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MAY 2013

MAY 2013 ISSUE • THE CSRA’S ONLY BUSINESS MONTHLY PUBLICATION

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Augusta

LOCAL BUSINESS ATTORNEY TAKES ON CITY OF AUGUSTA These opinions are those of THOMAS Scott Hudson and not necessarily those of Buzz on Biz Newspaper or its staff.

Article by Thomas Scott Hudson

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Buzz on Biz, LLC 3740 Executive Center Drive Martinez, Ga 30907

he Augusta procurement department is no stranger to news headlines and now it is the subject of a peer reviewed journal article. Local attorney Robert Mullins has written a scathing near 50 page article in the Public Contract Law Journal produced by George Washington University Law School.

Mullins probably knows more about the city’s purchasing operation than anyone else, and he should since he has successfully sued the procurement department numerous times.

In the article, Mullins makes the case that the Augusta procurement department is riddled with corruption.

While the article is certainly an interesting read, it does not offer anything new. It was a decade that a grand jury all but called the department a criminal enterprise. The grand jury suggested the department be reformed from the ground up. The suggested reforms never happened and the result was millions of dollars the city was forced to pay out in attorney fees and settlements.

What has been the biggest issue is the so-called “materiality provision.” What that term means is that procurement

director Gerry Sams can toss out any bid for any reason. If a company sends in a bid package and one document is not dated properly then it can go in the trash. Employees of the department have been caught tossing bids out for a flaw but accepting other bids with the same flaw.

When a company loses a bid, the process of challenging the denial is so arduous that the company is really left with no other choice than to file suit.

When that happens, the city is then forced to hire attorneys from Atlanta at a premium price to challenge cases they know going in that they are going to lose.

Another form of almost pure fraud practiced by the procurement department was a program known as the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise.

On paper, the DBE was supposed to

assist minority owned businesses in properly submitting bids and encourage

Continued on Page 7

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: SECTION A

Main Business News

SECTION B Training

SECTION C Hospitality

SECTION D South Carolina

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MAY 2013

OUR BIZ COMMUNITY IS GREAT! NEIL GORDON | President, Buzz on Biz LLC

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n this month’s edition, we really spotlight the “heart of Augusta” through its community outreach.

Throughout our pages, we sprinkle in inspiring stories like Summerville Pharmacy’s block party, “Run for Shelter” care of some serious sponsors, efforts to make a “green business” with efforts from Goodwill and the Best Western -and longtime efforts of the Augusta Canal -- now changing the course of some of its initiatives and the name of their visitor center. We also support efforts between the new Home 2 Home Suites and a needed charity in our area -- the Ronald McDonald House.

The “Buzz on Biz” also knows that you love to eat! This month, we spotlight the comeback of the “Snug”, and the birth of “St. Louis Burgers” in a building that has been a bit cursed with food failures. Our mystery foodie, Nola Bon Viveur, continues her “Powerhour” series with a look at a breakfast meeting at the famed Partridge Inn. Finally, we are so excited to welcome Nora Blithe to the Buzz.

She will continue to write her funny, “Life Face First” columns in our sister publication, Verge. She adds-on to her duties with a unique perspective of business and the workplace. She and her husband just moved from Augusta for his career move. I can’t wait to see what Nora writes about in her experiences “looking for work”.

Her first column is a look into how business people can catch more flies with honey!

I also wanted to personally thank Buddy Miller for his efforts to help “Buzz on Biz, LLC” grow throughout the last year. He’ll be beginning a new chapter of his career at Pendarvis Chevrolet -- closer to his home in Edgefield. We first worked together for many years at WAGT. Good luck, Buddy! We are also proud to welcome Kyle W. Evans to our sales team.

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, and two hyperlocal, niche publications, “Buzz on Biz” and “Verge”. To learn more, visit www.buzzon. biz or email neil@buzzon.biz

THE CSRA’S ONLY BUSINESS MONTHLY PUBLICATION

BUZZ ON BIZ • INDUSTRY EXPERTS • WATERCOOLER STORIES • BUSINESS ADVICE • TRENDS

The Buzz on Biz mission: to act as an inspirational tool for those in the workplace and those who are entrepreneurs and to provide useful, practical information to help increase companies’ bottom lines.

To submit editorial content or to order a 12 month subscription mailed to your home or office for $12, mail a check to the address on the bottom of the page Neil R. Gordon: Publisher\Sales Manager (706) 589-6727 Jennifer Pruett: Executive Editor E35 Media: Design and Layout Kyle W. Evans: (706) 288-9957 Dominic Roselli: Sales (518) 878-9937 Christopher Selmek: Senior Writer Melissa Gordon: www.sofiacolton.com, Photography Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and their respective institutions. Neither the Buzz on Biz LLC, or its agents or its employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for informational purposes only.

www.buzzon.biz 3740 Executive Center Drive #300 Martinez, GA 30907

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MAY 2013

The Snug re-opens for lunch

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he Snug Steak and Grill, located at 240 Davis Road, will re-open during lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning on May 14.

“We had to close for a while because of the reconstruction of the road in front of us, and it took people a while to get used to it,” said owner Kay Bentley. “We had a lot of people asking when we were going to re-open for lunch and we hope we’ll get a lot of people stopping by. We’ve been here for 20 years owned by the same family, so I think it’s a place everybody knows and feels comfortable at.”

Lunch is primarily sandwiches, soups and salads, with their famous Snug Burger always available. Regular dinner hours starting at 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with Happy Hour two for one specials available until 7 p.m.

Current seasonal specials include the Steak and Tail, a choice of a 7-ounce Filet, 12-ounce Ribeye or 12-ounce New York Strip Steak served with Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and Drawn Butter, and the Two Lobster Tail Dinner served with the same.

The Snug will also host a special Mother’s Day Brunch May 12 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., which will be a special menu including French Toast with a Cointreaustrawberry compote, eggs benedict, Mimosa and other items.

More information is available at http://thesnug.net.

To make reservations, call The Snug at 706.863.1118.

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MAY 2013

From 2012 event. Photo courtesy: Lorri Moffatt

RUN FOR SHELTER T

Christopher Selmek |

Freelance Writer

he Pollock Company donated $5,000 to the Augusta Rescue Mission, becoming the major sponsor of their upcoming second annual 5K Run for Shelter and contributing to the resident program that helps men find jobs and break the cycles that drive homelessness.

Rusty Marsh, executive director of the Augusta Rescue Mission, describes company owner Joe Pollock as a good friend to the rescue mission who has donated for many years. Other $1,000 level

sponsors include Wells Fargo, the Bert Storey Foundation, Sizemore Security and Larry Murray, a member of the Mission’s board who donates his money as well as his time.

“We’re a faith based 501C3 so we don’t accept any money from the government,” said Marsh. “We receive a lot of our money from churches and businesses in the community, and we couldn’t do it without the individuals who support us.”

Run your biz to sell it!

J.EDWARD ENOCH, J.D. | Business Attorney

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y law practice frequently involves buying and selling businesses.

Through the years, I have spent many hours reviewing contracts, financial statements and various other documents on behalf of buyers evaluating the purchase of a business.

Everyone knows you fix up a car or house before you put it on the

market. I have done this many times myself. When I am done fixing up the car or the house I frequently I wish I had maintained the property in such good condition before I decided to sell. It almost makes me not want to sell.

The same is true for businesses.

When my clients come to me with the desire to sell their business, we first examine what we need to clean up. Are there contracts that need to be renewed or tightened up? Are there key employees who should

The Run for Shelter 5K starts at the Augusta Common May 11, and the $25 early registration fee will help raise money for resident facilities at the Augusta Rescue Mission.

“We’re hoping this race is a catalyst to get funding for the computer lab to help out their job search,” said Marsh. “Last year we raised $20,000 and split it with The Bridge Ministry, which provides a church service for almost 300 people under the 15th Street Bridge every Saturday; we believe in what they’re doing because it’s the same thing we’re doing.”

The Mission’s first race last year was an overwhelming success, owing mainly to an anonymous check for $10,000 that came in before the race and allowed them to construct a new roof for their open door chapel, located at 526 Walker Street.

“We had 228 runners last year and we need 300 this year,” he continued. “We’re also looking for more sponsors who can contribute any amount they want. Companies who sponsor us get a lot of good PR and recognition when we talk about them on Family Friendly 88.3 WAFJ, and they get the good feeling of being able to help the less fortunate among us.”

This race began last year due to the efforts of Chris Marsh, this

year’s race director. Laura Marshalk, who mentored him through his ASU graduation and move to accept a marketing position in Atlanta, now serves as assistant race coordinator.

“We are in constant communication about setting up the race and making goals for dates that everything has to happen,” said Marshalk. “We have to organize everything from the medals and tee-shirts to the volunteers who help set up and tear down after the race. It’s very important to us to have a significant number of volunteers at every half-mile marker cheering on the runners so that they know how much we appreciate them.”

“I’m really proud of my son,” said Rusty Marsh.

Part of the Run for Shelter will pass the Augusta Rescue Mission, where residents will be handing out bottled water and cheering on their supporters. Many will also be grilling out and hosting an after the race party Marsh hopes will become a regular part of future races.

People interested in volunteering for the race can call the shelter at 706.722.2058 and ask for Laura. For more information or to register, visit www.augustarescuemission.org.

have noncompetition agreements?

Are all licenses and fees paid up?

That part of the cleanup is relatively simple. The more difficult issues involve cleaning up financial statements, policies and procedures, and old bad habits.

For example, small business owners have a tendency to be very generous with their own expense accounts. Typically the incentive in a small business is to show as little profit as possible while maintaining the highest standard of living for the owners. However, potential buyers want to see a healthy bottom line to justify a price.

So the moral of the story is to run your business every day as if you are ready to sell it. Do the hard work of planning and running your business properly now. I promise you it will pay off in the end.

J. Edward (ed) enoch This is a sponsored Law Talk article. His practice focuses on business, employment, and real estate law. He is a 1992 Magna Cum Laude law school grad from Washington and Lee School of Law. He’s served in many leadership roles for SHRM, Rotary, the Family Y and the United Way. Reach him at (706) 738.4141 or jenoch@enochlaw.com

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MAY 2013

Spams, Scams and Flim-Flams

JEFF ASSELIN | Powerserve, Director of Sales and Marketing

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ach month our customer service team gets calls or emails related to webbased Spams, Scams and Flim-Flams. We have seen companies that use deceptive forms of advertising to lure people in. Apparently they are unable to get customers otherwise.

The Domain Registry of America (aka Domain Registry of Canada), has Federal Trade Commission (FTC) injunctions against many of these businesses for their deceptive practices (these injunctions have been filed since 2003… but they are STILL doing it). Recently we saw a company operating out of Vancouver, Washington, using deceptive advertising to sell their DNS backup services. Their fake “invoices” look very real and many small business owners pay their fees.

Here’s how they work…You receive a piece of mail like the one in the adjacent picture that looks completely legitimate. This particular example is from a company called DNS Services, so you figure it must be something to do with your

website. It appears to be an invoice for DNS backup services but is in reality a SOLICITATION for services.

You don’t realize that, however, unless you read the mail piece carefully. Like I said, it is strategically designed to fool you into thinking it’s a legitimate invoice. If you hurriedly scan it OR if it’s simply passed on to a bookkeeper for payment, you will be paying for something you don’t need and will never use. Our experience with the Domain Registry of America has shown that you will rarely get your money back.

As you will notice in the adjacent examples, these companies comply with the letter of the law by informing you that the mailing is not a bill, albeit in a manner that is somewhat less than transparent. Please, if you get ANYTHING in the mail or in your email that is related to your website, email service, DNS, Domain Name Registration or SSL Certificate, contact your website provider or the team at Powerserve and get an opinion on it.

You may be able to save yourself from a large headache and help keep a pocketful of cash.

Jeff Asselin Jeff is Director of Sales & Marketing for Powerserve, a web development company that focuses on Websites, Custom Business Software, Search Engine Optimization, Graphic Design and Social Media Marketing.

Let Jeff put his more than 16 years of advertising

and marketing experience to work for you helping grow your business. Click (www. powerserve.net), Email (jeff.asselin@powerserve. net), Visit (961 Broad St, Augusta) or Call (c: 706-691-7189, o: 706-826-1506, Ext 122). This is a sponsored article.

LE A S FOR

WHEN TO PLAN TO SELL YOUR BUSINESS Kim Romaner | Business Broker

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ost people have a will. Your business needs one too, in the form of an exit plan. Most business owners will not sell voluntarily.

Why? Selling a business is not the best way to make money from it.

Most small businesses sell for 1-3 times adjusted earnings (larger ones can sell for more). So if you are planning to continue working in your business for longer than a few years, it pays to keep it. However, there are factors that can impact your business “status quo,” and you need to have a plan to sell it. What do we typically see happen?

The business owner can no longer physically work. Death or disability will force a sale. If this happens, time is of the essence. The business’ value can decline daily.

The owner hates working in the business. Burn out is real and life is too short to be miserable. Understand you

can simply sell and buy something else.

Owning a small business doesn’t have to be a life sentence.

The business has unsolvable cash flow issues. Either it is a victim of its own success and grows too quickly, or more often, gets into trouble monetarily. Time to sell in either case.

The business has grown beyond the owner’s capabilities. Many entrepreneurs are not good corporate CEOs. Many times the founder is not the person who makes a business a huge success.

Outside economic or competitive forces change the industry. Either your business is in danger or there is huge opportunity. Either way, it’s time to sell.

A strategic buyer comes along and will pay the owner above a fair market value price. It may be time to cash in, rather than compete.

Many times, there are combinations of reasons why the time to sell will come…and often it comes suddenly.

What should you do in order to plan?

1. Formulate a plan. Write it down. Tell people where it is.

2. Have your specific wishes known by your family, senior staff, and advisors. Who is in charge? Should they sell immediately?

Whom should they listen to for advice?

3. Give someone power of attorney or have someone able to sign for your company in your absence or disability.

4. Get insurance. Have a life & disability policy. A buy-sell agreement can easily be funded by insurance and make everyone whole in a turbulent time.

5. Meet with a business broker, spend time with them, and befriend them. Review your financials annually or bi-annually with them and understand your business market value. A strong relationship with a broker and knowledge of the marketplace will make selling your business relatively painless.

6. Have a sell price! When you reach your goal, punch out and do something else!

7. Be realistic and unemotional. Entrepreneurs often view their businesses as their babies.

This can lead to bad decisions about when to sell or dispose of a business.

Try to listen to others and understand when the time to sell is upon you.

One thing is certain in business ownership: One day that ownership will end. The only question is how that will come to be, and with help, it can be a very profitable and easy transition.

Kim Romaner This is a sponsored article.

Kim is president of Transworld Business Advisors of Augusta, a business brokerage that helps people buy and sell businesses, and also enter into the franchise world. With over 67 locations in the U.S. and abroad, Transworld has sold many thousands of businesses. If you’d like to talk to Kim about selling your business, buying a franchise or turning your existing business into a franchise operation, please call 706-383-2994, or email her at kromaner@tworld.com.

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MAY 2013

Taking on city hall

Continued from Page 1

participation. What it really did was give so called DBE’s an unfair advantage in the process. Through the materiality provision Sams could choose a company over another simply because they were a DBE even if the company was the highest bidder!

What the DBE ultimately did was create a mess of corruption. Minority owned companies from Atlanta and elsewhere could simply borrow someone’s address and claim to be an Augusta DBE company and win the bid.

An outfit known as the CSRA Business

League had a huge board of shingles on their property advertising a whole bunch of companies. However, none of the companies actually had an office in the building or anywhere else in Augusta.

The CSRA Business League claims it is a non-profit organization that assists local minority owned businesses to succeed. However, the CSRA Business League itself has no website, it’s Facebook community page shows no members and the only advertisement I could find was a poorly pasted together black and white flier with clip art.

Perhaps the group has fallen on hard times since their patron, former Senator Charles Walker, went to jail and the DBE program here was suspended.

Another way the system could be gamed was that company owners who were white could simply give a black or female employee 10 percent of the company on paper and masquerade as a minority owned business.

There were even situations where it appears bids were made by companies that did not even exist until they won the bid. They could get the bid based on their minority status and then farm the work out to one of the companies that lost the bid. That is like me telling potential clients that my service is better than the competitors even though I cost 50% more and then hiring the competition to actually do the job giving me a big bonus check for doing nothing.

As it turns out, the DBE program

Back To Fundamentals DON MACNEIL |

V

Crown Point Communications at Windsor Jewelers

alidation is a heartwarming thing, and when recently WRDW TV hosted a Tom Ray Marketing Guidelines luncheon for us small town folk, much of what he shared with us was the heart and soul of what you and I had been discussing over the life of

these columns. Mark down at least one out-of-towner who might agree I haven’t led you astray.

As Tom spoke I realized I’d been remiss in not periodically revisiting the hard core fundamentals vital to your marketing success. Ever notice that, especially lately, TV documentaries always “tease” what’s coming up after the commercial break and then, once back, recap what’s already been told?

Programmers have come to learn that most of us have rubbish for attention

was not even legal. The director of the program at the time, Yvonne Gentry, even admitted that the program was not legal. Under state law, a city must complete what is known as a disparity study to prove that minority owned companies are under-represented in the bid process before a DBE program can be created. The city of Augusta had never commissioned such a study, so the program was tossed like so many of Geri Sams’ low bid contracts.

While Robert Mullins published report offers no new information, the timing of its release is interesting. One of the biggest proponents to the DBE program and a staunch defender of Geri Sams has returned to political office. In the days before the report was release, Commissioner Marion Williams began beating the drum to get a disparity study commissioned. Williams wants to bring back the DBE so that his friends can go back to business as usual.

In terms of Geri Sams, she remains the Teflon department director. A grand jury’s recommendation she be terminated was ignored. Commissioners do not seem to care that this single one employee has cost the city more in lawsuits than any other single employee in the city’s history. City Administrator Fred Russell shrugs and says the lawsuits are simply the cost of doing business. One would think that losing one lawsuit after another would hint at a problem, but city leaders continue to

pay the settlements and look the other way. So it is likely that Sams has not exhausted her nine lives.

The bottom line is that the corruption in the procurement department is bad for the community all around.

Companies spend thousands of dollars to put together bid packages only to be told they are being disqualified for using the wrong color of ink. Many of the companies that get the rigged up bids do shoddy work that has to repaired, and so cost overruns are common.

Every time the city finds itself in court, money is bled out to pay for Atlanta attorneys and that is money not spent on potholes and streetlights. Business people see license fees, inspection fees, filing fees and every other fee imaginable rise constantly. Commissioners preen about the fact that they refuse to raise property taxes, but have no problem upping the fees to operate a business in the city. In turn, businesses have to raise prices and pass the fee upgrades to consumers. So, in the end, not only do taxpayers pay Geri Sams’ salary, but they pay dearly for every lawsuit she triggers.

spans – or we’re habitual channelchangers – and so feel the need to recap the story about every ten minutes. So this is me doing that, or put another way, pecking out another all-inclusive tutorial you can magnet to the refrigerator.

1. If you run TV or radio on a limited budget, (and who doesn’t) don’t try to spread it out over the entire month. To actually reach a viewer with your message research has shown it has to be seen by him/her multiple times in a short time frame. We not only have short attention spans, we don’t retain much, either. Think in terms of two running weeks instead of four, intensifying your number of commercials per day.

2. Don’t try to tell your business’ story in one commercial. Pick one theme – one message – and make certain every word in your commercial advances that message.

3. Whether it be TV…the internet or everyday life, figure out where your target audience gathers and be there.

4. Get your brain into a prospective customer’s shoes.

As Mr. Ray put it, what has just happened in your prospect’s life that made him seek you out? What are his/her first two questions about you?

Empathize!

5. Less IS more…especially on a billboard. But in all media, NEVER believe a viewer is going to retain – or

even be motivated to retain - all you want to throw at him.

6. To what extent does your constituency do research online before hitting your door? How easy are you to find online? Have you a series of make-the-sale persuasions in place when they do?

7. Consider “Road Blocking” with your broadcast media. Pick a time of day – or several times – and place your commercial in the top three rated outlets of that medium. You’ll be certain that a sizeable percentage of viewers/listeners plugged in at those times will see/hear your message.

Road blocking the 6pm news would be one good example.

I’d like to thank Ch. 12 and especially Mr. Ray’s home base, Jim Doyle & Associates for the poke that led to this reminder and most of all for putting into words a lot of things that to that moment had for me only been a hunch.

Good luck, and feel free to get in touch any time. (windsorway@ comcast.net)

Thomas scott hudson is a free lance reporter for WGAC News and a local paralegal. For comments or story ideas email scott@wgac.com

Next: The 5% Explanation

DON MACNEIL is a traditional media expert, having spent more than 30 years on-air and behind the scenes in Media and Marketing. If you have any comments or questions, email Don at windsorway@ comcast.net

MAY 2013

(706) 560-0904

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MAY 2013

Bill Woodward, CPA/ABV, CVA Office Managing Shareholder

For 88 years, Elliott Davis has advised businesses on how to run efficiently, grow wisely, be more

We’ve helped businesses succeed through the Great Depression, the recent recession and every market in between.

One 10th Street • Suite 400 • Augusta, GA 30901 706.722.9090

profitable. Our team provides audit, tax, advisory solutions, and accounting resources that include financial reporting, payroll and software implementation across the spectrum of industries.

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MAY 2013

“IT’S MY MONEY! YOU CAN’T HAVE IT!” Kate Mielitz | Branch Manager Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Augusta

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remember screaming this at the store when I was little. My mom had taken me to the drugstore to spend my allowance. I was so excited to spend my own money…until I had to give it up.

Today, I don’t scream at the cashier that they can’t have my money.

Sometimes I cringe at the total, but I pay up with no complaint. I can part with my dollars more easily now because I have a plan for every single one of them.

Protecting your money, otherwise known as planning or budgeting, is the key to making your money work effectively for you. You want to be the one telling your money what to do, not the other way around.

The first step in protecting your assets is to know what you’ve got -- how much do you have coming in every month and from what sources?

Once you’ve determined how much you have coming in, make sure it’s coming in for the right amount! Is your federal and state withholding correct? Track your health insurance

and other deductibles to make sure the amounts don’t change unexpectedly.

The next step in effectively planning for your money is to determine where it’s all going to go. Every pay period should have its own breakdown of how the dollars are disbursed.

Determine your needs versus your wants and get it all written down.

Having a written plan gives you the control of your money! Once you have your needs accounted for (roof of your head, utilities, transportation, food on the table, car note and loan payments, as applicable), put money in savings, and then figure out which wants can be addressed.

Savings is an integral part of protecting our money that, believe it or not, is frequently overlooked. We live in a “gimme, gimme” society that encourages us to spend on the now without looking forward.

Here’s the thing, I’m NOT going to tell you not to indulge your “wants” -- I AM, however, going to encourage you to save first and then play. In order to protect your money, in order for you to tell your money what it is going to do, you need to make sure that

you have funds set aside in case of emergency—dental work, a broken arm, a transmission that goes out, or a sudden death in the family, just to name a few. In addition to the emergency savings, remember to plan for your

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periodic expenses like insurance, Christmas, birthdays, and vacations.

Finally, the fun stuff—buying for pleasure, eating out, going to the movies, or paying a babysitter so you can actually have one-on-one time with your spouse!! All of these things need to go into your spending plan so that you protect what’s yours and it doesn’t just slip away from you.

I may no longer scream when someone wants my money, but I do scream when I realize I haven’t planned for needs, savings, emergencies, and fun. It IS YOUR MONEY!! Protect, and spend, it wisely!

If you need help protecting your money, contact CCCS of the CSRA! Kate Mielitz AFC®, CFC is the Branch Manager at CCCS of the CSRA. She has over 13 years combined experience in financial counseling, debt negotiation, collections, bankruptcy, and fraud investigation. Her passions include public speaking and motivating others to make informed spending decisions. Contact Kate at 706-736-0411 or at kate@cccsaugusta.org.

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MAY 2013

Five Deductions and Credits for Individuals Christine Hall, CPA | Hall, Hall, & Associates P.C

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onfused about which credits and deductions you can claim on your 2012 tax return? You’re not alone. Even in an ordinary tax year, it’s hard to remember which tax breaks you can take, but the fiscal cliff fiasco this year made it even more difficult to keep everything straight.

With that in mind here are five tax breaks for 2012 that you won’t want to overlook.

1. State Sales and Income Taxes -Thanks to the fiscal cliff deal, the sales tax deduction, which expired at the end of 2011, was reinstated retroactive to 2012 (it expires at the end of 2013). As such, IRS allows for a deduction of either state income tax paid or state sales tax paid, whichever is greater.

2. Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit - Most parents realize that there is a tax credit for daycare when their child is young, but they might not realize that once a child starts school, the same credit can be used for before and after school care, as well as day camps during school vacations. The credit is worth a maximum of $1,050 or 35% of $3,000 of eligible expenses per dependent.

3. Job Search ExpensesJob search expenses are 100% deductible, whether you are gainfully employed or not currently working--as long as you are looking for a position in your current profession. Expenses include fees paid to join professional organizations, as well as employment placement agencies that you used during your job search. Travel to interviews is also deductible (as long as it was not paid by your prospective employer) as is paper, envelopes, and costs associated with resumes or portfolios. The catch is that you can only deduct expenses greater than 2% of your adjusted gross income (AGI).

4. Student Loan Interest Paid by Parents -Typically, a taxpayer is only able to deduct interest on mortgages and student loans if he or she is liable for the debt; however, if a parent pays back their child’s student loans the money is treated by the IRS as if the child paid it. As long as the child is not claimed as a dependent, he or she can deduct up to $2,500 in student loan interest paid by the parent. The deduction can be claimed even if the child does not itemize.

5. Medical Expenses - Most people know that medical expenses are deductible as long as they are more than 7.5% of AGI for tax year 2012 (10% in 2013). What they often don’t realize is what medical expenses can be deducted such as medical miles (23 cents per mile) driven to and from appointments and travel (airline fares or hotel rooms) for out of town medical treatment.

Other deductible medical expenses that taxpayers might not be aware of include: health insurance premiums, prescription drugs, co-pays, and dental premiums and treatment. Longterm care insurance (deductible dollar amounts vary depending on age) is also deductible, as are prescription glasses and contacts, counseling, therapy, hearing aids and batteries, dentures, oxygen, walkers, and wheelchairs.

Are you getting all of the tax credits and deductions you are entitled to?

Maybe you are...but maybe you’re not. Why take a chance? Make an appointment with us today and we’ll make sure you get the tax breaks you deserve.

Hall, Hall, & Associates P.C This is a sponsored Employment article. Hall and Hall Associates P.C. is a full-service public accounting firm established in 1979. 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 visit hallassociatescpa.com.

12

MAY 2013

MORE ON THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE

by Russell T. Head | EMPLOYEE BENEFIT CONSULTANT

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n the last issue, we discussed some of the regulations of the Individual Mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). First and foremost, everyone is required to have health insurance that meets the minimum requirements established by the ACA. Individuals that are exempt from this were listed in my last article.

PENALTIES Those that do not comply will be subject to penalties that change every year. These fines will be applied to an individual’s/family’s annual federal income tax filing. The following details have been outlined by the ACA: $ 2014 The penalty is $95 per adult and $47.50 per child (up to $285 for a family) or 1% of family income, whichever is greater. $ 2015 The penalty is $325 per adult and $162.50 per child (up to %975 for a family) or 2% of family income, whichever is greater. $ 2016 and beyond The penalty is $695 per adult and $347.50 per child (up to $2,085 for a family) or 2.5% of family income, whichever is greater.

Note: The penalty is pro-rated by the number of months without coverage, though there is no penalty for a single gap in coverage of less than 3 months in a year. The penalty cannot be greater than the national average premium for Bronze level coverage in the Marketplace/Exchange. After 2016, the penalty will be increased annually by the cost of living.

PREMIUM TAX CREDITS The ACA created premium tax credit that will assist individuals and families purchase health insurance through the Marketplace/Exchange. The cost of the plan will be reduced by the tax credit to make plans more affordable. The individual/family applying for the credit must qualify.

To be eligible for the premium tax credit, a taxpayer: • Must have a household income for the year between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level for the taxpayer’s family size.

• May not be claimed as a tax dependent of another taxpayer.

• Must file a joint tax return if married.

• The taxpayer must enroll in a qualified health plan through the Marketplace/Exchange and cannot be eligible for minimum essential coverage from another plan such as their employer.

MINIMUM ESSENTIAL COVERAGE Minimum essential coverage includes health plan coverage under one of the following. If a taxpayer is eligible for minimum essential coverage they are not eligible for the premium tax credit.

• Government sponsored minimum essential coverage, such as Medicare or Medicaid • Employer sponsored minimum essential coverage An employer sponsored plan must be considered unaffordable for a taxpayer to apply for the premium tax credit.

If the cost of the self-only coverage exceeds 9.5% of the employee’s household annual income, then it is considered to be unaffordable.

The information presented here is not intended to be a complete outline of the ACA Regulations. It is a summary of key components that are of interest to consumers. Please refer to ACA Final Regulations at www.irs.gov or www. healthcare.gov for detailed information on these topics.

Russell T. Head is a Partner and Chief Visionary Architect with Group & Benefits Consultants, Inc., Augusta’s largest, privately held employee benefits consulting firm. He can be reached at 706-733-3459 or rthead@gandbc.com. Visit Group & Benefits Consultants at www.groupandbenefits.com.

Center For Primary Care Your Prevention SPecialiStS

13

MAY 2013

Summerville Pharmacy co-owner Rob Woods helps serve residents refreshments at the April 26 block party.

Summerville Pharmacy Block Party

By Christopher Selmek and Neil Gordon

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ummerville Pharmacy hosted a neighborhood block party in the front lot of their 2279 Wrightsboro Road location on April 26, with free barbeque, cookies and soda, and live guitar music.

This event was a re-introduction of the pharmacy to the Summerville neighborhood, following Rob Woods and Joe Boyd’s purchase of the facility at the beginning of this year. The pharmacy now serves the needs of the Summerville area by providing walk-in service, a drop-off and pick-up window for prescriptions, delivery to assisted living communities throughout the area and an assortment of retail products.

“These types of pharmacies are really called community pharmacies, because we serve the needs of the community,” said Boyd. “We know our customers’ names, we know their family members and we know their care needs; because that’s what neighbors do -- look out for one another.”

“Taking care of people involves more than just distributing medication,” said Woods. “Most people come to a pharmacy because they don’t feel well or someone they care about doesn’t feel well, so I like to think that a good portion of my job is doing what I can to make people happy. Owning a neighborhood pharmacy allows me to meet the people in my community and discern the best way I can serve them.”

The event attracted many visitors from the neighborhood, including new customers and those who have already received great service from the pharmacy’s dedicated staff.

“I pass it all the time, but I thought it was a doctor’s office,” said LaFreda

Acree, a Summerville resident. “When I passed by today and saw tables set up, me being a curious person, I just had to know what was going on. The two doctors (pharmacists) seem very friendly, and I think I may start coming here more often.”

“I switched all my stuff from CVS and Kroger to here because it’s in a convenient location and I can just pick it up,” said Elaine Collins. “They offer delivery, but I usually choose to come in anyway because they’re such sweet people.”

There is usually no price difference between Summerville Pharmacy and big-box stores, since customers with insurance pay the same deductible and co-pays at all pharmacies.

Summerville Pharmacy plan to provide flu shots and vaccines, and they currently provide diabetes test strips and blood pressure tests.

Most of their business is dealing with prescriptions, in contrast to many big-box stores which do only 30 percent of their business in the pharmacy but make more of their money selling “out front” products such as cards, candy, food items and general merchandise. Summerville Pharmacy hopes to increase their retail side, including their Dollar Wall featuring toiletries and necessities for the home.

“Often, we’re the last stop of the day,” said Woods. “An adult may be bringing a sick kid or someone’s been to the office and gotten a bad diagnosis. When they see us, they are greeted with smiles.”

Summerville Pharmacy is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To place an order or arrange delivery, call 706.481.7140.

Is your 401(k) in need of a checkup?

Mike Williams | Certified Retirement Plan Agent

W

inston Churchill, the former Prime Minister of England, was known for steadfast leadership and the clarity of his observations. He once stated “It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see” and “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results”. A great many things have changed since his death in 1965, but those quotations are timeless. As our relevant facts and circumstances change, we are forced to alter decisions and life plans. One area of concern is of our aging population -How are we going to provide enough supplemental benefits to provide a comfortable life for our citizens during their golden years?

During the past years, several governing bodies have been busy writing legislation mandating greater 401(k) plan disclosure and transparency. Although well intended, it has created a number of cumbersome new regulations that have complicated matters. Congress simply wanted all plan participants to receive comparative measures of investment performance with a breakdown of related fees, while also requiring plan sponsors to perform periodic reviews and validate the general oversight of their plans. The problem is how to provide more

information about plan features, investments, and related expenses without creating more confusion.

Given the drastic changes, I think the pension industry has responded appropriately and is attempting to provide new solutions.

My basic criticism is none of the regulatory changes will increase personal retirement savings and may even decrease available options.

Investment providers can no longer bury plan expenses and hope the investments provide a high enough return so no one notices. That is a good thing – but on the other hand some participants and plan sponsors may be surprised how much their plan is really costing. With more frequent plan reviews, I fully expect the associated fees and expenses to continue trending downward as more cost efficient open architecture plans become available with targetdate funds and customized asset allocation models. In general, I recommend plans be reviewed at least annually with a trusted advisor or independent third party, to help insure they are up-to-date and in compliance. Is your 401(k) in need of a checkup?

Mike Williams This is a sponsored article. 16 years of experience as a pension plan practitioner. He has been certified as an Enrolled Retirement Plan Agent (ERPA) by the Internal Revenue Service and is President of Qualified Plan Design & Administration, Inc. For more information please visit Open401kplan.com or contact him at mikew@ qpdaweb.com.

14

MAY 2013

COMFORT COUNTS FRANK MULHERIN | Office Design Expert

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MPLOYEES WANT MORE THAN A SALARY In a study commissioned by the American Society of Interior Designers, employees revealed that a salary is important, but it’s not the only determining factor when seeking employment. Forty-one percent of those surveyed said that a comfortable work environment that is aesthetically appealing would strongly influence their decision on whether or not they would accept a position.

COMFORT IN THE WORKPLACE Companies have come to realize the importance of providing a comfortable workplace environment in order to retain employees, increase productivity, and maintain a competitive edge.

With employees spending an increasing number of hours at work, it has become important to make their work environment feel more like a home away from home. The once sterile office space is giving way to a more relaxed and aesthetically pleasing environment that can inspire workers and enhance employee satisfaction.

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE Maximizing employee comfort may be easier than initially thought by incorporating small, but relevant changes. Start with a few simple solutions such as: -adjusting the temperature -adding relaxing furniture and aesthetically pleasing artwork -bringing in fresh plants and wall hangings -a new coat of paint EMPLOYEES RESPOND TO COMFORT Today, employees are looking for more than just a place to work.

They want more control over how their work environment looks and functions. Taking the time to design a workspace that meets both the direct and indirect needs of employees is a worthwhile investment that can pay big dividends in the future. Workers will positively respond to an employer and environment that is tailored to meet the ever increasing workload demands and extended work hours required in today’s highly competitive marketplace.

Frank MULHERIN This is a sponsored article. Frank has been the General Manager of Weinberger’s Business Interiors since it opened in 2008. He has 32 years of experience in the office furniture industry. Frank was associated with Ivan Allen Co. for 28 years.

Frank’s team has received numerous industry awards. Frank has been extremely active in his community, having held leadership positions in numerous civic and charitable organizations.

Reach him at 706-922-1371 or fmulherin@ weinbergersfurniture.net

15

MAY 2013

BRIGHTEN Your Day…by customizing your office space!

ROBIN BAXLEY | Co-Owner of Best Office Solutions

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hether you have a cubicle or an office with a door you can shut, this is the space where you spend most of your day. Piles of papers around the office, even if you know where everything is, makes you look disorganized. Here’s how to turn your office into a comfortable and inviting space while keeping your professional status.

The key is to personalize, not overdecorate. You don’t need to fill every

SANDI SHIELDS | Co-Owner of Best Office Solutions

wall space. It’s a good idea to clean your office thoroughly twice a year and rethink how you choose to decorate.

PERSONALIZE - It’s okay to show your personality. Decide what to hang on the office walls based on your personal interests and what is appropriate to display in the company atmosphere.

Artwork that reflects your love of sailing can be tastefully reflected with a framed print or original painting. Hanging a fishnet and a life preserver on the wall should be saved for your home patio!

PHOTO’S – People love seeing your family and friends – just keep photos to a just a few frames on your desk or cubicle. Another option is a tasteful collage on a post it display board. Be sure to update the collage every year to remove curled photos and baby pics of

kids who are now teens!!

LIGHTING - Even if you have the usual overhead fluorescent panels, personalize the lighting in your office space. A halogen desk lamp will provide great task lighting for paperwork.

ACCESSORIES - Storage containers for pens, pencils and paper clips. A cell phone stand with a build in charger or “cord hiding spot” will help neaten things up. Baskets or closed boxes on your desktop, hutch or bookcase can also decrease the look of clutter.

Decorate your office to make your work day more pleasant, but keep it tasteful and professional so that managers will see you as someone ready to advance.

ROBIN BAXLEY and sandi shields This is a sponsored CSRA article . The TEAM at BEST Office Solutions would love an opportunity to make your work life easier.

We are constantly customizing a plan for each of our customers to fit their needs and personalities. We get excited about finding efficient, economical SOLUTIONS for YOU! Call or email us today for your free ordering process evaluation. 877-533-BEST (2378)

16

MAY 2013

Stop Using Old School Hiring Techniques BRENT & KELLY MALLEK | Talent Focus Consulting

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ou are considering a potential job candidate.

Her resume is impressive and her experience seems to check out. You’re not yet 100% sure she is the right fit for your open position.

Should you hire her? For many employers, the job interview will answer that question. Through the traditional job interview, we can tell whether potential employees are well spoken, energetic, and knowledgeable. We can tell whether they are bluffing on their resumes, and we can get a feel on how well they will fit the organization.

The job interview cannot tell us everything and yet we have a tendency to hold it up as the only way to discover everything we need to know about a job candidate. It is not!

Job seekers also realize the importance of the job interview. You can be certain they are the best versions of themselves when they are in an interview, a version you may not get from them at work every day. With so many new hiring techniques and

trends available today, why on earth would you stick with only the typical and traditional job interview?

Don’t get us wrong, we are not saying to STOP conducting job interviews (goodness no!), we are simply saying that you shouldn’t RELY solely on them when hiring.

Here are three common misconceptions employers make about job interviews: 1) What you see is what you get! Unfortunately for most candidates, this is simply not true.

Candidates are the very best versions of themselves when they are on a job interview. It is up to you to be able to decipher who the candidate really is.

2) They sound like they know what they’re talking about, so they MUST be able to do it! The ability to talk about the job does not always translate into the ability to actually do the job.

3) I have been doing interviews for a long time, so I am an expert at judging someone! We are sure you are!

Confidence in your interviewing abilities is great, but even if you have conducted 100,000 interviews, each is still different because each time you are interviewing a different person.

You set yourself up for failure when

you over estimate your interviewing abilities.

At the end of the day, an interviewer cannot measure all aspects of a person. Behavior, attitude, morale, thinking style, and interests all contribute to the success of job fit. Do you know for sure you are measuring these important elements?

Whether you contact us for assistance or reach out to other sources, get the help you need…the help your business deserves…and the help your customers deserve to select the best!

BRENT & KELLY MALLEK This is a sponsored article from their company, Talent Focus Consulting. Brent has over 20 years of Human Resources experience as a proven leader, coach, and teacher. His practical yet strategic approach to human capital issues provides great value to the businesses with which he works. Kelly’s successful track record spans 25 years working in sales, customer service, and business operations. Her practical approach puts others at ease while assisting others in driving their business results. Visit their website at www.talentfocusconsulting. com or call 706.945.1592 for a free consultation.

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MAY 2013

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EMPLOYMENT & EDUCATION

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USING YOUR HEARTFELT CAREER SKILLS Katie Weiser | CCE-Board Certified Coach

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onprofits are the stomping ground for workers who want to make a difference in life and be a part of a larger effort for the greater good. There is a common vision with a team of volunteers who have passion coupled with diverse skills and expertise to achieve their mission. In a nonprofit environment, unique career skills are gold to them. And, since they are not handing out any gold to line one’s pockets, the smiles and appreciation will make up for it.

The times during a career when volunteering is an opportunity are: • When you are out of a job, you are at loose ends and miss the daily structure you had before. Sometimes it takes months to find another job, and volunteering could be your key to sanity.

• When you are headed for retirement and want to do something meaningful, consider an organization that tugs at your heart strings. A

local charity could provide full time employment and keep you very busy.

• When you are still at work, but want to be a part of a bigger effort.

Squeeze in a few hours a month and feel the joy that comes with making a difference, even on a smaller scale.

• When you can convince your company to rally around a local charity by donating to it or taking a company day and selecting a much needed community project. Have everyone clean up a local park, read to nursing home residents, paint a playground, plant flowers, etc. Many companies are doing this and the favorable press they get out of it is priceless.

Non profits benefit from your skills and you would be surprised at what services they might need.

Case in Point: Joy is a client who is out of work and wants to find a job that will use her writing skills. Obvious choices for her would be newspapers, magazines, in house communication departments, etc. However, she lives in a small town and jobs are not super plentiful. She wants to stay in the

communication field and is willing to move. But, in the meantime, her writing skills are getting rusty. We talked about the notion of volunteering and she agreed to check out some local charities. She connected with a group that supports battered women. In the beginning she listened as she filled out the paperwork for each woman as they sought refuge. The interview process was cathartic for the women because they felt such care, compassion and safety. Joy was so touched she began to write their stories (with permission, of course) to collect into a book. She loves that she is doing something that honors these women and the tremendous courage they have shown by leaving an abusive relationship. A win-win for both. Joy intends to self publish her e-book on Amazon.com so other women going through the struggle of deciding to leave a violent partner will be able to read the wonderful stories of hope. In addition, Joy can say she is a published author, and has a book to show potential employers as an example of her work.

Pretty cool!

Moral of the Story: Knock, knock – whose there? It’s The National Center

for Charitable Statistics. They report there are over 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the United States. If the time is right for you or your company, start making a difference now.

Katie Weiser This is a sponsored

article. Katie has five different accredidations as a certified coach.

She retired from Deloitte Consulting and Deloitte Services after 40 years and oversaw the counseling of 500 firm professionals who were downsized from their positions. She provided them with resume writing services, networking, and interview advice. She is available to

conduct several different workshops or speeches for a variety of companies, groups, or associations focused on change, leadership, goals, effective communication and more. Coach Katie also coaches individuals to make a transition into the next phase of your career or life. Sign up for a 30 minute, complimentary strategy session by emailing katie@atieweisercoaching.com or by calling 706.550.4161

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18

MAY 2013

Are You Ready for Some Positive Change?

LARRY RUDWICK | Founder, “Larry The Tune Up Guy”, Business Coaching Expert

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ummary: Would you like your business, career or personal life to improve in certain ways? I think we all have some things we wish were different. Below is a summary of what needs to be considered.

Please keep in mind: No two situations are exactly alike, and no two people are the same; therefore the specific decisions and actions each person must take vary to some degree. I suggest people think about the following before making various changes.

1. Your Goals: Do you feel you really know what you want? Do you realize that knowing one’s goals may be THE most important thing to be aware of? Having realistic written goals is essential to make plans to get from where we are today to where we want to get to, at some point in the future.

2. Ideas: It’s key to have reasonable, smart ideas to consider.

Are you an “idea person” with lots of ideas, but need help sorting them out? Or would you benefit from talking to one or more people that can suggest good ideas that will help you set your goals?

3. About Yourself: How well do you really know yourself – your

Georgia Regents University offers new degrees

G

eorgia Regents University will launch four new bachelor’s degree programs following approval by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.

Beginning with the fall semester, GRU will offer a Bachelor of Science in Applied Information Systems and Technologies through the Hull College of Business, a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Anthropology through the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and a Bachelor of Science with

strengths, weakness, dislikes and passions? Knowing what we’re strong at, and where you need help is not always so obvious. It’s often surprising how other people often know things about us that we don’t realize. Don’t be shy in asking for guidance!

4. Difficult Situations: Do you find yourself having responsibilities that you struggle with? Do you have to deal with people that you really don’t click with?

Let’s face it: No one’s business, career or personal life is ideal.

It comes down to “progress not perfection”. As the serenity prayer states: ‘God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.’

5. Find out How Easy Change Can Be: Most of us have heard the expression “Change is Hard”. And it certainly often is. When people fear change, resist change, or only give it a half-hearted attempt, it is hard, or next to impossible to achieve.

Many people, on the other hand, say they do want positive change.

But, do they really want it enough to take action? Often the answer is

a major in Cell and Molecular Biology and Bachelor of Science with a major in Ecology through the College of Science and Mathematics.

“Georgia Regents University is excited to expand its academic offerings for undergraduate students,” said GRU Provost Gretchen Caughman. “Our university strives to offer programs of study that appeal to our students and will provide a strong foundation for their future careers. We also look forward to launching new degrees in Anthropology, Ecology and Cell and Molecular Biology, which will make us even more attractive

no. And often it’s because they are not sure how to begin. I know this from having talked with thousands of people and worked with hundreds of them.

Because I love helping people, even without getting compensated, I have created a simple 5-step program to jumpstart positive changes. It’s quick, simple and free. It also includes a phone consultation with me. If you are interested, go to www.BusinessTuneUps.com and click on the Step 1

button. Or, simply contact me at 571.331.6102.

LARRY RUDWICK This is a sponsored Business-Talk article. A lot more about this can be found on the www.BusinessTuneUps.com website. To do an Executive Assessment requires a Word Document entitled Ten Questions That Can Improve Your Life. I would be happy to email one to you; you may request it from me at Rudwick@cox.net or calling 571-331-6102.

Jumpstart Positive Change FREE 5-Step process - $200+ value helps businesses, careers, personal lives

Go to www.BusinessTune-Ups.com

Larry Rudwick Business Coach

to potential students across the state.”

GRU has two existing computing related programs -- a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems -- but the degree in Applied Information Systems & Technologies has a more technical emphasis than an MIS degree and a more applied orientation than a CS degree.

Courses will include network security, interface design and digital forensics, and the program will require a senior project in software development.

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in Anthropology will focus on intercultural

To start process, click STEP 1 from ANY page, or call 571-331-6102

understanding, archaeology and cultural heritage studies. Students will also select a minor program of study depending on their career and educational goals.

For the Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology and Bachelor of Science in Ecology, GRU has converted two existing Bachelor of Science tracks or concentrations. Previously, the Department of Biology offered a single undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology, and allowed students to select one of three tracks: general biology, ecology and cell and molecular biology. General biology will continue as a major, while the tracks in cell and molecular biology and in ecology will be discontinued with the establishment of new majors in these areas of study.

The Georgia Department of Labor projects employment opportunities in the life sciences will increase by 730 jobs (10.8 percent) from 2008 to 2018. During this 10-year period, opportunities related to cell and molecular biology are projected to increase by 430 jobs (3.4 percent), and those for fields related to ecology are projected to increase by 300 jobs (11.5 percent).

More information about Georgia Regents University is available at www.gru.edu

19

MAY 2013

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Augusta Downtown Development A

ugusta’s Downtown Development Authority is beginning an aggressive retail recruitment initiative for the urban core that leaders hope will attract businesses as well as residents to the downtown community.

“This is the natural next step in our revitalization strategy,” said Chairman Cameron Nixon. “The DDA has worked diligently over the last five years to increase downtown housing units. With 75 new units completed last year, a 99 percent occupancy rate and with the successful efforts in Laney Walker and East Boundary, we need retail to support the existing base and attract future investments.”

“These are exciting times for downtown Augusta,” added Executive Director Margaret Woodard. “With the recent grand opening of the TEE Center and the possibility of a future college campus, we are perfectly poised to begin a retail program.”

The DDA has hired Retail Strategies LLC, a retail consulting firm offering market analysis, strategic planning and retail recruitment. The three year contract will cost $40,000 to $60,000 and will involve the private sector. To date Augusta Tomorrow, the Academy of Richmond County, The Emporium, and Golden Living Centers of Augusta have contributed financially to the project.

“The demographic reports alone are worth the investment,” said Nixon. “The GAP analysis will be available for existing businesses to look at expansion efforts and maintain a competitive edge as well as attract new retail.”

“Based on national demographic trends showing the mass migration of Millennials and Baby Boomers to the urban core, Augusta is extremely well positioned to begin the aggressive recruitment of retail to our city center,” said Mayor Deke Copenhaver. “I fully support the efforts of the DDA as I believe we have now reached a tipping point in our downtown revitalization efforts with great things to come.”

The project also includes a building inventory, strategic plan and recruitment strategy. The DDA Board will finalize the agreement at their May Board Meeting but have proceeded in order for Augusta to be represented at the International Shopping Center Conference in May.

20

MAY 2013

Stay at home alternatives from the professionals at Right at Home “Right at Home” owners Celeste Hoffman and Kathy Crist introduce therapy dog Snickers to Mrs. Margaret Lista. Photo by Todd Lista.

For more information and a free in-home assessment, call

803-278-0250 or visit www.rightathome.net/csra.

Summer classes- a great option for college students Hailey Ribeiro |

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Georgia Military College Admissions Manager

uring summer vacation, most college students return home and spend three months relaxing poolside or working a parttime job. Taking college classes during this break is a possibility most students don’t consider, but it’s an advantageous option for those looking to get ahead (or catch up) in their college careers.

“Taking classes part-time in the summer is a great option for students because they can take advantage of the smaller class sizes and lower tuition prices at local community colleges,” said Derek Stone, Academic Dean at Georgia Military College.

“This is a huge benefit for students who need more faculty attention to get through a difficult class like Microbiology or Physics.”

College classes at state universities and private colleges can be costly, and most students don’t have additional financial aid available for summer classes. Junior college is a more affordable option. Tuition and fee expenses are significantly less at most two-year institutions, and students also save money by living at home and not paying for room and board.

Summer classes are also a great option for recent high school graduates to get ahead before their freshman year of college begins. By taking one or two classes over the summer, these

students can lighten their freshman curriculum for the upcoming year and ease the transition into a full college course load.

Students are not required to transfer schools in order to enroll in summer classes at a community college.

Instead, students will attend as a transient student. Transient means that the student’s primary institution has given the student permission to enroll with another college to complete specific coursework. The primary institution will typically provide a ‘transient letter’ that outlines which course(s) the student has permission to complete at another institution.

At Georgia Military College, a transient letter and application for admission are the only two documents required for students to enroll in summer classes (for transient students only). Transient students may apply for free by using the following promo code: SUMMERFREE. The summer quarter begins June 1, so don’t wait! Stop by and see us today.

Hailey Ribeiro is the Admissions Manager/Recruiter at Georgia Military College and manages the joint enrollment program. For questions about this program and Georgia Military College, please call 706.993.1123 or visit our website at www.gmcaugusta.com.

MAY 2013

Augusta Canal Discovery Center opens for 10th Anniversary

T

he Augusta Canal Discovery Center will be the new name for the visitor’s center at Enterprise Mill, along with a new canal-wide signage program, logo update, and

several other canal improvement projects rolling out during the coming year for the tenth anniversary of the Interpretive Center.

“Over the past ten years, we’ve learned that most folks do’t quite understand what an Interpretive Center is,” explained Augusta Canal Authority Executive Director Dayton Sherrouse. “We think ‘Discovery Center is a more welcoming, userfriendly description of what our

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guests experience when they visit.”

The Discovery Center includes interactive exhibits, models and videos of the canals history, along with being the departure point for the Canal Authority’s Petersburg boat tours. Since opening on April 17, 2003, the Center and boats have hosted nearly 150,000 visitors.

Canal officials unveiled the Discovery Center’s name on a new sign, the first of many that will be installed along the length of the canal as part of a comprehensive signage program. The Canal Authority obtained a Georgia Recreational Trails grant last year from through the Department of Natural Resources to assess the canal’s sign requirements, which will include approximately 100 directional, identity, regulatory and interpretive signs when fully implemented.

“We told our design consultant that we wanted a program to reflect our status as a National Heritage Area,” said Sherrouse, “but that the signs should be cost-effective and easy to install and maintain.”

The consultant, Jeffery Dawson of Dawson and Associates of Scituate, Massachusetts, proposed a program of signs in several sizes using a brown background, white

lettering and an updated version of the Augusta Canal logo in a warm tan color.

Work is also progressing on bridges across the King and Sibley mills’ tailraces to create the River Levee Trail. Groundbreaking for new trailheads at Lake Olmstead and at water pump station at Riverlook Drive will take place within the next few months.

Planning for a Confederate Powder Works history interpretive plaza has been underway for about 18 months, which will include six large descriptive panels, lighting and landscaping for the area at the base of the Civil War-era chimney in front of Sibley Mill.

Students from Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School are conducting an ongoing study to determine if brown trout can survive in the canal. If their data reveal trout can survive, the Authority will work with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to stock a trout fishery in the canal.

Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver also spoke at the ceremony, April 19.

He congratulated the Canal Authority for their achievements and continued efforts.

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MAY 2013

New Legal Reasons to Archive and Manage Business Email KEVIN WADE |

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CEO of IntelliSystems, Tek Talk

t’s a classic he-said/ shesaid case that ends up in court on a daily basis...

Widget buyer, Ms. Robinson, testified that Mr. Smith, the Widgets Corp. sales manager, told her that if she put her order in immediately, the price would be discounted by 20 percent. Mr. Smith argued that that was not what he said. According to his testimony, he agreed to give a 20 percent discount only if Ms. Robinson ordered at least one million widgets, which she did not.

The widgets were manufactured and delivered, and the client was billed for the full amount. The client is refusing to pay the full amount and the manufacturing company is throwing it to a collection agency.

If brought into a court of law, who would be right?

Provided that neither party can produce a signed contract to back up their case, there is no way of knowing who is right.

However, let’s suppose Ms. Robinson produces an email she sent to her boss copying Mr. Smith that says, “I made a deal with Mr. Smith, the sales manager at Widgets Corp. to get a 10 percent discount for 500,000 widgets ordered.” Let’s also suppose Mr. Smith cannot produce any emails, contracts, or memos to the contrary. Now the

chances of Ms. Robinson winning her case go up exponentially. When faced with two credible witnesses whose recollection of an event or agreement are in dispute, the court is most likely to favor the person who has corroborating documentation to support their side of the story.

Email has become the Primary Means of Communication and Negotiation In the not too distant past, business people would communicate primarily through face-to-face meetings, telephone conversations, faxes and the occasional paper document. When a “my word against your word” dispute arose, a court case could be awarded to the person who seemed more confident or credible.

Nowadays, email has become the default mode of communication.

It’s very common for a buyer to communicate to a seller entirely by email. Transactions are done without the two ever meeting and in some cases, never speaking. As a result, the “my word against your word” conundrum becomes more of a contest between emails, as opposed to a competition between the memories of the peeople involved.

The upside of this situation is that if you can produce an email that supports your version of the facts, you have a leg up if it goes to court. The downside is that most people are careless about what they say in an email. They don’t think about it ending up as an

exhibit in a courtroom under close scrutiny leaving them with the only explanation, “I know that’s what I said, but that’s not what I meant.”

Food Service Company Awarded $2.5 Million Thanks To A Few “Innocent” Emails *Example: A food service company was contracted to provide all meals at 48 nursing homes. Ultimately, the food service company claimed that it was underpaid over $2 million and sued in federal court. The president of the nursing home company claimed that the food service company had made certain oral cost guarantees that were not honored, thereby justifying the underpayments.

However, a detailed review of the nursing home company’s internal emails revealed that its executives had “privately” expressed substantial doubt about the supposed oral guarantees. The emails were given to the jury, which awarded the food service company $2.5 million.

What Should You Do To Protect Yourself?

The most important thing you can do is think twice before hitting “send.” If you are a manager or employer, train your employees to be careful about what they communicate via email and constantly remind them of the dangers. Once an email is sent, you cannot get it back. Another good practice is having a system

for archiving and managing email communications. This goes double for certain companies because of regulations like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We highly recommend a Plan A, and a Plan B, (and C, D, and E) for backup and disaster recovery, that has not only an email archiving element (not all backup systems can – and you may not know until you really need it), and also an off-site component in case of fire flood or other natural disaster. *Story reprinted from How Email Is Revolutionizing Litigation -- and What You Should Be Doing About It by Michael G. Trachtman, The Corporate Counselor, www.law.com Kevin Wade was selected as the 2012 Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce “Entrepreneur of the Year”.

KEVIN WADE is the CEO and “techspert” for Intellisystems, a small business I.T department for area companies. He works with them to prevent network failure, data loss, or backup disasters and provides technology advice to keep clients and the community informed. Intellisystems is located in the Alley in Aiken, in Columbia at the Atrium on Stoneridge Drive, and in downtown Augusta. For more info, email kevinw@intellisystems.com

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LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY SECTION B

The Myth Buster Series Drew Belt | Assistant Golf Professional at West Lake County Club

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yth #1 “Do not dip your head.”

We are starting out the three-part series with one of the biggest myths of them all. This is largely due to the fact that this myth is heard on TV from all the commentators. So, if they say it on TV it must be true right?

Wrong. Moving your head down is an extremely important part of hitting the golf ball solid. The “dip”

(to a certain extent) has nothing to do with hitting the ball bad! Here is why all the tour players head’s go down: players engage their lowing body and mid-section, deepen their hips during the backswing and follow through, and deepen the angle of their midsection. Why? This does two very important things: first, you are going to hit the ball farther because you are using the big muscles of your body to help you hit the ball; and second, if you head is not moving downwards anywhere throughout the swing, this will cause

your hands to get stuck and you will struggle with the direction of your shots. So that is interesting… straighter and farther if you dip? If you have any questions about this check out some of the greatest golf swing of all time, they all dipped! I could go on and on with all the great players that moved their head down but here is a great example of the newly crowned Masters Champion Adam Scott. What a great golf swing! If you think his head was steady throughout his swing…think again.

Drew Belt This is a sponsored Golf article. Drew is an Assistant Golf Professional at West Lake County Club.

A PGA of America Class A Member, Drew has been teaching golf to all levels of players for over 10 years. For comments or story ideas email drewbelt@ westlakecountryclub.com

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MAY 2013

Allergy Relief and Exercise ED REID | Owner, Team Fit

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pringtime is upon us and summertime is just around the corner -- time for outdoor workouts!

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, outside activities and the thought of your anguish may have you afraid to go for a stroll around the block. Before you totally cancel your outdoors training sessions, try these moves to help lessen the affects of allergies.

• Check The Weather Report - Check levels and avoid training during the peak times of high pollen counts.

• Cover Up - Wearing a hat (or other form of head cover) and glasses/ shades can help prevent pollen from getting into your hair and eyes.

• Reduce Tag-along Tracking - Remove your shoes and excess clothes before you enter the car or house. This will impede tracking outdoor allergens indoors. It is also a good idea to wipe down your pet whenever returning from outside activity as well.

• Eat Well, Drink Well - The right foods can help build your immune system. Foods that are high in antioxidants help your body defend outdoor allergens. Foods high in sugar can cause the body to produce more mucus, further aggravating breathing problems. Drink at least half of your bodyweight in ounces of water daily to stay properly hydrated. This will help prevent mucus build up and work to keep breathing passages clear.

This is the time of year that will allow you many opportunities to enjoy exercising and training outdoors.

Proper planning with help you enjoy this beautiful season. Find activities that are right for your fitness level and always remember to have fun “Getting Fit!” ED REID This is a sponsored Fitness article.

Ed is a Certified Personal Trainer and leading fitness expert in the CSRA. He is Retired US Navy with over 15 years experience in the health and wellness industry. Ed owns Team Fit Personal Training located at 4460 Columbia Road, Suite 10. For more information, call Ed at 706.877.0556 or e-mail him: getfit@teamfitaugusta.com.

Chipper Jones to be guest speaker at G.A.M.E.S. Awards banquet

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nu Legendary major league baseball player Chipper Jones will be the special guest speaker for the 22nd Annual Greater Augusta Medals for Excellence in Sports (G.A.M.E.S.) Awards banquet May 7 at the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center.

Jones is an 8-time All-Star with 468 home runs and is remembered as one of the best switch hitters and third basemen to play the game because of his role in the Atlanta Braves World Championship in 1995.

“It is exciting to host such an elite athlete to our awesome city for an event that recognizes the best of the best of our local amateur athletes,” said Brinsley Thigpen, Augusta Sports Council Chief Executive Officer. “Chipper Jones’ success with the Atlanta Braves will hopefully mirror the future achievements of the athletes we will honor. I encourage our community to attend this event and nominate athletes who they feel should be awarded for their accomplishments.”

The G.A.M.E.S. Awards program was created in 1992 to highlight the outstanding amateur athletes who represent a broad spectrum of sports disciplines in the CSRA and awards two scholarships to rising college freshmen. Nomination forms are available at www.augustasportscouncil.com.

Please call 706.722.8326 for reservations.

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MAY 2013

GOODWILL® ENCOURAGES SIMPLE STEPS TO PROTECT OUR PLANET Advertorial by Susan Everitt

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he proliferation of advice on sustainable living has left many consumers overwhelmed and wondering if their “green efforts” even make a difference.

Goodwill Industries®, a pioneer of the reduce-reuserepurpose philosophy, wants the public to know that simple acts, like donating gently used clothing and household items to Goodwill, can have a lasting impact on the planet.

“April 22 is Earth Day, and it provides the perfect opportunity for individuals, and our community organization, to renew our commitment to one important new green practice that can make a difference. Small acts add up to big change when you harness the power of millions who care about our local community as well as our planet,” said Jim Stiff, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA.

Through the sale of donations, Goodwill diverts billions of pounds of usable goods from landfills annually. Revenues from the sale of these Goodwill stores’ goods fund programs that put people to work, including people with disabilities, those who lack critical education skills or job experience, and others facing challenges to finding employment. And, like our donors, shoppers play a key role in this process. When people find bargains in their local Goodwill stores, they not only save money, they also extend the lifespan of items that would otherwise be discarded.

To show individuals how their donations make a difference, Goodwill developed the patentpending Donation Impact Calculator at http://donate.goodwill.org. The calculator translates the value of donations into job training programs, employment placement services and other vital programs that benefit local communities. For example, the donation of one working computer

translates into 5.8 hours of a job search class. Last year, more than 100,000 people saw the impact of their donations made through 288,000 calculations on the site.

“For more than a century, Goodwill has linked protecting our environment to helping people earn paychecks, support their families and strengthen their communities,” said Mr. Stiff. “Each individual shopper and donor is an important partner in the important work that we perform every day.”

Susan Everitt This is a sponsored article. Susan is the former Director of Communications for Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA (www. goodwillworks.org). She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Alzheimer’s Association, Board of Directors of the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors of the American Advertising Federation – Augusta, Augusta Ballet Advisory Board, and the Augusta West Rotary Club. Susan graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South.

Home 2 Suites Partners with Ronald McDonald House Charities

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Best Western Evans Hotel receives Good Earthkeeping award

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he Best Western Evans Hotel on Belair Road received a “Stars of the Lodging Industry” award (Division 1) for “Good Earthkeeping” from the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association on March 19 in Atlanta.

The award was presented for the hotel staff members’ efforts in going ecofriendly, creative land use and community-focused recycling efforts.

“We recycle our cans, and our lemons by donating them to the pet shelter,” said Konta Kondur, general manager. “We’ve done recycling of newspapers, some toiletry items, and even cell phones for soldiers. We’ve been doing it now for four years and we always try to encourage our guests to be a part of what we are doing.”

Best Western’s innovative recycling program has even spread to other hotels that get involved in their Kibbles for Critters program at Christmas Time, which benefits the local animal shelter.

Because of these efforts, the Best Western Evans Hotel has applied for recognition on Trip Advisor’s Green Leader program and was accepted at the Bronze level, which may draw more environmentally conscious visitors to stay in their hotel. For more information about the hotel, call 706.651.9100.

ugusta’s newest hotel, the 123-suite, four-story Home2 Suites by Hilton, held their official grand opening on April 24 with a ribbon cutting attended by both the Augusta Metro and Columbia Country Home2 Suites by Hilton Chambers of Commerce.

Ribbon cutting on April 24.

Home2 is Hilton’s newest brand, owned

by Generation Companies out of Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, with a focus on the extended stay market. Augusta is the 15th location for the brand due to the city’s extended stay needs.

“Augusta has one of the largest extended stay market needs in the country, and there is a shortage of short term housing to fill all the needs of the projects going on at Plant Vogtle, Firestone, the new Starbucks, and throughout the community,” said Bennett Pappas, director of sales. “All of our suites offer a lot of amenities for the overnight traveler including deep drawers for storage, cooking and work spaces in every suite, and complimentary WiFi.” To celebrate their grand opening, Home2 also announced their partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta as part of as part of Home2 Suite’s Your2 Hands community initiative. The hotel will donate $10,000 in Home2 microfiber linens and bedding, which will aid the organization in continuing its mission of providing temporary lodging and support for families of seriously ill children.

“The needs of families staying at the Ronald McDonald House are similar to the needs of our guests staying at Home2: a comfortable, welcoming, clean place to stay and nothing says comfort more than our plush bedding and microfiber sheets,” said Pappas.

“Partnering with The Ronald McDonald House will allow our Augusta team the opportunity to provide aid and support to those going through difficult times and we’re honored to contribute to such a worthy cause,” said Bill Duncan, global head of Home2 Suites by Hilton.

For more information, visit www.augusta. home2suites.com.

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MAY 2013

Quiet and Quaint in Historic Augusta Nola Bon Viveur | Fun-Loving Foodie

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continue my search for the best restaurants for business meetings in the CSRA. Last month I dined in Downtown Augusta, as it certainly fit the bill for being a centralized location for many Augusta business professionals. This time, for my meeting with the design team for Verge, I moved up town just a bit and scheduled my meeting at the Partridge Inn on Walton Way. The Partridge Inn is a legend in Augusta. It was purchased by Morris Partridge in 1892 and transformed from a private residence into an intimate exquisite inn. The onsite restaurant, the P.I. Bar and Grill, is open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner and for brunch on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Many professionals work in the vicinity of Walton Way (hospitals, banks, universities, etc…), so this location certainly meets the criterion for being centrally located.

Remember, my criteria for a great business lunch spot include noise level, convenient location, fast and friendly service and networking potential.

I’ve already established that The Partridge Inn is conveniently located for many professionals in the area. The atmosphere certainly meets the quiet criterion as well. The P.I. Bar & Grill is beautiful. It’s elegant, yet simple. There is seating available in the dining room inside or on the verandah. There is very little noise, making it easy to conduct a professional business meeting.

The staff at Partridge Inn is outstanding. The servers are friendly and attentive. They are willing to accommodate any special needs. For example, I needed the Wi-Fi password, and the hostess went out of her way to contact the front desk and get the information for me. Because the daily breakfast is served buffet style, dining and working within our one-hour timeframe was certainly doable. It is not so quick that you feel rushed with the “business” portion of lunch, but it is

fast enough that working within a onehour time frame is certainly doable. We never felt rushed.

The breakfast buffet is basic, but the chefs to well making sure that they offer variety for different types of breakfast eaters. They offere an expansive selection of fresh fruits, yogurt, granola and other cereals, on the lighter side. The hot breakfast items include eggs, grits, oatmeal, bacon and sausage-gravy with biscuits.

There is also a sampling of muffins and Danishes. Everyone was pleased with their choices. I went with a protein-rich breakfast of eggs, bacon and yogurt.

I did not run into any other business contacts this day, but I would say that the P.I. has the potential to be a great spot for networking. I imagine they do host more lunch meetings and “business after hours” than they do breakfast gatherings. In addition, the inn itself is beautiful and upscale. If you have out-of-town clients that need a place to stay while here conducting business, I’d say it’s one of the best options in the CSRA. All in all, my experience was a great one. I will definitely keep it on my list of places to dine with clients and colleagues.

Nola Bon Viveur the “Fun-Loving Foodie,” is on the quest to find the best local hotspots for business power lunches. Nola is a regular contributor for Buzz on Biz. She is a native of Augusta, and is well acquainted with the local food scene.

LOCATION SERVICE NETWORKING Noise LEVEL

St. Louis Original Hamburgers

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t. Louis Original Hamburgers opened their first location at 407 Furys Ferry Road on April 11 with the intent of allowing customers to create their own perfect burger, anticipating an official grand opening sometime at the end of May or early June.

“I was a franchisee in South Carolina, but in my dealings with the corporate structure I found it was very difficult to make changes mid-stream, and I found there was a lot of input I was getting from customers that we could not follow in the corporate setting,” said owner Gregory Glover. “I just wasn’t satisfied with the product we were putting out and I wanted to be able to offer a variety of healthier products and less frozen food.”

Though he is still hiring servers and kitchen staff to perfect his customer service process during the soft open, Glover hopes to expand once the St. Louis brand is established -- possibly to a Grovetown location.

“We love Augusta, where I’m originally from, but I also think the Grovetown area is booming and I’d like to expand into that area if the opportunity presents itself,” he said. “We don’t want to grow too fast, but we want to concentrate on getting this location operating and solidify the product here.”

St. Louis Original Hamburger’s most popular item, the Louis Delux, is a six ounce hamburger that comes with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and mayonnaise.

Other popular burgers include the Black and Bleu burger and the Mushroom Swiss.

Other items on the menu include four different types of pita wraps and a variety of salads, plus turkey and veggie burgers.

“I went through a process of testing and tasting different products so we were able to come up with a flavor profile unique to our brand,” he said. “Also being health conscious and being a former trainer I wanted something that could be a healthy alternative for people who don’t want to eat red meat, and I came up with a special seasoning for our turkey burger that I created myself.”

“We’re a build-your-own burger type of place, so we’re not limited to just your basic burger,” he continued. “We don’t have every ingredient it is possible to have, but we have artists working in our kitchen who can come up with a lot of flavor varieties to suit your taste. We consider ourselves more of a burger boutique.”

St. Louis Original Hamburgers is currently building their website. For more information, call 706.755.2023.

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SECTION E

The Curiosity Shop has had several Grand Openings. Another one is coming in Granitville. Photos from Facebook: Curiosity Shops

The Curiosity Shop is now the Curiosity Shops Stephen Delaney Hale | South Carolina Section Editor

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ike an Irish Traveler, The Curiosity Shop is keeping on the move, opening its fourth and fifth locations, but still with the same fascinating merchandise from the British Isles and beyond.

After 15 years in three locations in downtown Aiken, John Heaton and his wife Amy Neeley have opened a new location in Suite 104 of the historic Holley Building at

113 Laurens Street, SW. They are working on yet another store to open in the Masonic Shopping Center in Graniteville. The two stores will operate together with the much larger Graniteville location serving as a resupply resource for the Laurens Street shop.

As president of the Aiken Downtown Development Association, John said, “We will always have a downtown Aiken presence and what better place to be than in The Holley Building, one of the cornerstone locations in Aiken?”

The century-old brick construction

sets the mood as it frames the many beautiful objects from England, Scotland and Ireland. In their most recent Park Avenue venue, the couple had begun to branch out with products from other European countries as well as India and more exotic locales. That will continue, said Amy. “We have some very loyal customers from the British Isles, of course, including Ireland,” she says, adding that they are growing the business to accommodate people with connections to the British Commonwealth from Australia, New

www.intellisystems.com

Zealand, South Africa, Jamaica, India and others. “We are also developing a clientele with ties to the Scandinavian countries and continental Europe.”

The loyalty runs so deep among British and Irish people for The Curiosity Shop that they have regular customers who come from as far as 150 miles away.

“That is part of the appeal of Graniteville, in two geographical frameworks,” said Heaton. “We have developed a lot of relationships with

Continued on Page 28

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MAY 2013

New Locations in Aiken and Graniteville

Photography by Brent Cline Photos from Facebook: Curiosity Shops

Continued on Page 28 people from Augusta and around Georgia as well as from Columbia, Charleston and Greenville. It is quite a bit quicker to get to Graniteville from Augusta, and we believe our new proximity to I-20 will be helpful for our clientele from those other cities.”

“Also,” said Amy, “many of the people of Graniteville are historically minded. They have been very friendly and supportive. We are almost next door to the Post Office and many people have dropped by after mailing a package and told us how pleased they are that we are opening there.”

Many of the store’s customers come there for the history because Graniteville itself is an historic location, said Heaton, and its residents are aware of their roots and those of their town.

“It is fascinating to us that many of the people we have met are from

the same families who helped William Gregg operate the first manufacturing plant in the South here in 1845,” said John. “Most of them came from the great Scots-Irish migration of that same period. They have been told they were Scottish or Irish, or both, their whole lives.”

Both stores are playgrounds for those who cherish their past – or just a good cup of tea and a crumpet.

The dual locations will allow the couple to expand their inventory and add new items,” says Amy. Like the Park Avenue store, the new locations will carry food, gifts, books and music.

The Laurens Street store offers many types of tea, along with tartans, tuxedo jackets – both tailored to the Scottish clan or Irish county from which the client hails – as well as classic Scottish dirks (that’s a dagger), watches, very colorful ties and

Tax Seminar Offered in Columbia for the Restaurant and Bar Industry

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he South Carolina Department of Revenue will host a Sales and Use Tax Seminar for the Restaurant and Bar Industry on May 9 at Spring Hill Suites in Columbia.

Sales and Use Tax Seminars are designed to give tax information and updates to specific industries based on legislative trends and taxpayer requests. Those urged to attend include business managers, Chief Financial Officers, accounting and tax professionals, and others who work with sales and use taxes.

Topics of discussion will include sales tax exemptions, liquor by the drink tax and admissions tax. The event is expected to go from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., including an overview of South Carolina electronic services, basics of the tax, software and similar service contracts, lunch and exemptions and exclusions followed by a question and answer session.

Pre-registration is required and should be sent to the DOR at least three days prior to the seminar. The $45 registration fee will cover all materials and lunch.

These seminars are fee-based and taught beyond the basic level. Similar seminars for educational institutions, manufacturers and government and municipalities are planned throughout the summer.

For more information on this seminar and for registration details, visit www.sctax.org or contact DOR’s Taxpayer Education Coordinator at 803.898.5593.

scarves, books and even a sword to go with your official clan tuxedo.

Everything carried in Aiken will also be available at the Graniteville shop, just more of it. That goes especially for books because The Holley Building space cannot accommodate the couple’s tremendous array of books.

Most of those are histories from the British Isles, but they have many more titles as well. Celtic music discs and music from around the world are highly sought after at The Curiosity Shop, and there is always a gentle tune in the air.

They will continue their food market in Graniteville with a tea bar in a café seating. The store will continue to offer grocery items, such as milk, bread, cheeses and coffees. They will transfer their impressive offering of beers and wines from around the world at the Graniteville location.

Asked for their biggest selling items, Amy first mentioned British foods, especially tea and accessories to go with tea. “We can’t keep tea pots in the store, especially English tea pots,” says Amy. The two are certified tea experts from the Specialty Tea Institute.

“We have some very loyal customers from the British Isles, of course, including Ireland,” says Neeley, adding that they are growing

the business to accommodate people with connections to the British Commonwealth from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Jamaica, India and others. They are also developing a clientele with ties to the Scandinavian countries and continental Europe.

“We hope all our friends will find us and that our move, that is moves, will help us find new people to enjoy the things we love so much,” she said.

Stephen Delaney Hale He is a freelance writer and president of HaleStorm communications, a small public relations firm based in Aiken, S.C. The Augusta Chronicle published his first book, “Aiken and Its Horses – A Celebration of Equestrian Sports,” in March of 2000. The printing has sold out.

He is a co-author of African-Americans in Aiken County - A Pictorial History, published in July, 2008. Hale has written for dozens of newspapers and magazines in the two state area. As the former Augusta market correspondent for Reuters News Agency Hale’s coverage was published across the globe, including The Times (London), The New York Times, The South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), and many more. To reach Stephen email haleyes@gforcecable.com or call (803) 221-4976.

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NEW !

ON LOCATI

Business & Industry Health has moved!

Visit us at: 440 Society Hill Drive, Suite 204 Aiken, SC 29803 (Village at Woodside)

Questions about about our Workplace Wellness programs?

Call 803-642-2885.

BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY HEALTH

Physicians are on the medical staff of Aiken Regional Medical Centers, but, with limited exceptions, are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Aiken Regional Medical Centers. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.

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MAY 2013

Family Owned and Operated Since 1964

About Thyme Café Extends Hours

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he About Thyme Café, located at 220 Georgia Ave. in North Augusta, recently acquired a beer and wine license and will be serving dinner as well as lunch to accommodate the increased demand.

“We applied for the license about two months ago because we thought it would increase the demand for our dinner business, and we imagine a lot of people will want to stop by About Thyme later in the evening to have a beer or a glass of wine,” said manager Michelle Bales. “Also, spring is here, and we anticipate a lot of people wanting to relax on our patio as well as enjoying some new dinner specials we’re going to be adding shortly.”

Everything at About Thyme is homemade, including casseroles in different sizes, hot and cold sandwiches, and a create-your-own perfect salad special. Casseroles include shrimp and grits, classic meat lasagna and spinach and artichoke lasagna.

Also available is a nan-pesto pizza made on personal-sized flatbread. They also bake cakes daily and usually have at least four different varieties, their most popular being the old fashioned caramel and red velvet.

Wine is available for $4 per glass or either Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Cabernet. Beer is $2.50 for Bud Light and $4 for a bottle of Stella Artois, Magic Hat or Seirra Nevada.

The new business hours will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. To reserve a table or request take-out, call 803-426-8306.

Commercial Printing

Direct Mail

Shop Aiken

Gifts|Services|Dining

The Aiken Chamber Means Business 803.641.1111|www.aikenchamber.net

Vinyl Graphics & Signs 502 EDGEFIELD ROAD • NORTH AUGUSTA, SC 29841 Open Monday – Friday: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

fax -- 803.278.4831 • email -- Info@QPGraphics.com

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MAY 2013

Business Savvy and Buttermilk Biscuits

By Nora Blithe | Freelance Writer

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usiness savvy is about more than just excellent money management or a slick suit.

Sometimes, it’s about who you know. Or, as it happened to my friend Becky, it’s about what recipes you know.

It was 4:58 pm and Becky needed a business license for her recently purchased pet sitting business, Pets Are People Too. A new business owner, Becky spent her day filling out paperwork and satisfying the government. The license office was her final stop of the day and she wasn’t leaving without the needed paperwork.

Unfortunately, the office staff were ready to leave for the day and helping Becky was low on their priority list. Faced with two people who were going to be less help than an obstinate cow at a slaughter house, Becky seized her only in. She joined their ongoing conversation about a recipe for buttermilk biscuits.

“That sounds good,” she told them, “my husband loves to cook

biscuits.

I’ll have to share that recipe with him.”

The older, well-padded women eyed her blonde, statuesque form from behind the counter.

“Huh, you ain’t never had a biscuit in your life if you’re that skinny,” one proclaimed. The other chuckled in agreement.

Never daunted, Becky sassed back, “Just because I don’t have dimples on my face doesn’t mean I don’t have them elsewhere.”

The women burst into laughter.

The ice broken they became suddenly helpful.

With a, “What do you need from us, baby?” they helped her complete the paperwork.

Becky left the office not only with the needed business license but with a new buttermilk biscuit recipe as well. Proof that being a business owner requires more than just a head for numbers; it also requires a generous portion of people skills. nora blithe Nora and her husband Brian just moved from Augusta to Greenville and she is looking for a new career! Read her blog online at doorinface. com or contact her at norablithe@gmail. com.

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