Click here to hear the podcast with Larry Rudwick
Business consultant Larry Rudwick, “Larry, The Business Tune-Up Guy” stops by the radio BUZZ for his monthly visit with Bill and John. This month Larry continues with his ten tips for improving your business. This month, Larry talks about knowing your strengths and weaknesses.
WRDW 1630AM 12-2PM OR STREAMING LIVE AT WWW.WRDWAM.COM
The boyz will get a little taste of good ol’ fashioned southern hospitality when they sample some “Edible Arrangements” and some of what the Partridge Inn has to offer. Here is the guest list:
12:20pm – “Larry The Tune-Up Guy” joins us via telephone from his office in Northern Virginia. He’s a business coach and a relative of Buzz founder Neil Gordon. He’ll offer up some insights on how to work on your business more productively.
His website is http://www.businesstune-ups.com/index.html
12:45pm – Kevin Wade of Intellisystems stops by each Thursday to discuss your office and voice needs. Intellisystems is a Microsoft provider, and does Networking, Monitoring, and Voice and Data services for clients. For more information, log on to www.intellisystems.com
1:20pm - - KEVIN CIUNCILLI is the franchisee for EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS. He will join you in the studio to chat about the special they are running on dipped fruits and a charity effort!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and they have 3 bouquets to support Breast Cancer. Edible Arrangements will donate 10% of each sale towards breast cancer research.
Prices are $36-59 dollars and the chocolate has pink food coloring on it.
Their website is www.ediblearrangments.com.
1:30pm – GERALD JONES MAZDA
1:45pm - - SATURDAY IS THE BIG GALA! Hospitality experts from The Partridge Inn join us to discuss the exciting events planned for the hotel’s 100th Anniversary in 2010. They will also discuss some hospitality “do’s” and “don’t's” to help you plan your upcoming event. Find out more by logging on to www.partridgeinn.com
PHOTOS BY: Buzz Ambassador TRENT ANTHONY
Two experts from the Public Relations and Advertising fields were the keynote speakers at a monthly marketing workshop organized by the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce.
Steve Johnston, President of Team One Advertising shared insights from his approximate 40 years in Television Advertising and Advertising Agency experience.
He talked about targeting your ad dollars to your busy times and to your customer demographics.
Nancy Gage, director of Marketing and Public Relations for the SRP Federal Credit Union emphasized the importance of customer service, image, branding— and how her financial institution is looking at carefully applying those principles to social media. She also said developing relationships with the media is important.
PHOTOS BY: Buzz Ambassador TRENT ANTHONY
The 3rd Tuesday of the month was filled with lots of great stories, mingling, and business getting done together! Pat Kelly and his team from Comcast Business Services was the host sponsor and he discussed how Comcast has the fastest speed business internet service anywhere.
Next month’s meeting is Thursday November 18th at the Partridge Inn and Kathy Crist from Right At Home is the host sponsor.
Business leaders are invited and the first meeting is free and there is a membership fee after that.
For more info, email neil.gordon@buzzon.biz
courtesy: ASA
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) honored several of its members last week during the ASRW Awards Luncheon. Held in Las Vegas during ASA’s annual trade shows – the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) and the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) – the annual luncheon provides a platform in which the association can acknowledge the achievements of some of its outstanding members.
Ron Pyle, ASA’s president and chief staff executive, hosted the program, which opened with the Automotive Management Institute (AMI) graduation ceremony recognizing those who have earned the Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation.
During the awards ceremony, Tschanen Brandyberry, Motor Age managing editor, presented ASA’s immediate-past chairman, Earl Dohner, AAM, and ASA’s current chairman, Jerry Burns, AAM, with die-cast replica cars in honor of their contributions to the industry. Honoring the ASA chairmen in this way is a longtime tradition of the publisher.
ASA awards presented during the Oct. 11 event included:
The ASA Benefit Provider of the Year is presented to a sponsored benefit provider in appreciation of its relationship with ASA, and for the value, quality and professional service it offers to ASA members. This year’s recipient was BizUnite, Manchester, N.H., which plays a key role in the ASA Marketplace housing ASA’s online benefits portfolio.
The Phoenix Award recognizes an ASA Collision Division member for his or her contribution to the automotive service industry. Darrell Amberson, AAM, president of Lehman’s Garage, Bloomington, Minn., was the recipient of this year’s award.
The Alpha Award recognizes an ASA Mechanical Division member for his or her generous and far-reaching contributions to the automotive service industry. Aaron Clements, AAM, C&C Automotive, Augusta, Ga., was the recipient of this year’s award.
The ASA Legislative Award recognizes those who have made an impact on legislative and regulatory activities. This year’s award went to Rusty Savignac, Paxton Garage Inc., Paxton, Mass., for his efforts to educate policymakers, technicians and shop owners about service information availability.
The ASA Chairman’s Club Award honors the top volunteer recruiter during a designated time span. This year’s award, which included a trip to ASRW 2010, was presented to Kevin and Patty Leiby, Leiby Automotive Service LLC, Millersburg, Mo.
The ASA Chairman’s Award of Excellence recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to ASA and the automotive repair industry. Two honorees were announced this year – Joe Sanfillipo III, USA Collision Centers, Cincinnati, Ohio; and Neva Hollins, AAM, ASA-Georgia executive director, Augusta, Ga.
Break out the torches and pitchforks. It’s monster time.
Over Labor Day weekend, a number of doors opened in Augusta, including a nationwide chain of Halloween stores.
“It’s officially Halloween when Spirit Halloween stores begin opening in Augusta over Labor Day,” said Barric Thompson, manager.
The 27-year-old company, a subsidiary of Spencer’s Gifts, gives Halloween enthusiasts an option for costumes and home décor in their temporary pop-up stores.
Other seasonal retailers, such as Toys ‘R Us whose big season is Christmas, is following the relatively new model of setting up in temporary sites. This means a better selection for the consumer and lower overhead for the company since the stores are not open when people are not buying vampire teeth.
The same idea drives Halloween Express on Martintown Road in North Augusta. The seasonal store is like a big box of costumes and accessories perfect for the person wishing to transform their property into a graveyard for All Hallows Eve.
But if you’re looking for a more Augusta feel, locals should know that the costume cache from now-defunct Fat Man’s Forest was snatched up by Costumes by Michele, a business on Broad Street. Here you’ll find elaborate outfits for rent by the day.
Owner Michele Hattman has long been a fixture in Augusta during the Halloween season. Many locals began relying on Hattman as children for trick or treating wear and continue now to be fitted for more adult parties. After a quarter century, Hattman can find almost anything – and what she can’t find, she can make.
The rituals to which we wear our Halloween costumes to are a bit different in Augusta. Here, families find a mix of horror and education within a mix of family-friendly attractions that run from Labor Day to just after Oct. 31.
Back in the 1980’s, kids would line up for blocks, wait in line for an hour and then pay $5 for the experience of being chased around some dilapidated house on Walton Way by a poorly costumed version of Michael Myers wielding an obviously fake chainsaw.
Oh, how times have changed. Now, professionals offer a full Halloween experience.
Grovetown morphs into Gravetown when you visit an old home with a significant history of paranormal activity. Nightmare Plantation, hosting Le Chat Noir, will give performances of original characters and story lines by professional actors.
Early reviews of Nightmare Plantation are glowing. The experience is scary, without the usual Halloween clichés.
“All of the characters are 100 percent original – and they are believable too,” said organizer Don Dyches. More than 40 local actors have been tapped for roles in the haunted plantation production, making it much more than the typical scary house tour. It is drama cleverly cloaked as pop art.
A portion of every ticket sold benefits Haydens International Gymnastics Academy’s attempt to create a news Special Olympics program in Columbia County. Nightmare Plantation is off Gordon highway near Gate 3 of Fort Gordon. Visit nightmareplantation.net
Plantation Blood, a competitor of Nightmare Plantation got into a spooky turf battle over land. Last year, they moved from Evans To Locks Road to the current Nightmare Plantation site. This year they looked at Mullins Crossing Phase II property in Evans and finally settled on a South Augusta location bordering Tobacco, Windsor Spring, and Peach Orchard Roads. Check them out on www.plantationblood.com “The Fright Factory returns with a 40,000 square foot warehouse near Adventure Crossing. Visit www.frightfactoryofgeorgia.com
Michael Wolff and Ken Moore attempt a similar mission with Dessert With a Ghost being held on Oct. 29 at Fort Discovery’s Paul Simon Theatre. This interesting get-together pairs ice cream with local lore. The presentation includes illusionists paired with video showings making for an eerie evening with the family.
“Augusta has plenty of ghost stories, and we tell them,” Wolff said. “With Dessert With a Ghost, families can learn all about Augusta’s spooky past and top it all off with sprinkles and a cherry.”
Fun local tales like that of the Haunted Pillar on Broad Street are part of the presentation along with other places here in Augusta that are reported to have otherworldly connections. Plenty of local buildings here have the reputation for being haunted and Wolff and crew tell several of those tales and then enjoy ice-s-cream. This event has been held in Augusta for the past several years and Wolfe said he started the concept as a means to give families an alternative to the usual haunted houses and door-to-door solicitations.
Wolff also says Dessert With a Ghost also gives youngsters a better understanding of Augusta’s true history by presenting it as campsite tales. Adding the illusionists and the promise of ice cream completes the job of keeping those short attention spans focused.
For those with no desire to pay to be scared or have children to enjoy ice cream treats, virtually every bar in town as a themed event for Halloween. While the Partridge Inn is not hosting a haunted house, it is Augusta’s premiere haunted house. The ghostly apparition of Morris Partridge can be seen at times walking in the courtyard outside of suite 10.
Another g “real ghost” experience is the 1797 Ezekiel Harris House on Broad Street in Harrisburg. A Revolutionary war battle occurred in the field out near the front of the house. It’s a great day tour, but no one volunteers to sleep in the building. After dark, it sits silent and brooding from its perch overlooking the Savannah River.
Those who don’t care to dip their toes into the chilly waters of the supernatural still have a reason to celebrate the season. The pumpkin may be present for celebrants of the harvest, but it carries a different significance: the celebration of the reaping time. And local agri-businesses offer harvest-themed activities for kids of all ages.
Places such as Kackleberry Farm in Louisville, GA and Steeds Dairy Farm in Columbia County offer all types of fun kid related activities. Not only does the farm experience complete the job of tiring out an active 6 year old, but also there won’t be any nightmares afterwards.
Halloween is celebrated many different ways in Augusta, from the haunt to the harvest. It’s a great revenue season for the creative business owner.
SCOTT HUDSON is the investigative reporter for WGAC News/Talk 580. You can read more of his work at wgac.com.
1. Develop Solid Leadership Skills
The best leaders in business, the nonprofit sector, and government are superb at time management and are competent in speed reading, personal computers, dictation skills, and the use of manual and electronic brainstorming techniques.
2. Help Your People Understand You
When you take over a new organization, get your key people together and tell them what your top priorities and your pet peeves are. It is especially important for them to learn very early what really bugs you. They will appreciate your candor.
3. Smoke Out Those of Low Integrity
Leaders must sniff the air constantly to ensure high standards of ethics are maintained. In almost all large organizations, someone is walking out the back door with something. Expense accounts, personnel records, training reports, and contracts need regular scrutiny.
4. Concentrate on Performance, Not Just Results
How you get results is important. Leaders who don’t concern themselves about the process and the performance that leads to the results are making a big mistake. Always ask yourself what it took to gain those great results.
5. Maintain a Sense of Outrage
There are many super-cool managers who worry too much about keeping their bosses happy. As a result, they never allow themselves to be outraged when the system is doing serious damage to those who work for them. The best leaders get mad occasionally and, using controlled outrage, can often make right wrongs that are levied upon their people.
6. Beware of Intimidation
Be very careful here. Some bosses allow themselves to be intimidated by outsiders, by their bosses, and even by their subordinates. An intimidated boss can never be a great leader. You have to have an independent mind to make the right choices.
7. Avoid the Activity Trap
Don’t confuse being busy with being productive. Without discipline, managers can become slaves to their meetings, travel schedules, in-boxes, and telephones. They get so wrapped up in the minutiae that they can become “in-box managers” rather than visionary leaders.
8. Build a Robust Braintrust
One of the great secrets of success is to have a braintrust of experts on various issues. I have learned that a braintrust of around 300 real smart and quick thinking friends can be very helpful whenever I need help. I have their office and home phone numbers and their e-mail addresses so I can get hold of them quickly. The braintrust is reciprocal in that we help each other.
9. Beware of the Paul Principle
Too many leaders allow themselves to slowly slide downhill in competence. When they lose touch with the issues, the new technologies, and the people, they have fallen victim to what I call the Paul Principle.
The future is coming fast. Leaders need to think about the future and prepare their people for it. To keep a close eye on the future, join the World Future Society and read two magazines regularly – Business Week and The Futurist.
10. Get Ready for the Future
Soon leaders will have exciting new technologies to help them be more efficient and effective leaders. The automatic dictating machine will allow leaders to quickly answer their daily mail or write their memos or weekly column. Teleconferencing will reduce the need for travel and speed up consensus-building and decision-making. Electronic brainstorming will accelerate the velocity of innovation. Electronic mail will reduce time wasted with “telephone tag.”
All leaders must work hard to build the future, for that is where they and their people will spend the rest of their lives.
Perry Smith is an active member of the Augusta Museum of History and area civic clubs and encourages your involvement. He can be reached via email at genpsmith@aol.com. “Rules and Tools For Leaders” is available on www.amazon.com
Click here to hear the podcast with Sam Adams
The Head Professional at the courses at Savannah Lakes, Sam Adams gives Bill and John an insight into some of the duties of a PGA Pro. This week, Sam is overseeing the annual Women’s Club Championship.
Click here to hear the podcast with the representative from SAM’S CLUB
Cory Coyle, the CLUB MANAGER from SAM’S CLUB stops by the radio BUZZ to talk to Bill and John about the Grand Re-Opening of the Club. The construction of the last three years is over, the club has been remodeled, new areas have been added, and there is now gasoline available.
WRDW 1630AM 12-2PM OR STREAMING LIVE AT WWW.WRDWAM.COM
The boyz are back from a late night soiree with the “Buzz on Biz” crew at the Partridge Inn (if you consider 730pm to be late!) They networked with many of our clients, prospects, and business leaders and enjoyed complimentary chicken fingers and shrimp cocktail with their nightcap!
Hopefully they are well rested and ready to fire up the “Buzz Afternoon Zoo”. They are talking about a couple of big economic engines going in different directions today— Sam’s Club and The National Science Center. Here is the guest list:
12:20pm – LAVONYA MADDOX, a local manager with Sam’s Club will make the trek from the Bobby Jones location to our studios on the Jimmy Dyess Parkway.
She will talk about the grand opening of the “bigger and better” Sam’s Club slated for Thursday morning.
12:45pm – Brian Tucker of the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce joins us for CHAMBER CHAT, a weekly look at networking events, workshops, seminars and activities to get involved with as a business leader. Brian also updates us on area business and state lobbying efforts. For more information log on to www.northaugustachamber.org
1:20pm – RICK VOSS (owner) from BATTERIES PLUS will talk about the “new” BATTERIES PLUS on Washington Road in Evans—his third franchise in the CSRA. They actually opened in June – but, just had the “official” ribbon cut.
1:30pm – GET FIT AUGUSTA as personal trainer Kristy Youngblood gets the boyz into shape.
1:45pm – Savannah Lakes Golf pro Sam Adams talks links with the boyz