As a result of their “matchmaking” of finding the right tenant for the right property, Sherman and Hemstreet has loyal clients among both businesses who lease and the property owners.

Because Edge is one of only four Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) in the Augusta area, and the only one specializing in offices, Sherman and Hemstreet frequently gets calls from out-of-state brokerage firms looking for properties for their clients.

After their success on the commercial side of real estate, Sherman and Hemstreet has recently begun to expand on the residential side. One of the first steps was the acquisition of McBride Realty and hiring Reagan Williams.

“We never stopped doing residential,” Edge explained. “It was just never our focus.

But we needed the right person to run it.”

Sherman and Hemstreet plans to apply the principles that made the commercial side successful to the residential market.

In 10 years Edge has seen a change in the real estate business and Sherman and Hem-

street is continuing to adapt.

“It used to be a passive business, now it’s an active business,” he said. “We have to take it directly to the end users.”

And potential customers aren’t waiting to get to a real estate agent’s office before perusing potential properties.

“They’re going to Zillow and Trulia on their phones,” Edge said.

He said he spends thousands of dollars each month on online advertising, a necessity these days for real estate companies.

With more than 90 years in the name and a decade under new leadership, Sherman and Hemstreet looks to be a top name in the Augusta market for many more years.

“Generationally we are poised for the future,” Edge said. “There are four owners in the firm and we’re a young group – three are under 35. We are poised to train the next generation behind us.”

Among the possibilities for the future for the company are opening a second office in Columbia County, expanding into Aiken and helping property owners in rural counties.

Investment home prices are climbing faster than other home sales Investment home prices are rising faster than owner-occupied home values, according to HomeUnion, an online real estate investment management firm.

According to HomeUnion’s research, year-over-year median investment home prices increased at a greater rate – 5.1 percent – than owner-occupied home prices, which rose only 1.1 percent. However, prices for investment homes were $185,500, compared to $236,900 for owner-occupied properties.

“Traditional home prices have peaked

36 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

in light of stagnant wage growth and a lack of lower-priced properties available on the market,” Steve Hovland, manager, research services at HomeUnion, said. “Nearly all of the increase in investment home prices was in the cash sector, where there’s still significant demand.”

He added, “February’s home price figures highlight the attractiveness of singlefamily rentals in an uncertain environment.

Since last August, when weakness in the global stock markets began to erase equity, investors have been repositioning their

portfolios to hedge against uncertainty.

We’re seeing the results in higher investment home prices, particularly in the allcash segment.”

Some takeaways from the existing home sales report: Most buyers utilized leverage to acquire investment homes while interest rates were low. The owner-occupied price of $236,900 closely mirrored the leveraged-investment price of $239,100. Over the past year, the median sales price for these properties inched up 1.1 percent and 0.6 percent,

respectively.

The overall median sales price climbed 3 percent during the past 12 months as investors began to grow weary of the volatile equity markets and redistributed their portfolios. The median investment sales price was $185,500, up 5.1 percent year over year.

Average investment cap rates compressed 40 basis points to 6.1 percent during the 12-month period ending in February. Investors accepted first-year returns of 4.7 percent for leveraged transactions.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

37

Business Health Terry Childers

Teen Trouble

Addiction chances increase the earlier someone starts using The earlier someone decides to drink alcohol or use drugs, the higher the likelihood they will become addicted later, as drug and alcohol use changes brain chemistry.

For adolescents and teenagers, they are especially vulnerable as their brains are still developing. Young people are not only growing physically, but maturing emotionally as well as being given more freedoms and responsibilities.

One reason the legal drinking age is 21 years old is that the brain is more developed at this point.

Unfortunately, addiction is a pediatrically-acquired disease – 90 percent of addicted Americans began their drug and alcohol use before the age of 18.

The two most commonly used drugs in teenagers and young adults are still alcohol and marijuana. The biggest increase in use has been with prescription drugs, and IV drug use has increased as well in this age bracket.

Today’s marijuana is not your parents or grandparent’s weed, as the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, is much more potent than even 20 years ago. Marijuana growers have used science, chemistry and horticulture to produce plants with extremely high THC percentage levels, which in turn makes it that much more addictive.

Today, there are more daily smokers of marijuana in young adults than cigarette smokers. With the debate over legalization coming to more parts of the country, and the development of newer products containing THC, we must be much more vigilant in educating our youth on the potential dangers.

Marijuana oils, concentrates, edibles, as well as transdermal patches and gels are now on the market in Colorado. Also coming are vaping cartridges containing THC that will not have the noticeable marijuana odor. Synthetic marijuana and other synthetic drugs will also be available to vapers as well in the near future.

Binge drinking continues to be a problem in teens and young adults. Binge drinking is when someone consumes five or more alcoholic drinks within two hours. In the

college-aged population, 80 percent report that they drink alcohol, 40 percent report they drink on a regular basis, and 50 percent report they binge drank within the last two weeks.

Alcohol abuse and binge drinking are reported to be one of the top three problems on college campuses. More and more colleges are issuing no tolerance policies on not only tobacco products but also on alcohol and drugs or drug paraphernalia. The days of alumni pride as a “party school” are waning.

Palcohol is a powdered form of alcohol that many states have already proposed a ban on, but the potential for abuse is enormous. It can be snorted, sprinkled on food, or mixed with water and other fluids.

There are several other risk factors for addiction in addition to the early onset of first use. Does the teenager smoke or have a family history of alcoholism or addiction? If there is a genetic history, that person is four times more likely to develop into an addict.

Learning disabilities, behavioral problems and psychological disorders all play a part, as well as any trauma someone has experienced, such as abuse, divorce or bullying. Stress and feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, along with little life experience to help cope and, of course, peer pressure to experiment are risk factors.

Obviously, the quality of parenting is a huge factor – do the parents use or condone use? Is the child having adequate supervision? Parents who use have kids who use.

Listed are common signs and symptoms of drug and alcohol use in young people: • sudden or gradual drop in grades • tardiness or absences from school • lying/blaming others • unusual need to access money • changes in peer group • denial/defensiveness when confronted over use • unusual sleeping patterns • burns on hands or clothes • personality or physical changes, such as weight gain or loss • stomach problems • drug paraphernalia – may be hiding in plain sight

Clean drug screens can also be misleading. Many traditional drugs can be detected but some, such as inhalants, synthetic drugs, DXM (over the counter cold medications), LSD, mushrooms and others, are difficult if not impossible to detect.

What drives the drug trade is the drug culture. Youth are bombarded with the glamorization of drug use in movies, music lyrics and by celebrities like Miley Cyrus. Funny and attractive alcohol and beer commercials and clothing with drug symbols and positive messages about drug use add to it. In almost 80 percent of motion pictures, someone is smoking a cigarette or drinking alcohol.

Without education, we are leaving it up to these industries and individuals to imprint the message they want conveyed to our youth.

Ongoing education for parents, teachers, and other authorities in the teenage and young adult age bracket is critical to stay on top of emerging drug

trends. Drugs of choice are constantly changing and the dangers are real.

Thankfully, on many college campuses recovery communities and organizations are becoming prevalent.

Georgia Southern University, Kennesaw State University and the University of Georgia have growing numbers of students in recovery. At Bradford Health Services, we have over 20 beds available at our inpatient facility in Madison, Ala. for teenagers and we have an intensive outpatient program at our Augusta office for adolescents and teenagers as well.

Terry Childers has been with Bradford Health Services for 6.5 years as the Community Representative. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1992 with a BS.Ed. in Educational Psychology and was the starting catcher for the 1990 National Championship baseball team . He also played professionally.

Childers is available to talk to any group on a variety of substance abuse topics. Contact him at tchilders@bradfordhealth.net.

MCG Foundation president Osborne plans to retire; Mercier takes over After 26 years as president and CEO of the Medical College of Georgia Foundation, James B. “Jim” Osborne, Sr., has announced plans to retire in June.

Osborne announced the news through a letter to the Board in March, citing both the growth and stability of the Foundation during his tenure. The early announcement will allow for an orderly transition and will give the newly appointed successor, Foundation

38 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

COO Ian Mercier, time to prepare for the new role.

Hired as Vice President for Institutional Relations and Executive Director of the Foundation in late 1989, Osborne oversaw the growth of the Foundation’s assets under management from $7 million to more than $200 million. In 2001, he was named the first president and CEO of the Foundation.

Current Board Chair Dr. Sam Richwine

recognizes the significance of Osborne’s legacy at the Foundation. “Jim has helped build our endowment, managed a firstclass organization and established enduring relationships with donors and friends of the Medical College of Georgia that will last many years beyond his retirement. We thank him for his many accomplishments,” Richwine said.

The responsibility of managing the day-

to-day operations of the Foundation now moves to Mercier, who himself is no stranger to the institution.

Mercier, who has served as Chief Operating Officer at the Foundation since 2013, is currently a doctoral candidate at Northeastern University, having received a master’s degree in public administration from Villanova University and a bachelor in information technology.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Business Counseling Carolyn Ramp

Plan for Happiness

Developing a simple, realistic plan key to changing yourself Last month, we looked at defining what you want clearly and specifically and developing a plan. This final article in the series will discuss developing a plan.

It’s not enough to decide to make change. A plan is a necessity, as well as a belief or faith in the value of the effort it will take to carry out the plan. Remember the axiom “To fail to plan is to plan to fail.”

As Wubbolding and Brickell put it, the plan should be: SAMIC² P They offer the following characteristics of a successful plan.

S = Simple.

Don’t make your plans too complicated. Plan for the day, the week, the month.

A = Attainable.

Make your plan realistic. Don’t set a goal that is so far-

fetched you can never achieve it.

M = Measurable.

Be precise. Set a precise time, a precise amount of time it will take to do, a precise number of days, etc. Don’t say “I’ll do it tonight.” If you were taking a flight, would you expect the airlines to say your plane leaves tonight? Or your plane leaves at 7 p.m.?

I = Immediate.

The plan needs to begin immediately, not after the vacation, or when the kids are not in school for the summer, or after the holidays…

C = Controlled.

The success of your plan depends on your ability to control it. It should not depend on anyone else’s control.

C = Consistent.

Repeat your plan over and over again. The plan should be able to be repeated as many times as necessary.

If you plan to spend quality time with someone, doing it once is not enough.

P = Persistence.

Persistence is the ability to “keep at it.”

It’s one of the characteristics of successful people. As Winston Churchill once said to a group of high school graduates, “Never, never, never give up.”

Perhaps the most important ingredient in your plan is the faith you have in it.

Does the story you’ve been telling yourself sound like this?

“I’ve always been this way and always will be…”

“I could never achieve that…”

“I hate having to do this…”

Business Systems Kevin Wade

Compliance Puzzle Putting the pieces together to face HIPAA desk audits The protection of patient privacy and the security, integrity and availability of electronic-protected health information is a major concern for any medical practitioner.

For doctors in a small to medium-sized practice, patient care takes first priority, but the compliance challenges are making it harder for practices to thrive.

The federal government’s Office of Civil Rights, which

40 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

enforces Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance, has developed a new strategy for evaluating compliance with an ever larger number of medical practices – primarily smaller practices – called “desk audits.”

The audit mandate, an extension of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, means that any provider subject to HIPAA standards is also subject to a potential audit of their privacy, security and breach notification status.

The new desk audit strategy is, simply put, a demand for a practice’s HIPAA policies and procedures, with a narrow response window of typically 24 hours. Through special tools like HIPAA Help Center, it’s possible to develop and maintain a real-time risk assessment and policies and procedures that can be printed with the press of a button. This can give medical practitioners the peace of mind that they are meeting their compliance goals, and thus allow them to focus on what matters most – caring for their patients.

Enjoy the process of striving to complete your plan and reach your goals. Celebrate all along the way.

“It’s so unfair…”

“I can’t get along with…”

Then challenge your own story. You’ve told yourself a story as if it is the truth, when it is just a perspective of the truth.

We sometimes torment ourselves or beat ourselves to death with our negative self-talk. You wrote the script.

You can change the story. Replace the negative self-talk (which is holding you back) with: “I enjoy doing this…”

“I can handle this situation…”

“I have the opportunity to make a change…”

“My life is great…”

And especially….

“I can, I will. I can, I will.”

“I might be down, but I’m getting up.”

These statements are empowering.

They boost your belief in yourself.

Take time to enjoy the journey. Enjoy the process of striving to complete your plan and reach your goals. Celebrate all along the way. Realize there is joy in the process. Put yourself on your calendar.

We each want our share of attention.

If you don’t value yourself, why would anyone else? If you don’t like yourself, it makes it difficult for others to like you.

Take time to enjoy your own journey.

Balance your work with some joy or play for yourself and enjoy the journey.

Getting happier is a do-it-yourself project. Own your own happiness. Take it away from other people – demanding that they make you happy. Your happiness does not depend on your spouse, your children, your stuff.

Be responsible for bringing those things into your life that make you happy independently of life and people and money. You have to take responsibility for the joy in your heart – not in your stuff.

Enjoy your relationship with yourself and when others come into your life they will be joining the party you already started!

Carolyn A. Ramp has a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Augusta State University and a Specialist’s Degree in Counseling from Georgia Southern. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor, a Licensed Professional Counselor and an Approved Clinical Supervisor. She served as an Adjunct Professor at Augusta State University in the graduate counseling program. She is the owner of Resolution Counseling Professionals located in the Atrium on Wheeler Road. Contact her at 706-432-6866.

Compliance challenges are making it harder for practices to thrive.

In addition, a lesser known fact is that these audits will affect both practices and the business associates that work with them, such as their IT companies, shredding and copier companies, and anyone who could potentially come in contact with Protected Health Information (PHI).

Using a tool like HIPAA Help Center gives a medical practice the means to maintain policies and procedures, administer compliance training, assign compliance responsibilities, manage hardware inventory including mobile devices, develop backup and contingency plans, manage incident response and create a real-time risk assessment.

Such a product gives practice managers a policy roadmap that references each specific code of law, so that as laws change, policies and procedures can easily be updated. HIPAA Help Center is always current and helps keep practices on track for compliance.

Managing HIPAA compliance and maintaining the levels of security mandated by the federal government is a job in and of itself. One wrong step could cost your practice tremendously in the form of punitive fines, increased insurance premiums and time away from patients. Changes in the law are made frequently and privacy laws will only become more complex as time goes forward.

Kevin Wade is President and CEO of IntelliSystems, a local IT management and telecommunication company with offices in Augusta, Aiken, and Columbia. In addition to meeting the technology needs of small and mediumsized companies, including sourcing computer and networking hardware and software, providing day-to-day IT support, installing cabling and wireless network systems, and design and installation of telephone systems, IntelliSystems works to help medical practices reach and maintain HIPAA compliance. He can be reached at 706-722-2024 or by emailing him at kevinw@ intellisystems.com.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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AU Medical Center doctors among top 1% From developing some of the first oral contraceptives to pioneering telemedicine technologies for faster stroke intervention, doctors at Augusta University and its historic Medical College of Georgia have long been recognized as leaders in discovery, innovation, and patient care.

For 15 consecutive years, Augusta University Medical Center has been the only local hospital to have its physicians ranked among the top 1 percent in the nation and included in the prestigious list of America’s Top Doctors.

One of several national patient reference guides published by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., the America’s Top Doctors online database and companion book designates physicians who are regarded by their peers and other health care leaders as among the very best in their field for specific diseases and medical techniques.

This year’s honorees include: Dr. Cargill H. Alleyne Jr., Neurosurgery Alleyne specializes in skull base surgery and in treating blood vessel diseases of the brain and spinal cord, including strokes, aneurysms, and AVMs at Georgia’s first Joint Commission-designated Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center. He investigates novel treatments for cerebral vasospasm, strokes, and aneurysms. He is the Marshall Allen Distinguished Chair and professor of Neurosurgery and director of the Neurosurgery Residency Training Program at MCG, the state’s only public medical school. Alleyne recently published his second book in a series of children’s books he is writing to spark kids’ interest in the fields of science and medicine.

Dr. Sharad A. Ghamande, Gynecology/ Oncology Ghamande is professor and chief of Gynecologic Oncology at MCG and associate director of the university’s cancer center. His clinical and research interests include robotic surgery for gynecologic cancers and chemotherapy trials in recurrent ovarian cancer. Ghamande has worked with the National Cancer Institute-funded Georgia Gynecologic Oncology Group studying innovative ways to prevent and treat pelvic malignancies, and he is currently the principal investigator on the NCI-funded Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program.

Dr. David C. Hess, Neurology Hess is a neurologist and stroke specialist who co-founded REACH Health, Inc., a telemedicine program that has revolutionized stroke care by providing more timely intervention to patients in rural health care settings. Based in Georgia, the REACH telestroke system is now being used in many academic medical centers and integrated delivery networks across the country. Hess is professor and Presidential Distinguished

42 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

Chair of MCG’s Department of Neurology, and he conducts research on novel treatments for acute ischemic stroke, including cell and restorative therapies. Currently, he is working on developing remote limb ischemic conditioning as a therapy for stroke and vascular dementia.

Dr. Walter J. Moore, Rheumatology Moore cares for patients with inflammatory soft-tissue and connective-tissue disorders. He is also a leader in Patientand Family-Centered Care, a philosophy of patient care pioneered at Augusta University’s health system that more fully engages patients and their families in health care decision-making. Moore is a professor of Medicine and Pediatrics in the Section of Rheumatology and Adult Allergy at MCG, where he also serves as senior associate dean for Graduate Medical Education and Veterans Affairs.

Dr. Julian J. Nussbaum, Opthalmology and Vitreo-retinal Disorders Nussbaum specializes in treating patients with diabetic eye disease, age-related macular degeneration, and other degenerative and vascular disorders of the retina. He is professor and chairman of the MCG Department of Ophthalmology and co-director of the university’s James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, where basic and clinician scientists are investigating the diseases that cause blindness and other eye disorders. His own research interests include diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. Nussbaum also serves as assistant dean of Ambulatory Care Services for the health system.

Dr. Gregory N. Postma, Otolaryngology Postma is director of Augusta University’s Center for Voice, Airway and Swallowing Disorders, where he provides proven treatments and therapies for patients with these disorders, including professional and singing voice care, gastroesophageal reflux, and chronic cough. Postma also performs airway surgery and reconstruction and helped pioneer in-office surgery. His research interests include extraesophageal reflux and surgical and non-surgical management of swallowing disorders. Postma is a professor and vice chairman of MCG’s Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

Dr. Satish S. C. Rao, Gastroenterology (GI issues) Rao helped establish and serves as director of the hospital’s cutting-edge Digestive Health Center. The professor and chief of the Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at MCG pioneered biofeedback therapy for dyssynergic defecation and has developed several techniques for evaluating esophageal, gastric, colonic, and anorectal function – particularly the brain-gut connection – in patients experiencing digestive

health difficulties. His research includes the pathophysiology and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, fecal incontinence and visceral pain, particularly esophageal chest pain.

Dr. Kapil D. Sethi, Neurology: Sethi is professor and director of Augusta University’s Movement Disorders Clinic, a National Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence – the only one of its kind in Georgia and South Carolina – providing the highest level of care for patients with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. His clinical interests are movement disorders, including Parkinson Disease and botulinum toxin injections for spasmodic blinking. His research interests include identifying better therapies, including new medications, for PD, dystonia, and other movement disorders, as well as identifying risk factors and methods to slow the progression of these disorders.

Dr. Sandra G. B. Sexson,* Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Sexson helps children and adolescents living with chronic diseases such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis and cancer to cope with the social and psychological challenges that often accompany these illnesses. Her research interests include pediatric oncology, ADHD, and school continuity for ill children. Sexson is professor and chief of the Section of Child, Adolescent, and Family Psychiatry in the MCG Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior. She is also a national leader in psychiatric education.

Dr. Robert A. Sorrentino, Cardiac Electrophysiology Sorrentino established the hospital’s first electrophysiology and arrhythmia services program for patients with irregular heartbeats or abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure. The director of what is now called the Heart Rhythm Center also evaluates and treats patients for fainting, or syncope, and assesses their risks for cardiac arrest. He has particular expertise in the implantation and management of pacemakers, defibrillators, and biventricular ICDs. He is also one of a limited number of physicians with proficiency in laser-assisted extraction of pacemaker and defibrillator wires. Sorrentino is the Creel Professor of Medicine and interim section chief of Cardiology at MCG, where he is also director of the Electrophysiology Fellowship Program.

Dr. David J. Terris, Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery The director of the Thyroid/Parathyroid Center, Terris treats all disorders of the thyroid and parathyroid including hyperparathyroidism (primary and renal), goiters, cancer of the thyroid/parathyroid, Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism. He performs robotic and minimally invasive thyroid and parathyroid surgery and pioneered a

robotic facelift thyroidectomy, a minimally invasive neck surgery technique that eliminates a visible scar. Terris has published five books on endocrine surgery topics, and serves as a Regents Professor in the MCG Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

Dr. Martha K. Terris, Urology She performs open, laparoscopic and robotic surgery to treat kidney, bladder and prostate cancer. She also performs prostate seed implantation, nerve-sparing prostatectomy and radical cystectomy with neobladder – creating a new bladder from the intestinal tissue. Terris is professor and chief of the Section of Urology, holding the Witherington Distinguished Chair in Urology. She also serves on the urology faculty at the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Dr. Jack C. Yu,* Pediatric Plastic Surgery Yu established and serves as director of the Craniofacial Center at Children’s Hospital of Georgia, helping to restore anonymity to children with cleft palate and other facial irregularities. He performs cleft lip, cleft palate, and craniosynostosis corrections, as well as aesthetic surgeries such as facelift, blepharoplasty, lip augmentation and rhinoplasty. He is the editor of the Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, and his research focuses on stem cell therapy in ischemiareperfusion and the anti-inflammatory effects of whole body vibration therapy. Yu is the Milford B. Hatcher Professor of Surgery and chief of the Section of Plastic Surgery at MCG. Three of these physicians – Drs. Sharad Ghamande, David Terris, and Martha Terris – were also named to America’s Top Doctors for Cancer ranking in the top 1 percent of cancer doctors in the nation. The book by the same name is now in its 11thedition. Augusta University has had doctors included in this book in every edition.

Published annually by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., the America’s Top Doctors guides are based on nominations from tens of thousands of doctors and healthcare executives across the country. A physician-led research team then reviews the credentials of each nominated doctor before the Castle Connolly selection team makes the final choices. The most important criterion for physician selection is excellence in patient care. Other criteria include experience, education, board-certification, fellowships, hospital affiliation, medical school faculty appointments, honors and awards, and professional reputation.

Doctors do not and cannot pay to be included in any Castle Connolly guide or online directory. *Denotes Children’s Hospital of Georgia physicians

Camp Guide 2016 Summer Camps will also be listed in our May 19 issue. To advertise your Summer Camp, call Janine Garropy, 803.480.2800 or Tiffany Stone, 803.640.0627.

Sports Camps Augusta Prep Football Camp, Rising K-12th grade. July 12-14. 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. $150 before April 30 and $180 after April 30. Football Camp at Augusta Prep is designed to give players a head start on the 2016 football season. Our day camps aim to teach the fundamentals of the game. This is an outstanding chance for young men who desire to play football to learn the game from the excellent pool of coaches at the camp. The Cavalier Pride Camp will include instruction in the fundamentals of football as well as strength and conditioning. Camp will be held on the Augusta Prep Football Field. Physicals are required for all Augusta Prep Sports Camps. For more information, visit augustaprep.org Boys Basketball Camp presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta,

Rising 1st-8th graders. June 6-10 from 9-11:30 a.m. $140. Want to really excel at basketball? Attend this five-day, action-packed camp that focuses on technical training and advanced game play strategies through drills and fun competitions. Participants will be divided by age into small groups so that coaches can provide more personal instruction. For more information, visit wsa.net Cheerleading Camp presented by Episcopal Day Schools of Augusta, Rising 1st-5th graders. June 20-24. 9 a.m.1 p.m. $120. For more information, visit edsaugusta.com Cheerleading Camp presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising 1st-8th graders. June 13-17, 9 a.m.Noon $150. A week-long program that will teach athletes everything from continued on page 45

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Campers ‘camp out’ at Putt Putt for a break

By Neil Gordon, Publisher The camps at the Family Y and on post at Fort Gordon are known as some of the best experiences for campers all summer, from swimming to horseback riding to sports and arts and crafts. So where do camp counselors from there go to give their kids a break during the summer? Putt Putt!

“They usually plan a day or two each summer with us,” said Putt Putt owner Mark Ross. “We’re different.”

Smaller campers from area daycares and camps get a chance to play Putt Putt golf and indoor games for prizes.

Older campers over 10 can enjoy laser tag. No matter what the age, all campers love to cool off with bumper boats.

“It’s a chance to get wet after a good, hot day,” Ross said.

Camp sessions last for two hours and include a chance for everyone to enjoy 10 game tokens, Putt-Putt, a half hour in the bouncy balls, pizza and a drink. Rates range from $6-10 per camper, depending on whether campers want extra activities like laser tag or bumper boats.

Usually the summer camp fun occurs during the day – but not always.

“Cornerstone Academy on Martinez

44 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

Boulevard likes to do family night out at Putt Putt,” Ross said.

He thinks it is a great way to bring parents, teachers and the children together in a nice outing – kind of an “Open House of Fun.” Putt Putt will also provide a private room so that camp counselors will be able to gather campers together to eat and to plan their activities and departure time.

“We hope that our camp program puts a smile on the faces of area kids and that they tell their parents and bring their entire family back again,” Ross added.

Ross said it is a good idea for camps or daycares to call as soon as possible to reserve times this summer as some dates are already filling up. Another reason to make plans as soon as possible is that this June marks Putt Putt’s

62nd anniversary nationally – and about 51 years in Augusta, dating back to the good ol’ days at the corporate store on the Gordon Highway.

It will be busy and “all about the fun” at Putt Putt.

Putt Putt is located at 3763 Martinez Boulevard (just off Washington Road at Baston Road). Contact them at 706868-0083 or at www.augustabirthdayparties.com.

continued from page 43 simple motions and chants to jumps, tumbling and even basic stunting skills. On Friday, June 17, there will be a 30-minute performance for friends and family that will begin at noon. For more information, visit wsa.net Football Camp presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising 1st-8th graders. June 13-17. 9 a.m.-noon $150. Join us for a week of skill development, team building and gameplay.

Players will learn the fundamentals of blocking, tackling, positional play and team offensive/defensive concepts in a safe and fun environment. For more information, visit wsa.net Garret Siler Basketball Camp presented by Episcopal Day Schools of Augusta, Ages 8-16. June 13-17. 9 a.m.4 p.m. $180. Lunch provided. For more information, visit edsaugusta.com Girls Basketball Camp presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising 1st-8th graders. May 31-June 3.

12:30-3:30 p.m. $135. Players will focus on technical training and gameplay strategies and will be divided (by age) into small groups, allowing coaches to provide personal instruction. For more information, visit wsa.net Golf Camp presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising 4th-7th graders. June 13-17 from 9 a.m.-Noon $150.

Work on putting, chipping, and driving.

The location for the camp is TBD. For more information, visit wsa.net Horse Camp presented by Tranquility Stables of Appling, Ages 6 and up. Weekly sessions May 30-July 25.

Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. with awards shows every Friday. $255 per session. Call 813-714-2456 to reserve your spot Olympics Camp presented by Episcopal Day School of Augusta, Ages 3-12.

August 1-5. Full Day: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ($180); Half Day: 9 a.m.-1 p .m. ($130).

What better way to ring in the 2016 Summer Olympics than with an Olympics of our own! Campers will get to learn all about the sports and activities that make up the Summer Olympics and conclude the week with a Camp Olympics. For more information, visit edsaugusta.com Soccer Camp presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising 1st-5th graders. May 31-June 3. 9 a.m.-Noon. $135. Join Westminster state champion and head coach Mike Freace and staff for an exclusive camp that focuses on individual instruction, technical training and small-sided games to improve each player’s abilities and confidence.

For more information, visit wsa.net Tennis Camp presented by Newman

Tennis Center, Ages 5-7 and Ages 8-17.

Weekly sessions from May 23-August 5.

Ages 8-17: Full Day Camp: 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. ($200 per week); Half Day Camp: 9 a.m.noon ($100 per week). Ages 5-7: Quick Start Camp Tuesday-Thursday from 9 a.m.-9:45 a.m. ($50 per week). For additional information, call 706-821-1600.

Tennis Camp presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising PreK4th Graders. June 6-10 from 9-10:30 a.m. $90. Tennis clinics will consist of an introduction of a stroke a day, stretching and conditioning exercises, fun drills, and games. The Quick Start program will also be taught to all grade levels to develop proper strokes in tennis. For more information, visit wsa.net

Educational Camps American Girl Camp presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising K-3rd graders: July 27-30 from 12:30-3:30 p.m. $150; Rising 4th-5th graders: July 27-30 from 9 a.m.-Noon $150.

Travel through time with your favorite American Girl dolls. Campers will focus on a different American Girl each day, exploring their history through crafts, snacks, toys, games and lessons. Bring your own American Girl to join in our adventures. For more information, visit wsa.net Board Game Club presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising 7th-12th graders. June 6-10 from 12:303:30 p.m. $140. Come be immersed in a world of word games such as Quiddler and Upwords, resource-management games such as Catan and 7 Wonders, collaborative games such as Forbidden Desert and Forbidden Island, board games such as Sequence and Clue Mysteries and card games such as Saboteur and Diamonds. For more information, visit wsa.net Bottle Rockets and Fantastic Science presented by Episcopal Day School of Augusta, Ages 3-12. June 20-24. Full day: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ($180); Half day: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. ($130). In this STEM camp students will design and construct a rocket out of ordinary materials. They will construct parachutes for the rockets and see how long it takes for the rocket to fall back to the ground after launch. EDS’s own Joe Kirstein will be heading up this camp that starts each day out at the Flowing Wells Campus.

Students will return to the EDS main campus for lunch and afternoon activities. For more information, visit edsaugusta.com Camp Invention presented by Episcopal Day School of Augusta, Ages 3-12. continued on page 46 April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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continued from page 45 June 27-July 1. Full day: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ($250). Learn, create and explore in a world where there is no wrong answer!

Science and building take over this week as campers participate in STEM activities. To register for Camp Invention, visit campinvention.org. For more information, visit edsaugusta.com College Entrance Exam Preparation Course presented by Augusta Christian, Dates: Tuesday, May 31-Friday, June 3, 9 am to 2 pm. This class includes instruction and practice for the reading, the writing and language, and math sections of the SAT. There will also be limited instruction on the essay for those who opt to take it. The class will end just before the June 4, 2016 SAT Exam. The course includes 18 hours of instruction, 3-4 full length practice exams, use of real College Board tests for practice and other College Board materials and much more. Instruction

by Shelia Stewart, a local and proven SAT tutor and instructor. Fee is $225 which includes textbook ($275 after May 15). For more information contact Shelia Stewart at sonshine333@comcast.net or visit augustachristian.org Computer Programming & Game Design Camp presented by Augusta Prep, Rising 4th-9th graders. June 13-17

46 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

and July 11-15, 1p.m.-4 p.m. $150. In this camp students will explore software design and programming. They will use Alice and Python programming languages to craft a variety of useful programs and amusing games. No experience is required, but intermediate users are welcome. Students will receive information packets for the topics covered and a flash drive with all of the software used in class. Camp will be held in Augusta Prep Middle School

Computer Lab. For more information, visit augustaprep.org Crazy Characters camp presented

by Episcopal Day School of Augusta, Ages 3-12. June 13-17. Full Day: 9 a.m.3:30 p.m. ($180); Half Day: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. ($130). Does your camper have a favorite book, movie or video character? We will explore all creative and crazy characters this week during camp. For more information, visit edsaugusta.com Driver’s Ed presented by Westminster

Schools of Augusta, Students with a driving permit. May 31-June 4. 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. $450. Join us for a week of classroom instruction, followed by six scheduled hours of behind-the-wheel training completed between June 4 and August 8. Students must have a valid driver’s permit to register for the course. For more information, visit wsa. net Foreign Language Prep presented

by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising 8th-9th graders. July 18-22 from 10 a.m.-noon $150. This academic class is designed specifically for students who need some extra help or review with grammatical concepts. This course helps to provide a grammatical foundation for all students who take Latin, French or Spanish. The class covers language structure, including parts of speech, parts of the sentence and verb conjugations. Please note that this class will involve homework. For more information, visit wsa.net Food and Farm Camp presented by Episcopal Day School of Augusta, Ages 3-12. July 11-15. Full Day: 9 a.m.3:30 p.m. ($180); Half day: 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. ($130). Students will learn about the vegetables growing at the Flowing continued on page 47

continued from page 46 Wells Campus gardens. They will learn about how to take care of the existing plants, start seeds and transplant seedlings, and cook with the vegetables that are ready for harvest. EDS’s own Joe Kirstein will be heading up this camp that starts each day out at the Flowing Wells Campus. Students will return to the EDS main campus for lunch and afternoon activities. For more information, visit edsaugusta.com Forensic Science Camp presented by Augusta Prep, Rising 4th-9th graders, June 13-17 and July 11-15 from 9amnoon. $150. The forensic science exploratory camp will introduce students to the science behind crime scene investigation. Participants will explore mock crime scenes, gather and process evidence, analyze data, and attempt to link evidence to the appropriate suspect. Students will receive information packets for the topics covered, a forensics kit, and certificate of completion. Camp will be held in Augusta Prep Morris Chemistry Lab #2. For more information, visit augustaprep.org Girls Lily Pad Programming presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising 3rd-6th graders. July 18-22 from 9 a.m.-noon $150. This program will use Arduino robots to program

wearable fashions that light up and blink. Items that can be made are hair clips, pins, jewelry and more. For more information, visit wsa.net Ideaventions Chemical Reactions Camp presented by Augusta Prep, Rising 1st-4th graders. July 18-22 from 1-4 p.m. $220. Join Spark Academy as you don your lab coats and grab a beaker. Campers are the chemists in this exploration of substances changing their chemical identities. We spend the week experimenting with a range of different chemical reactions. From simple kitchen chemistry, such as sugar crystals, to awe-inducing reactions like elephant toothpaste. Campers leave with an understanding of how chemistry and change make up the world around us. Camp will be held on the campus of Augusta Prep in the Lower School art room. For more information, visit augustaprep.org Ideaventions Jr. Robotics Camp Atlantis presented by Augusta Prep, Rising 1st-4th graders. July 18-22 from 9 a.m.-noon, $220. Join Spark Academy on an underwater quest to find the lost city of Atlantis! We are part of a deep sea salvage crew searching for the lost city so that we may uncover its mysteries. We must defeat underwater guardians to retrieve three keys which

open the portal to Atlantis. Along the way we must also design tools for our research vehicle. We will use robotic sensors, motors, the WeDo visual programming environment, and Legos to solve these problems using creative

thinking. Camp will be held on the campus of Augusta Prep in the Lower School Library. For more information, visit augustaprep.org continued on page 48

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continued from page 47 Ignite presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising 4th-5th graders. July 11-15 from 9 a.m.-Noon $150.

Students will ignite their love for reading, writing and math through exciting projects, lessons and games. For more information, visit wsa.net Introduction to Robotics presented

by Augusta Prep, Rising 3rd-6th graders.

June 20-24, 9 a.m.-noon. $150. In this camp students will be introduced to the world of robotics. This interactive camp experience led by Augusta Prep technology teacher Lauren Ivey will be held in the Middle School Computer Lab. For more information, visit augustaprep.org Organizational Skills presented by Augusta Prep, Rising 5th-12th graders.

July 11-14 and July 18-21. 8-8:55 a.m.

Monday-Thursday. $110 per session. Organization is a matter of routine. Have a place for everything and routinely put everything in its place! Things Discussed and Taught: Organization of the day, Organization of a locker, binders, notes, communications, Organization of study areas at home, Organization of school and personal calendar, Organization techniques for remembering homework, signed papers, etc., Nightly organization for the next day, A shop-

48 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

ping list of school supplies is prepared and lessons on function versus cute or trendy discussed, and more! For more information, visit augustaprep.org Solar Quest Science Camp presented

by Augusta Christian, Rising 1st-6th graders. June 13-17, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

The early bird camp fee is $150 through April 15. After April 15 the camp fee goes up to $175. Camp fee includes a t-shirt and a week of imagination, invention and creativity, all combined with science. Come harness the power of the sun! Discover the sun’s incredible capabilities. Design a solar-powered vehicle and race your roadster against other inventor’s creations. Build a powerful oven that needs no electricity using every-day objects and watch while the sun transforms your food. Join us and experiment with the sun’s mighty power and amazing abilities! For more information, visit augustachristian.org Spark presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising 1st and 2nd graders. July 11-15 from 9 a.m.-Noon $150. This course will “spark” a love for reading, writing and math in our young students. Spark is a foundational course designed to give your child a jumpstart to the grade level he/she will be entering in the fall of 2016. Spark will expose students to the classroom curriculum to

ensure a smooth transition to the next grade level. For more information, visit wsa.net Study Skills presented by Augusta Prep, Rising 5th-12th graders. July 11-15 and July 18-22. 9-9:55 a.m MondayFriday. $110 per session. In this class you will learn different learning style strategies, how you best learn, your best study environment and how your personality effects your learning style. We will discuss communication strategies to include teacher pleasing behaviors, understanding teacher’s expectations, communicating with teachers and communicating with other students. You will learn about reading comprehension strategy understanding how to read, identifying reading signals including the three sweeps reading a textbook technique.

We will cover note-taking, memorization, handling homework and stress management strategies in an effort to help you strive for academic excellence!

Camp will be held for 5th-12th graders in Founders Hall. For more information, visit augustaprep.org Taste of Technology presented by Augusta Prep, Rising 3rd-6th graders.

June 20-24 from 1-4 p.m. $150. In this camp students will explore different tools of technology including 3D print-

ing, the Z-Space virtual reality machine and more. This interactive camp experience led by Augusta Prep technology teacher Lauren Ivey will be held in the Middle School Computer Lab. For more information, visit augustaprep.org

Art Camps Adventures in Art presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising Pre-K-4th graders, June 6-10 from 12:30-2:30 p.m.; Rising 5th-8th graders, June 13-17 from 12:30-2:30 p.m. $150 per session. Come learn how to create new and beautiful masterpieces with a variety of materials and mediums. Our junior Picassos will delight themselves and their families with their artistic creations. For more information, visit wsa.net Art Camp presented by Augusta Christian, Rising 3rd-8th graders.

Dates: May 23-26 or July 25-28, 9:30 a.m.-noon. Camp fees: $15 registration/ supplies and $100 for the camp. Camp includes opportunity for creativity with clay, drawing, painting, mixed media and other. For more information, visit augustachristian.org Creative Writing Camp presented by Augusta Prep, Rising 5th-9th graders. continued on page 49

continued from page 48 August 1-5 from 9:30-11 a.m. $145.

Do you like to scare your friends with frightful tales? Enjoy writing poetry or plays? Do you have a great idea for a short story, but haven’t found the time to get your ideas on paper? If so, the creative writing camp is for you!

Students who enroll in the camp will develop their skills as emerging writers through differentiated writing instruction, one-on-one writing support, and fun writing workshop sessions. With a focus on the creative process and personal expression, students write short stories, personal narratives, poems, or song lyrics and work collaboratively to improve their writing craft. Each camp participant is invited to an author’s session during which they will share a piece of their personal writing and engage in a lively celebration of the art of expression. Camp will be held in the Augusta Prep Lower School Room 13.

For more information, visit augustaprep. org Hip Hop Dance Camp presented by Augusta Prep, Rising 1st-4th graders.

June 27-July 1 from 9 a.m.-noon. $120.

This camp back by popular demand will allow students to learn body movements that go with the beat and rhythm of hip hop music. Your child will learn moves that are dynamic and athletic incorporating jumps, breaks, and rotations in the movements. Hip hop dancing is considered great exercise and helps dancers improve flexibility, develop body balance, and coordination. Athletic hip hop dance classes are a great way to simply let go and dance without the limitations of classical dance techniques that are required in ballet and tap. Camp will be held on the campus of Augusta Prep in the Hull Fine Arts Center. For more information, visit augustaprep.org Mini Musical Theater Camp presented

by Augusta Prep, Rising K-5th graders.

July 11-15 from 9 a.m.- 3p.m., MondayFriday. $230. Students will prepare and then perform a musical for their families on the last day of camp. Musicals will be introduced to students through story time, videos, puppet shows and much more. Students have the opportunity to paint and create backdrops, memorize speaking parts and sing songs. Students will also help make props, create costumes, learn basic music/theater vocabulary and play a variety of games to reinforce performance skills. This is the perfect opportunity for students to practice working as a team, share their true artistic abilities in front of an audience, and promote the value of selfexpression. For more information, visit

augustaprep.org Mixed Media Afternoon Arts presented by Augusta Prep, Rising 2nd-5th graders, June 6-10 from 12:30- 3:30 p.m. $140. This camp is for students looking to explore a variety of different artistic materials while learning about important techniques and artistic styles from around the world. Each child will create several projects in sculpture, painting, and printmaking exploring both creative potential and textural relationships by synthesizing several different media within the projects. Camp will be held in the Augusta Prep Lower School Art Room with LS Art Teacher Chad Cole. For more information, visit augustaprep.org Media as Literature presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising 9th-12th graders. June 13-24 from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $250. Instead of focusing on literature, this course focuses on the literary analysis and merits of alternative mediums of art with film and music being the primary focus. For more information, visit wsa.net Morning with the masters art camp presented by Augusta Prep, Rising 2nd-5th graders. June 6-10 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. $140. For students who are passionate about art history and improving their skills with drawing and painting. Each morning will be dedicated to learning about the artwork of a “Great Master” and the students will apply the techniques of these artists to an original work of art. Our studies will

include “Starry Night,” “The Great Wave,” and “David.” All Supplies are included in the cost, and students will leave with completed pieces of art. Camp will be held in the Augusta Prep Lower School Art Room with LS Art Teacher Chad Cole. For more information, visit augustaprep.org Musical Fun Camp presented by Episcopal Day School of Augusta, Ages 3-12. June 6-10. Full day: 9 a.m.3:30 p.m. ($180); Half day: 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. ($130). Everyday is a new musical adventure during this week of camp.

Special guests Tara and Kevin Scheyer will teach campers about a variety of musical instruments, and how to play them. Arts will be centered around creating our own musical instruments, and the week will end with all campers getting to participate in a camp performance. For more information, visit edsaugusta.com Paul Owen’s Drama Camp presented

by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising 3rd-7th graders. June 20-24 from 9 a.m.-noon, $170. Enter the exciting and unpredictable world of drama- where everyone is a star! Learn the basics of acting through dynamic theatre games, group activities, improv and pantomime. You will be learning from Westminster’s drama director alongside some of the students you’ve seen on the stage. The week ends with a hilarious performance from the entire group.

For more information, visit wsa.net Summer Ceramics and Sculpture

presented by the Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising 6th-12th graders. June 6-17 from 9-11:30 a.m. $350. An intense and fun two-week program where students will learn advanced techniques in 3D-art making, create completed works of clay art and learn about the history of sculpture.

Campers will create pottery by throwing on the kick wheel. Off-campus trips will take students to meet with local artists and explore local art. For more information, visit wsa.net

Day Camps Camp Wildcat presented by Westminster Schools of Augusta, Rising K5th graders. Weekly sessions from June 6-July 29. Full-Day: 9 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. ($150), Morning: 9 a.m.-noon ($100), Afternoon: 12:30-3:30 p.m. ($100).

Camp Wildcat is a community-oriented environment designed for students of all ages and is a fun-filled camp with activities that vary weekly. Daily activities range from arts and crafts to outdoor adventure trips and games.

Activities will vary from week to week, based on the following themes: • July 6-10: Beach Blast • June 13-17: Inspector Gadget • June 20-24: It’s a Bugs Life • June 27-July 1: Happy Camper • July 11-15: Pharaoh’s Egyptian Adventure • July 18-22: A Galaxy Far Away • July 25-29: Christmas in July For more information, visit wsa.net April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Career & Education Daphne Jones

Juggling Act

Managing varied age groups can present challenges Today’s workforce is the first in history to include workers from five different generations. While this adds welcome diversity, it also poses some significant challenges for keeping workers engaged and on board.

A recent Ernst & Young survey shows that 75 percent of managers find it challenging to manage intergenerational teams and 77 percent reported that the different work expectation of each generation is a key challenge.

Consider the general mindset of each group toward office meetings as an illustration of this challenge: • Traditionalists (born prior to 1946) will typically arrive early and expect a paper agenda.

• Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) will expect a PowerPoint presentation and are willing to put in any extra hours required if the meeting runs long.

• Gen X (born between 1965 and 1976) employees will prefer to watch a video and expect the meeting to end by 5 p.m. to honor work-life balance boundaries.

• Millennials (born between 1977 and 1997) will want the meeting to have a strong purpose, and will use collaborative digital tools to share meeting information and expect others to do the same.

• Generation Z (born after 1997) employees will want

to call in from a remote location, no matter what the time, because they view the workplace as an anytime-anywhere proposition.

It’s About Motivation How can employers keep all segments of this diverse workforce engaged? A Harvard Business Review article explains that it is not a matter of trying to get everyone to work in the same way, but about leveraging each group’s strengths and understanding what motivates team members the most.

The author suggests that managers shouldn’t assume they already know how to motivate employees who are older or younger. Instead, it’s important to have individual conversations with workers to determine what they want out of their own professional lives.

Millennial workers, in particular, typically need to feel their input has value and some have very ambitious goals. A Wall Street Journal guide to managing across generations suggests giving these individuals special assignments that are outside of their job descriptions, such as placing them on a task force that’s working to solve a business or workplace problem.

Different Generations, Similar Expectations While each workforce generation has come from a different era, a report by the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School Executive Development Program suggests that in the workplace, the different generations may have more in common than employers realize, from wanting the business as a whole to succeed to wanting success in their individual careers.

Interestingly, workers from all five

Some jobs earn higher pay raises Most pay raises in U.S. jobs in 2016 will average around 3 percent, according to a survey released by Randstad US, one of the largest staffing and HR services companies in the United States. But a employees in some business sectors could see pay increases double or triple that amount.

According to the survey, certain engineering, information technology, manufacturing and logistics, and office and administration jobs can expect compensation increases of 6 to 9 percent.

Some salary guides pinpoint jobs that show pay increases as much as triple the national average. For example, the following jobs in engineering, information technology, manufacturing and logistics, and office and administration showed the highest yearover-year national median salary increases: Engineering: electronics/computer engineer (8.31 percent); mechanical engineer (7.38 percent); quality engineer (7.36 percent) Information technology: network engineer (7.21 percent); software engineer

50 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

(5.48 percent); project manager (3.87 percent) Manufacturing and logistics: electromechanical technician (9.29 percent); assistant plant manager (8.05 percent); maintenance manager (6.65 percent) Office and administration: office manager (6.68 percent); call center representative – general calls (4.55 percent); accounts receivable supervisor (4.50 percent) The salary guides also highlight today’s most in-demand jobs, arming employers with critical information needed to build a strong recruitment strategy in order to attract candidates with desired skills: Finance and accounting: senior accountant; cost accountant; finance (financial planning and analysis) manager Healthcare: allied health; travel nursing; physicians Human resources: human resources generalist; human resources business partner; learning and development manager Life sciences: drug safety associate; clinical study manager; CMC manager.

generations agree on the characteristics of an ideal business leader: • Leads by example • Is accessible • Challenges and holds others accountable • Acts as a coach and mentor • Helps others see how their roles contribute to the organization Despite technology, communication and work style preferences, there are universal attributes that cross generations and can lead to team bonding.

Whether it’s the way your employees care about their families or their vision for the team’s success, those common threads can be the beginning of a more cohesive and engaged multi-gen-

erational team. This bonding breeds an atmosphere of trust and a valuable level of respect for what each individual brings to the table, no matter what generational group they are in.

Daphne Jones is the Senior Staffing Consultant for Express Employment Professionals. Formerly Vice President of Finance and Administration for the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, she has been a HR professional for over 22 years and now provides staffing solutions for area businesses. She is a past president of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), an alumnus of Leadership Augusta. Daphne can be reached at 706-364-4473 or daphne.jones@expresspros. com. Visit Express Employment Professionals at expresspros.com/augustaga.

Americans need 114 days to pay off taxes Tax Freedom Day, the day when the nation as a whole has earned enough to pay the federal, state, and local tax bill for year, will arrive 114 days into the year on April 24, according to the annual report by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.

“Tax Freedom Day gives us a vivid representation of how much federal, state and local tax revenue is collected each year to pay for government goods and services,” said Tax Foundation Analyst Scott Greenberg. “Arguments can be made that the tax bill is too high or too low, but in order to have an honest discussion, it’s important for taxpayers to understand the cost of government. Tax Freedom Day helps people relate to that cost.”

While the national date arrives nine days after the tax filing deadline, each state’s total federal, state, and local tax burden varies greatly. Tax Freedom Day arrives earliest in Mississippi (April 5), Tennessee (April 6), and Louisiana (April 7).

On May 21, Connecticut will be the last

state to reach Tax Freedom Day this year, while New Jersey (May 12) and New York (May 11) are a few days sooner.

The report’s other key findings include: • Collectively, Americans will spend more on taxes in 2016 than they will on food, clothing and housing combined.

• Americans will pay $3.3 trillion in federal taxes and $1.6 trillion in state and local taxes, for a total bill of almost $5 trillion, or 31 percent of the nation’s income.

• Tax Freedom Day is one day earlier than last year, due mainly to the Protecting America from Tax Hikes Act of 2015, which made several business and individual tax cuts permanent.

• If you include annual federal borrowing, which represents future taxes owed, Tax Freedom Day would occur 16 days later on May 10.

Historically, the date for Tax Freedom Day has fluctuated significantly. The latest-ever Tax Freedom Day was May 1, 2000.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

51

Business Resources Jame Geathers

Intern Integration

Have a structured plan to get the most out of an intern With summer on the horizon, many students are reaching out to businesses – large and small – for internships.

An internship allows students, high school or college level, to gain experience working in their field of study while lending a hand to your business – a win-win so to speak.

As with any new initiative, adding an internship program to your business takes planning and commitment.

While having interns is a great way to increase productivity, you and/or your team will be responsible for also making it a valuable learning experience for the student.

In addition to professional experience and pay, many interns also receive credit from their schools. Fortunately, that is one detail that you will not have to sort out because that is typically worked out between the student and their school.

Besides providing the students with valuable experi-

ence and pay, internship programs can also greatly benefit your business. Hiring interns can open the door to a larger pool of potential employees and give employers the opportunity to evaluate individuals on the job before offering a full-time position.

Based on a 2014 survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, nearly 65 percent of employers made full-time offers to their interns and more than 79 percent of those interns accepted.

Additionally, whether updating your social media presence, working with advanced technical skills or providing valuable input on your business operations, interns give as much as they get.

While gaining experience and providing a fresh perspective, they can also provide much needed support with day-to-day operations.

While having an internship program can be a tremendous asset to your business, there are a few things you will want to avoid.

For starters, when you hire an intern you are taking on a mentee. It is extremely important that you and/or the team member that is supervising the intern have the time and the desire to be a mentor. The main reason for the internship is for the student to gain professional experience under the guidance of a seasoned professional.

Without the mentoring aspect the experience is simply a summer job.

Which brings me to my next point – you must create a structured program for your intern. Contrary to popular belief, interns aren’t an alternative to hiring a part-time employee or cheap labor. Having a plan and a well thought out position description before launching your program allows applicants for your internship to know if the program will serve their needs and will help you determine the applicants that will be the best fit for your company’s needs.

All in all, if done right, an internship program can be a tremendous asset to

your small business. If you need assistance creating and launching your internship program, please contact us!

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.

Pulse surveys keep employees feeling engaged

By Kelsey Morrow Ironically, in an era when we are constantly surrounded by communication devices, business communication is at an all time low.

According to a recent Gallup poll, only 17 percent of workers feel that open communication exists within their company.

As millennials, a generation that values communication, are beginning to enter the workforce, many businesses are trying to find ways to create open communication among all levels of a business.

One way which has presented itself is the pulse survey. Pulse surveys are a series of questions administered to employees on a regular

basis to monitor their opinions about the company or certain practices within the company.

Pulse surveys can be effective, if utilized correctly.

Here are some tips on how to get the most out of surveying your employees.

Do: • Do issue surveys regularly rather than once a year. Receiving feedback can help your company decide in realtime if new practices and procedures are being wellreceived by your employees. They can also help you recognize potential problems early.

• Allow employees to be open with their feedback. Employees that are provided with an opportunity to voice their opinion will

feel like a more valuable asset to the business. It has also been proven that engaged employees will take more pride in their work and be more likely to go above and beyond what is required of them.

Don’t: • Don’t issue surveys too often and with too many questions. Make sure that the questions that are being asked are necessary.

Long surveys begin to feel like a chore. Survey-fatigued employees will be less inclined to provide detailed, useful responses. Also avoid repetition and make sure that questions are relevant to your employees’ work.

• Don’t ignore responses. Survey responses alone will not make changes in

your company. If you issue surveys, make sure that you are willing to actually listen to the feedback and try to implement useful suggestions.

Ignoring appropriate responses will not only make employees less inclined to provide honest feedback on future surveys, but it will also create the negative effect of feeling ignored. Ignored employees are the opposite of engaged employees in that they will be less likely to take pride in their work if they feel as though their contribution to the business is being overlooked.

Pulse surveys might be the communication tool that your company is looking for if you use them responsibly and effectively.

Christ Community Health plans renovations to help more people Christ Community Health Services Augusta announced that renovations on the second and third floors of the Anne Boardman Widows Home will begin in May. The expansion includes a physical therapy suite and patient education center on the second floor. The third floor will house an eight-chair dental clinic.

More than $1.5 million was raised during a capital campaign to fund the project.

“This campaign was truly a community

52 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

wide effort,” Executive Director Jeff Drake said. “We’re grateful for all of the friends whose donations made this possible. God continues to demonstrate that He is the great provider.”

Medical Director Robert Campbell, MD, added, “It will be a huge blessing to our patients to offer these additional services.”

Christ Community began offering dental care and physical therapy on a limited basis in 2013. Completing the second and

third floors of the Widows Home will provide the capacity to significantly expand their services. The patient education center will be used to offer workshops and seminars for the entire community.

The Widows Home, constructed in 1887, stands on the site where both University Hospital and the Medical College of Georgia were established. The facility was donated to Christ Community by Clay Boardman in 2007 and opened as a health center

in 2011.

Founded in 2007, Christ Community Health Services Augusta operates two primary care health centers in downtown Augusta for the uninsured and the underserved.

Christ Community’s mission is “to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and to demonstrate His love by providing quality, affordable primary health care to the underserved.”

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Career and Education Missie Usry

Money Grabber

Take time to search for ‘free money’ to pay for college For college students, the process of applying for financial aid can be confusing and overwhelming. How does one apply for financial aid? What are the different types of aid out there? What information does a student need to apply?

Here are some tips, websites and guidelines for successfully completing the financial aid application process.

It is important to understand the types of financial aid available before completing an application. All forms of financial aid can be divided into two basic categories: money that you will have to pay back and money that you don’t have to pay back. Federal and private loans fall under the first category, indicated by the use of the term

“loan.” However, scholarships, federal and state grants, and federal workstudy funds fall under the category of money that is awarded or earned based on certain criteria.

As a student, it’s best to maximize the money you don’t have to pay back, or ‘”free money,” and minimize the use of loans. This will allow you to graduate with the least amount of debt after earning your degree. Keep in mind that this means an investment of time to search for scholarships and to complete the necessary steps to apply for those scholarships.

When completing the FAFSA (Federal Application for Federal Student Aid), keep in mind that students under the age of 24 are required to include their parents’ income information when applying for federal financial aid.

This regulation applies to all students unless serving in the military, married, or are living independently with a child. Be sure to have copies of W-2s and tax returns when completing the application.

To apply for federal aid, students need to complete the FAFSA, found online at fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA is used to calculate your EFC, or Expected Family Contribution, which colleges will use to determine the amount of aid you are awarded.

Applying for various State of Geor-

gia grants, such as Hope Grant, Hope Scholarship, Zell Miller Scholarship, Hope GED Grant and any other State of Georgia-specific grants, to be used in a Georgia college, a student can apply at GACollege411.org. The website is designed to assist in planning for college.

Students can use many tools on this website or can navigate to the Financial Planning portion of the site to apply for grants.

Additional financial aid may be available through college or university financial aid offices, and through nonprofit or private organizations in the

community. There are many online search tools, such as fastweb.com, bigfuture.com, and salliemae.com/planfor-college/scholarships, which can help locate these additional forms of aid. High school guidance counselors are also a great resource for locating scholarship and grant opportunities.

Missie Usry is Enrollment Manager, holding an MBA in Marketing, and heads up Georgia Military College’s Augusta campus Admissions department. The Admissions department is responsible for enrollment, marketing, public relations, and recruiting activities.

Several AU programs ranked among best in nation Several of Augusta University’s graduate and professional programs are among the top in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 Best Graduate Schools rankings released Wednesday.

The report shows the College of Nursing, with the state’s flagship programs, ranks in the top 10 for its Clinical Nurse Leader program and remains in the top 50 among the report’s Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs for the second year in a row. Additionally, the college’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program, Nursing Anesthesia program and Master of Science in Nursing program were also ranked among the top 100 in the nation.

“These rankings reflect a growing awareness of Augusta University and the College

of Nursing’s excellence in advanced nursing education,” said Dr. Lucy N. Marion, dean of the College of Nursing. “We continue to invest in a new generation of faculty, partnerships, technologies, joint degree programs, and of course, new cohorts of bright and motivated students.”

The Medical College of Georgia, the state’s public medical school, continued a steady climb in the best medical schools for research, ranking 73rd this year – 76th last year – in the U.S. News and World Report comparison of 116 medical schools in the nation who responded to the survey.

Despite National Institutes of Health research funding rates that are flat or declining at many medical schools, MCG faculty funding and comparative rankings continue

a steady upward trajectory, said Dr. Peter F. Buckley, MCG dean. As an example, MCG funding from this gold standard for biomedical research in the U.S. was up 16.3 percent from the previous year to $50.8 million. MCG has a total of $99 million in grants and contracts. University wide, research grants and contracts topped $109 million in fiscal year 2015, their highest level in more than five years.

A recent report by the Association of American Medical Colleges ranked MCG scientists 20th in research productivity among 58 of the nation’s public medical schools responding to a survey. And, the medical school was listed 70th in the new Blue Ridge Rankings of the NIH funding among 138 of the nation’s medical schools

included in the NIH’s databases.

“The research faculty of the Medical College of Georgia are clearly among the most productive scientists in this nation,” said Buckley. “They are relentlessly focused on better understanding how our bodies and brains function, as well as dissecting diseases that impact most of us, including cardiovascular and neurological disease and cancers.”

Each year, U.S. News releases ranking information on academic programs in business, law, education, engineering, medicine and nursing. The report scores each of these curriculums based on a number of factors, including employment rates for graduates, starting salary, and standardized test scores of newly enrolled students.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Augusta University graduate student Amy Paschall with the Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award to fund her research on cancer immunotherapy. She is the only student at the university to receive the prestigious grant.

“I am very honored to have been chosen for this award because it provides me with the opportunity to study this advance form of cancer and join the efforts in finding a

cure,” Paschall said.

Since January, Paschall has been using a more cost-effective mouse therapy model for treating stage 4 breast cancer. Her orthotopic approach involves transplanting breast tumors in mammary fat pads that result in rapid cell growth, mimicking stage 4 breast cancer in humans.

This realistic outcome coincides with current research that shows patients with this disease often die as a result of cancer

cells quickly spreading to other organs.

Frequently in breast cancer—as well as many other forms of cancer—the antitumor part of the immune system is prevented from functioning normally, thus promoting tumor growth. Paschall’s project involves trying to understand how these important immune cells are regulated and how to overcome immune inhibition.

Paschall said she hopes her research will also shed light on how chemotherapy and

immunotherapeutic drugs affect the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. She hopes her findings will lead to a more effective therapy to treat stage 4 breast cancer.

Although Paschall’s research will be completed over the next year, a portion of her work has already been featured in various publications including the Journal of Immunology.

Paschall is a graduate student in the Medical College of Georgia’s doctoral program in biochemistry and cancer biology.

Student wins national health award for cancer research

54 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

Lack of sleep can affect employee performance Losing even one hour a night can have cumulative effect

By Kelsey Morrow It’s 3 p.m. and you yawn as your lack of sleep last night catches up with you, so you reach for some coffee or an energy drink to make it through the afternoon.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

According to a recent study by the Better Sleep Council, 82 percent of American adults say they have trouble sleeping at least one night per week, and American adults as a whole spend more than $5 billion annually on coffee, soft drinks, energy drinks and other ways to stay alert.

So how can you combat this chronic tiredness?

“The first thing that people can do to fight sleep deprivation is to get the recommended amount of sleep,” Penny Mehaffey of the Augusta University Health Sleep Center said. “The standard recommendation for adults is seven to nine hours of sleep a night.”

While this recommendation has stayed the same for several years, people may not realize that missing even as little as an hour of sleep per night can have a large effect on your productivity.

“Sleep debt can accumulate rather

quickly and have a large impact,” Mehaffey said.

Getting six hours of sleep per night may not seem like a big deal because it’s only one hour below the recommended amount.

However, over the span of a week, that missing hour per night adds up to seven missed hours of sleep per week, or an entire missed night of sleep every week.

So what are some ways to make those seven to nine hours easier to reach?

• Put down the devices. “Divorce yourself from your electronic devices 30 minutes before you want to go to sleep,” Mehaffey said. “Devices like television, smart phones and laptops give off blue light which tricks your brain into thinking that it’s time to be awake.”

• Get some exercise. Exercise during the day can help release pent-up energy and make sleeping at night easier. However, Mehaffey said to avoid strenuous exercise a few hours before bedtime because this can have the opposite effect and make sleep more difficult.

• Avoid caffeine and stimulants too close to bed time. “We recommend stopping coffee and energy drink consumption at 3

p.m.,” Mehaffey said. “This gives your body time to process that caffeine and get it out of your system before bed.”

Since rested employees are more effective employees, there are also a few things that employers can do to help their employees get enough rest.

• Avoid requiring swing shift work. “The body thrives on routine,” Mehaffey said.

“Switching shifts throws off your circadian

rhythm and can make it harder to get to sleep.”

• Nap time. Several international businesses have started letting employees take afternoon naps. A 15-30 minute nap can allow the brain to refresh and increase productivity.

“A nap is more beneficial for productivity than two extra cups of coffee,” Mehaffey said.

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Small businesses consider retirement plans A recent survey of U.S. small business owners reveals contradictory views on the retirement preparedness of the country’s workers – yet offers an optimistic economic outlook for the next two years.

An overwhelming majority of SBOs believe that the country is in the midst of a retirement crisis. The online study, commissioned by Nationwide and conducted by Harris Poll, found that 84 percent of small business owners believe American workers are facing a retirement readiness crisis.

However, 60 percent of SBOs believe that their own employees are on track to retire.

Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of small business owners say it’s important for a business owner to provide retirement benefits, but, in reality, only a third (34 percent) of small business owners offer these benefits to their employees.

Small businesses play an outsized role in helping workers prepare for retirement.

Consider this: According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses make up 99.7 percent of all employers, employ nearly 50 percent of all private-sector workers (48.5 percent) and create 63 percent of the net new private-sector jobs in the country.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and keep our communities moving forward,” said Joe Frustaglio, vice president and leader of private sector retirement plan sales at Nationwide. “All workers deserve access to retirement savings options, and it is evident that we’ve reached a point in this country where people are starting to pay attention to the fact that a retirement savings problem exists. Employers need to provide access and education, and workers need to take advantage of what’s available to them.”

Help is on the way Workers should have hope that their retirement-readiness outlook will improve.

Of the SBOs who offer retirement benefits, including 401(k) plans, to their employees, 67 percent say they plan to increase their company contribution to employees’ 401(k) plan. Of the SBOs who do not currently of-

fer retirement benefits, 30 percent say they plan to offer these benefits in the future. If that happens, then more than half (54 percent) of SBOs will offer their employees retirement benefits.

A positive economic outlook is a driving force behind this. Half of SBOs who plan to start offering retirement benefits say they will do so because they expect sales or revenue to increase in the next 12 to 24 months (50 percent), and 32 percent believe the U.S. economy will improve in the same timeframe.

Small business owners who currently offer 401(k) plans and say they will increase contributions have an even more positive outlook: 56 percent expect company sales or revenue to increase in the next 12 to 24 months, and 53 percent believe the U.S. economy will improve in that same period.

“In spite of recent market volatility, economic indicators are pointing toward continued growth for the U.S. economy in 2016,” said David Berson, senior vice president and chief economist at Nationwide.

“Small business owners should see Main Street benefit from the economic stability that we’ve enjoyed during the last few years.”

Affordable Care Act: Making its impact The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is indirectly affecting workers’ retirement preparedness.

Of SBOs who plan to offer retirement benefits in the future, 25 percent say the ACA has made health benefits less attractive to employees, and 18 percent say the ACA has decreased company health care costs.

Of SBOs who currently offer retirement benefits and plan to increase company contributions to their employees’ 401(k) plans, 33 percent say the ACA has made health care benefits less attractive to employees, and 30 percent say the ACA has decreased the company’s health care costs.

“Lower health care costs means small business owners have the option of contributing more to their employees’ retirement,” said Frustaglio.

As the ACA makes health care benefits less relevant to small business employees,

business owners have to find a new way to recruit and retain employees. There is mounting evidence that 401(k) plans are filling that role.

Among small business owners, 59 percent disagree that retirement benefits are not important for attracting and retaining employees. More than two in five (42 percent) of small business owners who said they plan to increase contributions agree their company’s 401(k) plan is now more important for attracting and retaining employees as a result of the ACA. Similarly, about one-quarter (24 percent) of small business owners who will offer retirement benefits in the future say their company’s 401(k) plan is now more important for attracting and retaining employees because of the ACA. “As the health care insurance marketplace becomes more commoditized, employers are looking for new tools to attract and retain key employees,” said Frustaglio.

“Employers who are using 401(k) plans as a recruitment tool are ahead of the game because we’re seeing more company owners asking how they can do this.”

Access to 401(k) plans Small business owners who are not currently offering a 401(k) plan to their employees should talk to a financial advisor about finding a plan that’s right for their employees and business. A vast majority, 80 percent, of small business owners say they cannot compete with a Fortune 500 company’s benefits, and nearly half, 48 percent, feel they could afford a customized 401(k) plan to meet their small business needs.

“Small companies not being competitive with large corporations in terms of employee benefits is just not true in today’s world,” said Frustaglio. “No matter the size of the business, from one with 33,000 associates like Nationwide to the corner grocery store, today’s 401(k) plans allow for customization and access to the same options with the same tools for all employees.”

Frustaglio recommends that small business owners who already offer retirement benefits to their employees should do a plan review every year with their advisor. The review should include an analysis of the plan’s components and investment options for their employees.

According to the annual SunTrust Banks, Inc. Business Pulse Survey, there is a significant shift in the growth strategies of middle-market and small businesses as they move forward with plans to fuel expansion in the next five years.

Thirty-six percent of middle market companies with annual revenue of $10-150 million are exploring mergers and acquisitions, up from 25 percent in 2015; while 41 percent of small businesses with annual revenue of $2-10 million plan to introduce a new product or service, up from 31 percent.

In a further shift, 29 percent of middle market companies are now looking to expand into international markets, while 32 percent of small businesses are looking domestically to grow their business.

“Leaders are optimistic, with more than

80 percent saying their businesses are strong and they are confident about their company’s finances. Along with the belief that capital is accessible, this is changing the way companies are approaching growth over the next five years,” said Beau Cummins, commercial and business banking executive at SunTrust. “We see interest in M&A on the upswing for middle market companies and plans to grow organically significantly decreasing. We also found that growth through bank or private equity funding is anticipated by both sectors.”

Looking toward the future, actions planned for the next five years also include product innovation, capital investment and expanding to new consumer or business segments.

Top business goals for 2016 include grow-

ing profitability (27 percent) or revenue (25 percent), increasing customer satisfaction (21 percent), and investing for future growth and expansion (19 percent); and 80 percent of business leaders feel confident they will achieve their goals. Middle market and small businesses are also focused on attracting and retaining employees, which was cited as a top concern.

SunTrust found that small business leaders are most concerned about uncertainty in the economy (68 percent), changes in the healthcare laws (68 percent), cash flow stability (66 percent) and employee morale (65 percent). Mid-market business leaders’ concerns also include fraud protection and cyber security (72 percent).

“Today’s business leaders expect their banker to have a deep understanding of

their industry. They want help developing short and long-term financial plans coupled with impactful strategies to achieve their goals,” said Cummins. “They are looking for a partner who can provide day-to-day solutions to manage interest rates, working capital, and cash flow while still helping to manage their evolving needs – transition planning, employee benefit planning, M&A advisory or wealth management. At SunTrust, we offer the critical support to help businesses feel confident to pursue their growth objectives.”

Decision-makers representing 508 small and mid-size businesses participated in the SunTrust/Radius Global Market Research online survey. Total survey results have a maximum margin of error of +/- 4.35 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Optimism about capital changes business growth strategies

58 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

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Upcoming Business Events

Friday, April 22

Thursday, April 28

Business Academy: The Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship, University of South Carolina Aiken, 471 University Parkway, Business and Education Building, Rm. 140, Aiken. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. $50.

The Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship training program will show participants how to identify individual strengths, capitalize on their life experience and create a thriving business. They will also be presented with valuable insights into the world of entrepreneurship, and the practical knowledge that’s required to conquer the challenge of business ownership. AikenChamber.net SCORE-How Social Media Can Affect Your Business, Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce, 121 Richland Avenue, East Aiken. 9:30-11 a.m. Topics to be discussed during this workshop will include: top social media trends for 2016, new Facebook features for 2016, social media commerce and live streaming content. To register, visit https://events. r20.constantcontact.com/register/even tReg?oeidk=a07ecdoleo8669cb163&os eq=&c=&ch=

Business After Hours presented by the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, University Prompt Care – Silver Bluff, 1021 Silver Bluff Rd, Aiken. 5-7 p.m.

Business After Hours provides 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.

Aikenchamber.net Successful Superwoman’s Luncheon presented by the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, The Double Tree Hotel, 2651 Perimeter Pkwy, Augusta. 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. This year’s Superwoman’s event will feature five speakers with Shaunti Feldhahn as the keynote speaker during the luncheon.

Feldhahn, best-selling author of For Women Only, will speak on “Leading Well as a Woman.” Business Woman and Administrative Professional of the Year will be awarded during the luncheon portion of the event. The morning portion will highlight four speakers who will share their testimony and encouraging messages for women in the workplace. For information about registration and admission fees, visit columbiacountychamber.com

Saturday, April 23 Ribbon Cutting: Tractor Supply, 195 Edgewood Drive, North Augusta. 8-9 a.m. northaugustachamber.org.

Tuesday, April 26 Networking Night, Organically You LLC, 155 Edgefield Road, North Augusta. Networking, 4-6 p.m. Free for members; $10 for non-members. Professionals are invited to utilize Networking at Night as an opportunity to discuss and share ideas in a relaxed, social atmosphere. Northaugustachamber.org

Wednesday, April 27 Ribbon Cutting: Augusta Flooring 25th Business Anniversary, 202 Bobby Jones Expressway (Located next to Salsa’s Mexican Restaurant). 11 a.m.noon. Columbiacountychamber.com SCORE Seminar: How to Develop a Business Plan, Southern Wesleyan University Business Technology Center, 802 East Martintown Road, Suite 101, North Augusta. 9:30-11:30 a.m. A free workshop discussing topics such as the elements of a business plan including customer insights and knowledge, competition and pricing, marketing, financing and cash flow. Northaugustachamber.org

60 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

Friday, April 29 Hour of Empowerment, Jameson Suites, 1062 Claussen Road, Augusta.

7-8 p.m. $10 per person. Unlock your potential, write your vision and participate in networking with great people. Refreshments will be served.

Registration is required. For more information, visit eventbrite.com/e/ hour-of-empowerment-tickets21722338098?aff=ebrowse

Monday, May 2 Candidates Forum presented by the Columbia County Chamber, Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Theater at the Columbia County Library, 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd., Evans. 5:15-6 p.m., Meet and greet; 6-8 p.m., program. The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and the Columbia County NewsTimes will host a Candidates Forum for the State House District 123 and the State Senate District 24 seats. Each candidate will have two minutes to make an opening statement. A representative

from the Columbia County News-Times and a member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors will each ask the candidates questions. Answers will be limited to two minutes. The candidates will then have two minutes to make closing statements. If time allows, written questions from the audience may be asked.

Columbiacountychamber.com

Wednesday, May 4 Business Academy – Business Intelligence & Competitive Analysis, University of South Carolina Aiken, 471 University Parkway, Business and Education Building Rm. 140, Aiken. $35 per person. This seminar will expose participants to a variety of operational and strategic considerations that drive the business intelligence process, as well as practical insights for advanced research techniques that form the core of effective competitive analysis. Skilled research allows business professionals to better understand customer behaviors and execute fact-based decisions, thereby increasing the probability of achieving maximal competitive advantage while simultaneously mitigating unforeseen risks. Additional benefits to participants employing this research process include improving operational efficiency and reducing waste and increasing revenue and profitability.

Aikenchamber.net Membership 101, Columbia County Chamber Office, 1000 Business Blvd, Evans. 8:30 a.m.- 9:30 a.m. Informative meeting for new Chamber members current members wanting a refresher course. Each month there will be a one-hour class on the Chamber website. For more information, visit columbiacountychamber.com

Friday, May 6 First Friday Means Business, Newberry Hall, 117 Newberry Street, SW, Aiken. 7:30- 9 a.m. $18 per person.

This event features a keynote speaker who addresses issues of interest to the business community. First Friday Means Business includes city, county, chamber and sponsor talks, and also allows for attendee networking. Aikenchamber.net

Saturday, May 7 GoodBoats for Goodwill: Paddling for a Purpose, Lake Olmstead, 2200 Broad Street, Augusta. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Free admission. This day of family fun features dragon boat races, food

and various vendors, children’s activities and more. To sponsor, volunteer, paddle or be a vendor call 706-6505760 or goodboats@goodwillworks. org Proceeds benefit Helms College.

For more information visit our website, goodboats.org.

Tuesday, May 10 Post-Legislative Breakfast presented by the Columbia County Chamber, Savannah Rapids Pavilion, 3300 Evans to Locks Rd, Martinez. 7:30-8 a.m., Breakfast and Networking; 8-9 a.m., Program. Free for members; $25 for non-members. Keynote Speaker: Commissioner Gretchen Corbin, Technical College System of Georgia. ColumbiaCountyChamber.com

Wednesday, May 11 Business Academy – Mastering Business Negotiation Strategies, University of South Carolina Aiken, 471 University Parkway, Business and Education Building, Rm. 140, Aiken. 8 a.m.-noon. $35 per person. This training seminar will provide valuable insights such as negotiating from a position of weakness, overcoming resistance and strategies to employ when negotiation stalls of fails. Participants will be exposed to strategies that help them recognize that negotiation is an ongoing process of exploration that demands continuous learning, adapting and influencing.

Aikenchamber.net

Friday, May 13 Ribbon Cutting: Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA, 4019 Gateway Blvd, Grovetown. 8:309:30 a.m. columbiacountychamber.com

Saturday, May 14 Free Shred Event, The Cleveland Group, 3740 Executive Center Dr, Martinez. 8-11 a.m. Companies can bring their sensitive documents for shredding. Columbiacountychamber.com

Monday, May 23 Chamber After Hours presented by the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, Gerald Jones Auto Group, 4022 Washington Road, Martinez. 5-7 p.m. An after-hours event designed for members to meet and build relationships with other business people of small to large companies and organizations in the Columbia County area.

Columbiacountychamber.com

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Business Lunch Review Whiskey Bar Kitchen Susan O’Keefe

The Whiskey Bar Kitchen is located at 1048 Broad Street, Augusta. Their website is whiskeybarkitchen.com

Bar None

Whiskey Bar Kitchen perfect place for business lunch It has a bit of an eclectic atmosphere with the scent of aged whiskey barrels complimenting innovative pub grub. There are GenXers mingling with Millennials. Medical professionals in scrubs dine and dash. Lawyers linger.

Businessmen and women savor conversation even walking from booth to booth to lay a little groundwork for a potential future deal.

The Whiskey Bar Kitchen presents a perfect place to mingle with co-workers or casually discuss commerce.

From the adventurous high booths to the long wooden bar, the space is warm and inviting. During my recent hour and a half lunch break, I enjoyed watching customers converse. The friendliness was contagious and supported a thriving hospitable atmosphere.

Within seconds of being seated, my colleague and I were greeted by our server. She introduced herself as Tera and was quick to deliver a menu overview, market the specials and even answer our questions regarding the restaurant, its owners, and a bit of history.

After careful inspection, we chose a couple of burgers for lunch. My colleague chose the Cali burger, topped with avocado, sweet cucumber, tomato, applewood smoked bacon, fresh jalapeno and provolone, served with a citrus aioli on a toasted French roll.

I chose a veggie burger with the toppings of romaine, red onions and tomatoes.

There’s an assortment of interesting items on the Whiskey Bar Kitchen menu. Included in the price of our burgers was a choice of sides: waffle fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings or seasonal fresh veggies. We sampled the fries and the veggies.

A crisp house salad also made its way to our table. We chose the misoginger vinaigrette dressing which was unbelievably delicious. Tera touted the dressing’s popularity and it did not disappoint. I even dipped my sautéed veggies in the miso dressing. Fabulous!

Most lunch items carry a $10-$15 price tag. Portions are generous. Some

might even be considered heavy so consider taking half home for dinner.

Unique menu items include the barnyard pimp nuggs, wings, and the pork belly and slaw taco. Those are all small plates and fall in the $5-$8 range.

Again, there are several options and from our perspective, any choice would be a good one.

Several televisions displayed sports or news shows. Since the volume was muted, the audio was not a factor. If business people were meeting at the Whiskey Bar Kitchen, noise would not be an issue. Most booths are secluded, which provides an additional barrier

Loop HR Advisors celebrates 1 year Loop Human Resource Advisors, an Augusta-based staffing and recruiting firm, is celebrating its one-year anniversary. Loop offers a full range of human resource services including professional recruitment, contingent staffing and HR Advisory services.

“Our primary goal is to take the work off our client’s desk and put it on ours,” said cofounder Jason Kennedy. “We look at each client individually and tailor our approach based on their needs.”

Loop was founded by Charlie Wall Sr., Charlie Wall Jr. and Kennedy. Charlie Wall Sr. serves in an advisory and business development capacity, while his son Charlie Wall Jr. and Kennedy oversee the day-to-day operations of the company.

The three were joined in October 2015 by Donald King. King brings nearly 10 years of project management and technology consulting experience to the team.

“Our first year in business has been a lot of fun and a lot of hard work,” Wall Jr. said. “We knew going in that we would have to face challenges but for the most part

62 Buzz on Biz April 21—May 18, 2016

we’ve been very lucky. We found success quickly and have built on that over the last year. We’re very proud that we’ve made it a year as a small business and are very excited about year two and beyond.”

The entrepreneurial spirit runs strong in the founders’ families.

“This is something that we’ve both always wanted to do,” Wall Jr. said. “It was a big decision to leave our corporate jobs and step out on our own. Aside from that, our experience and skill set was a perfect marriage and most importantly, the time was right.”

Loop credits its first-year success to one goal – 100 percent client satisfaction.

From filling a high-level, hard-to-fill position to helping clients work through simple HR issues, the Loop team wants the client to be happy with their work. Every employee holds themselves to a high standard and that shows in the process and results.

The company’s strong focus on technology and IT differentiates it from other local firms.

“Our approach is very different from oth-

er larger companies in the area because we don’t have layers of personnel working with a client,” Kennedy said. “You will deal with one single point of contact throughout the process, from start to finish. We’ve taken the job description of your typical recruiter and redefined it.”

Over the past year, Loop has helped numerous businesses with staffing and recruiting, talent analytics, compensation studies, HR policy review, succession planning, and training and development. Loop has also helped a variety of clients streamline their recruiting strategy by utilizing new software and best practices.

We are really excited to help more businesses in the area,” said Kennedy. “Augusta is growing and we want to help accelerate that growth. There is a lot of talent in Augusta and it’s important that we help our local friends and neighbors when these new companies come to town. It’s extremely rewarding when we find the perfect match between a candidate and company. We know that we’re changing someone’s life with every offer we extend.”

and enables private discussions.

Tera continued to check on us and provided excellent service. Since we sat near the front of the restaurant, we noticed the steady stream of customers entering every few minutes. The hostess certainly earned her pay that day.

For a casual business lunch or entertaining out-of-town clients, Whiskey Bar Kitchen provides quality food, service and atmosphere. Patrons might drop a few more lunch dollars than usual, but if a deal is sealed, then the investment will pay for itself. That’s called good business sense.

Capital group to fund lower middle market

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has joined Georgia based JAM Capital Partners to raise a new $100 million fund to invest in fast growing and innovative businesses in the Southeast. JAM Capital Partners is a private investment partnership that makes majority and minority investments in lower middle market growth companies.

John McCallum, Managing Partner of JAM Capital Partners, launched the firm in 2010 and believes that the Southeast provides unique advantages for investors seeking to invest in fast growing businesses. The lower middle market, typically businesses with annual revenue of $5 million to $25 million, is underserved by private investment capital.

JAM Capital Partners expects to begin making new investments immediately and plans to close the $100 million fund by the end of 2016.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Canal still drawing people to Augusta Tourism, not mills, now the big draw

By Kelsey Morrow “If you build it, they will come.”

Long before Field of Dreams, this described Henry Cumming’s plans for the Augusta Canal. Now more than 170 years later, people are still coming, albeit for a different reason.

In the early 1840s, Augusta’s population was shrinking and Cumming knew that something had to be done to draw business interest back to the city.

The answer? The construction of the Augusta Canal.

“The Augusta Canal was like an early industrial spec project,” Rebecca Rogers, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Augusta Canal, said. “The objective was to attract manufacturing and employment opportunities to the area.”

At the time, the South was an agrarian society that relied on England and the northern states for manufacturing. While the idea of building a canal to power mills similar to those found up north was unpopular at the time, Cumming saw a tremendous business opportunity.

His gamble paid off. The construction of the canal and, subsequently, several textile mills, created a need for workers which caused the population and economy to surge.

The canal also made Augusta stand out from other southern cities. When the Civil War began, the presence of the canal and mills led to Augusta being chosen as a crucial manufacturing hub for the Confederacy. And several decades later, in 1920, the

canal allowed Augusta to become the first southern city to have electricity.

While the last of Augusta’s mills ceased operation in 1983, the Augusta canal still serves Cumming’s original goal of driving visitors to Augusta.

“More than 50 percent of our visitors come from out of the Augusta area,” Rogers said. Tourism polls consistently list the Augusta Canal in the top three attractions to visit in the Augusta area.

Canal celebrating National Park Week

The Augusta Canal will help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service with activities on April 23. The Canal is a National Heritage Area, part of the National Park Service.

The activities on April 23 will take place at the new Augusta Canal Lake Olmstead trailhead. The day begins at 9 a.m. with a waterside yoga class.

There will also be fun family games, Augusta Canal logo goodies, maps and gifts.

Enter to win a family 4-pack of Canal tour tickets. Information will be available about

the Canal’s new trails and representatives from Subaru, national partner of the National Park Service centennial, will be on hand. You can also find out how you can volunteer or join the Augusta Canal Keepers.

Plus, in honor of National Park Service Week April 19-24, all that week admission is free at the Augusta Canal Discovery Center at Enterprise Mill.

For more information, call 706-8230440 ext. 8 or email to support@augustacanal.com.

“The Canal was never built with recreation in mind, but when you put people next to a body of water, they are going to find a way to enjoy it,” Rogers said.

The Augusta Canal is perhaps best known for its various Petersburg boat tours. Heritage and Civil War boat tours are both available all year long, and provide guests with stories about Augusta’s historic landmarks.

During the spring and fall months a music cruise, the only one of its kind in Georgia, provides guests with a variety of live music from blues to bluegrass.

The canal tow path, which was once filled with mule and oxen transporting shipments of cotton, has now become a popular recreational trail.

In addition to retrofitting the existing trails for recreational purposes, the Augusta Canal Authority is adding new purpose-built trails to increase the recreational opportunities.

“We’re doing our best to try to expand,” Rogers said. “And some pretty major improvements are coming.”

The most recent of these improvements has been the opening of the Lake Olmstead trail head. Although it has been an unoffi-

cial entrance to the canal trail for years, it now possesses some new amenities, such as a picnic pavilion, an information kiosk, restrooms, and an 8-foot-long map of the entire canal to make it more visitor-friendly.

Future expansion plans include the addition of a new trailhead near the Kroc Center as well as connecting the trail all the way into downtown Augusta and the river walk area, to hopefully encourage economic activity downtown similar to North Augusta’s Greeneway expansion.

In addition to expansions, the Augusta Canal Authority will be holding several events this year as well.

In honor of National Park Week and the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, the Augusta Canal Authority will be hosting an event Saturday, April 23 at the Lake Olmstead trail head. Also, plans are underway for a November event to celebrate the Augusta Canal’s 20th anniversary as a National Heritage Area in partnership with the National Park Service.

For more information about upcoming events and future expansion plans, visit AugustaCanal.com.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Good Spirits Ben Casella

At the Hop

Trip west gives writer new appreciation for IPAs OK. I’m fully aware that everyone’s a hophead these days, which I have historically described as one who enjoys the accentuation of the most bitter part of a beer. I am also aware that part of being a good human is having a certain allegiance with reason. That being said, I, as a reasonable individual, reserve the right to change a particular opinion, whether that opinion is political, religious or both (as in taste in beer).

So, before delving inescapably into some sort of hoppy manifesto (which I do not intend to do), let me take a moment to say that I have added the IPA (and hoppier facsimiles, thereof) to my rotation. Further, I can assure you

Screening Room Samantha Taylor

In the Summertime Not all summer movies on Netflix are a hot idea Summer is right around the corner, folks! I can’t wait until it’s time to slip on my flip flops and walk down a sandy beach with a cold drink in my hand. Until then, I decided I would see what type of summer films Netflix has to offer. Type “summer” into the search box and you’ll get plenty of options to choose from. Here are the three I decided to give a try.

Wet Hot American Summer I knew from reading the description that this would not be the type of film I usually watch. It went largely unnoticed in 2001, but has since become a cult classic, with Netflix creating a series based on the movie. Plus, it’s been popping up on my recommendations list for a while, so I figured now was the time.

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that this augmentation of opinion has everything to do with a recent family trip to my bride’s birthplace of Boulder, Colo. Nil sine Numine.

Titan IPA – The Great Divide Brewing Company is near the top of my list for craft breweries (mainly because of their Yeti Imperial Stout). Titan IPA comes in around 7% ABV, so, it doesn’t pack the punch of a Yeti, but it’ll still give you something to think about (namely, your Uber app).

A hazy pour yields a thick white head that laces nicely as you sip. Malts are evident early on the tongue, but the expected translation into a bitter finish dries before it’s time for more.

Titan IPA has less of a linger than many IPAs I’ve had, and I rank it as one of the tastiest from this particular craft that I have had in quite some time. Try it with soft tacos (fish or chicken).

Deviant Dale’s IPA – You may have heard of Oskar Blues Grill and Brew because of their wildly popular Dale’s Pale Ale and Ten FIDY (both of which are excellent beers). Deviant Dale’s is more of a wicked stepmother than an evil twin to Dale’s Pale Ale. The balance of this IPA is decent, with a slight pull towards the hops in

the end. There exists a floral undertone throughout that would complement a dosa or other Indian dish quite well.

The balance of this brew (which may deter a “true” hophead) came as a welcome to this indecisive lover of most beer crafts, and I would recommend Deviant Dale’s not as an ideal diplomat for IPAs, but rather as a way of having

an IPA and not having to contend with a hoppy bite that keeps biting after you’re done. Try it with pad Thai.

I promise, I tried to watch this movie. For 30 minutes I endured Wet Hot American Summer, but I finally gave up. A film about kids having lots of sex at summer camp just isn’t something I find funny. Even with some great comedians playing roles in the film I did not laugh. Not once.

If you like campy films, you may want to give Wet Hot American Summer a try. I’m in no way recommending it, but I realize some people have a sense of humor much different than mine. Just don’t turn this on anywhere around your kids!

The Perfect Summer After I gave up on Wet Hot American Summer, I opted to go in a different direction. The Perfect Summer is a drama, and a fairly predictable one at that. Jake and his mother move to a surfing town after his dad dies. Jake was happy in Chicago, and living with his grandfather in this unknown town proves to be difficult for him. Then, of course, he meets a surfer girl.

I don’t want to give the entire film away, but you can make a few educated guesses. While The Perfect Summer is a simple film, it’s sweet and faithbased, and you can feel good watching it with your family.

Summer of Blood I’ll be honest. I don’t like horror movies, or any film with lots of blood

and guts. Lucky for me, Summer of Blood is more of a comedy than anything else, even if it is a little bloody.

Summer of Blood follows Eric, a guy with a pretty good life. Unfortunately, he doesn’t appreciate it at all. To be honest, he’s pretty much a jerk.

When his girlfriend proposes to him he declines and she breaks things off.

Left alone on the street, he finds himself face-to-face with a vampire, who turns him into one. If only he had said yes.

This is not your typical vampire film.

I mean, how would an average-guyturned-vampire really get along in today’s society? To start with, he uses his

power of persuasion to convince the landlord to let him live rent-free. Then, he quits his job. Can you blame him?

The sun hurts!

If you can deal with a little gore and a lot of sex, Summer of Blood is a film worth watching. Original storyline, witty dialogue and just enough action.

I was pleasantly surprised and would even watch it again!

Having just been to Colorado with the family, Dr. Ben does not recommend medical cannabis as an effective anti-glaucoma agent. He recognizes its benefits for several other maladies, but he will likely never be prescribing it for glaucoma. (So, stop asking!)

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.

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Humor Nora Blithe

Coming Clean

Writer eschews annual spring cleaning for fresh website Spring! The word absolutely blossoms from the mouth, doesn’t it?

It’s often called a time of rebirth and renewal. It’s the season when flowers and fresh leaves splash a riot of color on the landscape, and televisions commercials star newly hatched chicks.

Wardrobes take on pastel shades that do terrible things to my skin tone. It gives me a sallow hue that makes people gag. Or maybe it’s the yellow snow-like pollen that’s making people gag?

Either way, people are gagging.

People often associate spring as being a time to clean out and freshen up around the house.

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This year, my spring-cleaning was surprisingly sedentary. I’m usually an aggressive cleaner, hungry for germ blood.

“Don’t forget to wipe the bottoms of the window ledges,” I’ve frequently shouted to my husband, Brian, who grudgingly helps me clean.

One year, I decided to clean a room at a time. I had Brian remove all the furniture so I could clean the room from ceiling to floor. I then cleaned the furniture before Brian put it back.

Germs didn’t stand a chance, but on week three of the cleaning process, Brian threatened to divorce me.

I quickly concluded my cleaning, even if it meant the backside of my bookcase still has a cobweb on it.

Call it age, call it wisdom, call it creative inspiration but this year I’ve taken a different approach. Instead of cleaning my house, I’ve cleaned up my web presence.

For the last several weeks, I’ve worked fervently creating a new website, NoraBlithe.com.

Imagine Brian’s relief when he learned that he could go fishing instead of helping me wipe the insides of every book in our collection, page by page.

(In the private pages of this col-

umn that’s read by thousands of people weekly, I confess that I’ve never cleaned the insides of our books, but I like Brian to think that we one day will. It keeps him on his toes.)

The spiffy new NoraBlithe.com will include selections from this column, news, events, a monthly newsletter and content exclusive to subscribers, and it’s all free.

It’s my gift to my readers, as it was my gift to Brian that we didn’t clean the inside of our home from gutter to crawlspace.

Brian has even agreed to write about what it’s like to be the frequent subject

of my column for an upcoming newsletter. (Allegations that I employed the threat of cleaning the insides of books to illicit his cooperation are unsubstantiated. I have no further comment at this time.)

I hope you enjoy both your spring and the new website.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a cobweb I need to eradicate.

Nora Blithe is an Augusta native, an entrepreneur and a syndicated humor columnist.

She lives in Greenville, S.C., with her husband, Brian, and their pets. To read more of her work, get news and information, visitNoraBlithe.com

April 21—May 18, 2016 Buzz on Biz

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Film industry setting records in Georgia The movie industry is having a big impact on Georgia.

Georgia also saw record investment from film and television productions with more than $1.7 billion in direct spending in the state. According to the Motion Picture Association of America, the film and television industry is responsible for more than 79,000 jobs and roughly $4 billion in total wages in Georgia. These are high-quality jobs, with an average salary of nearly $84,000, 75 percent higher than the average salary nationwide.

“The unwavering support from Gov. Deal and our elected officials, by offering a stable and consistent production tax incentive, gives Georgia’s film industry the long term sustainability it needs to continue attracting a record number of productions,” said Chris Carr, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “Our competitive incentive, combined with our diverse landscape, deep talent pool, extensive array of sound stages, community readiness, and the accessibility, are the reason why Georgia is one of the top states for film and television production.”

Georgia-lensed productions generated a record-breaking economic impact of $6 billion during the 2015 fiscal year (July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015).

To ensure Georgia has enough skilled crew to accommodate the growth of this

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industry Gov. Nathan Deal established the Georgia Film Academy. This partnership between the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia was created to help meet the industry’s rising demand.

In January 2016, four inaugural campuses opened at Clayton State University, Columbus State University and Gwinnett Technical College and Pinewood Atlanta Studios with subsequent campuses opening in the coming months.

The Academy offers a two-course certification program specifically designed to provide students with a basic level of onset film production skills, knowledge and experience with film-industry standard organizational structure, professional equipment and on-set procedures through extensive hands-on experience.

“Part of what makes Georgia so attractive to filmmakers is the number of companies and support services that are here to assist their productions,” said

Lee Thomas, Deputy Commissioner of the Georgia Film Office, a division of GDEcD. “Over the past five years hundreds of new companies have located to Georgia to support the industry and we are very appreciative of the contributions they have made, and continue to make to Georgia’s film industry.”

During fiscal year 2015, Georgia was home to 248 feature films; television movies and series; commercials; and music videos that were shot across the state.

Upcoming Movie Releases Georgia-filmed movies to be released in the next few weeks: • Captain America: Civil War starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson, May 6; • The Nice Guys partially filmed in Georgia, starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, May 20 • Scully starring Tom Hanks, Sept. 9 • The Accountant starring Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick and Jon Bernthal, Oct. 7.

Movies Currently in Production Feature films in preproduction or currently in production in Georgia: • Passengers starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt • Baywatch starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron • Fast 8 starring Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 starring Chris Pratt • Thank You for Your Service starring Miles Teller and Amy Schumer.

Television Series A record number of televisions series are being filmed in the state. Television series shot in Georgia: • The Walking Dead, AMC • The Vampire Diaries, CW • Being Mary Jane, BET; • Sleepy Hollow, Fox • Rectify, Sundance • Devious Maids, Lifetime • Powers, PlayStation • Stranger Things, Netflix

Georgia promotes tourism with television campaign Georgia Tourism, a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, launched a spring television broadcast campaign titled “Pretty.Sweet.”

The new television spots showcase the beauty of Georgia and the many destinations that create a unique experience for visitors.

The spots highlight every corner of the state with scenes of iconic destinations and attractions from Georgia’s nine travel regions.

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