oct05

Atlanta Flooring DesignCenters is excited to announcewe will be hosting the DuluthMerchants Association's October4th meeting at ourBuford Highwaylocation.

We have a wonderfulevening planned foryou and your guests withentertaining speakers and theA.F.D.C. family serving you greatfood and refreshments. As ourfriends and associates pleaseaccept our gracious invitationand honor us with yourattendance.

Since 1985, the support of theDuluth community and thebusiness merchants has been thefoundation on which AtlantaFlooring Design Centers hascontinued to grow. We arehonored to celebrate our 20thyear in business in this finecommunity. Thank you for allyour support. In return for thatsupport we have endeavored to

be a service to our neighbors byoffering families, churches,schools, hospitals and otherbusinesses beautiful floors at agreat value. And we are excitedto announce the upcomingopening of our Buford Locationat 1433 Buford Hwy, Buford GA30519.

This year we are again humbledto win the Consumers ChoiceAward for business excellence inAtlanta for retail floor coveringsales and service for the second

straight year. Thisprestigious awardrecognizes not onlyour wonderfulselection offashionable area

rugs, carpets, ceramic, stone,wood laminates and vinyl butalso our commitment and abilityto exceed your serviceexpectations. Please feel free tocome early and look through ourshowroom and warehouse forinspiring ideas in the lateststyles of floor covering includingrugs, wood, and ceramic. Weoffer free estimates anddecorating advice from aknowledgeable experienced salesstaff with experienced installersand customer service built upontreating others as we wish to betreated.

Once again we are privileged tohave scheduled the Honorable

Brooks Coleman as our guestspeaker. Brooks programs areeducational, entertaining,informative and will help guideyou through life's dailyopportunities. Brooks has been avery strong and loyal supporterof our community and we shouldshow our appreciation by “fillingthe house” October 4th. Pleasebring a guest.

Please come visit and be inspiredwith education andentertainment. We promise adelightful dining experience andto make you feel at home.

Sincerely,Donny Phillipswww.atlantaflooringdesign.com

VOLUME 17 NO. 10 OCTOBER 2005

DULUTH MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION

The DMA was conceived with the idea that as business people we can best accomplish together what no one could do alone.

October 4, 2005MeetingSponsored by

Atlanta Flooring Design Centers

3246 Buford Hwy(770) 476.8306

9/11 OlympixWrap-up &

PhotosPg 4

Awards Ceremony - Duluth Raiders a.k.a.Duluth Police with friends.

Greetings DMA Members,

Hopefully, you had the

opportunity to have had some

vacation time to regroup to

finish the rest of the year. Those

of you had the time to attend

the fall festival know that it was

a most unforgettable experience.

Thank you to those of you that

volunteered to be a part of this

splendid event. With all the

attention being given to the

hurricane victims, please let us

not forget our armed soldiers

that are in enemy territory on a

daily basis. They covet your

prayers and anything that you

can do to make life more

meaningful for them. As a

person that is from the third

world country of Jamaica, I do

value the liberties that have

been given to me unlike some of

our people here. We must

understand that freedom isn't

free and our soldiers deserve our

best. While we are on this topic,

may I take a moment to bring to

your attention a foundation that

is a great support system to our

troops. I have a friend, whose

name is Angie Doerlich, who

works with a program that

involves Adopt a Soldier, that

also reaches out to the families

of our troops. If you would like

to get involved, even in a

rudimentary way, you may

contact her at her email which is

[email protected]. Thanks to

Cody Moran for hosting last

month’s meeting and October’s

meeting will be held on the 4th

at Atlanta Flooring with Donny

Phillips, one of our past

presidents, at 6pm. You may go

the DMA website for directions.

Thank you to those of you that

participated in the 9/11 Police &

Fire Appreciation Day & Olympix

presented by the Foster

Children’s Foundation. Please

remember to reach out and

bring someone else into your

circle. Anytime is always a good

time to practice giving,

especially with Thanksgiving fast

approaching. There are so many

options given to volunteer to

serve in Gwinnett, please avail

yourself of the joy of giving. I

pray that Thanksgiving this year

will be exceptional for you as

you remember that everyday

above water, it a good day!! May

your life be a savory seasoning

of salt to some one today, is my

prayer, in the name of the Lord

Jesus!

With Fervent Love,Dereck WhitesmithDMA President 2005

OFFICERS

DERECK WHITESMITHPresident

JENNIFER INGALLSVice President

ALISA WILLIAMSSecretary

JOHN MONKTreasurer

2005DULUTH MERCHANTS

ASSOCIATION OFFICERS& BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Pam Adams 770.564.0876Laura Heck 770.814.8984

Jennifer Ingalls 770.490.0812Marion Maloof 770.923.1111

John Monk 770.495.8900Thom Mash 770.689.2600

Terry Palmer 404.502.5531Sunny Ramsay 404.906.4677

Chuck Raynor 770.418.4929Allan Roth 770.497.8776

Roderick Tate 770.495.9334Alisa Williams 770.476.3434Mark Williams 770.441.0945

Dereck Whitesmith 678.957.8030 Jim Wilson 770.813.8947

DMA-Gab-RRR OCTOBER 2005

from the desk of the

P R E S I D E N T

The Gab-RRR is a publication of theDuluth Merchants Association

www.duluthmerchants.com.

Printed and Distributed by Dennis & Carol Keller,

Accent Mail Service678.473.4643

Database byDennis & Carol Keller,

Accent Mail Service678.473.4643

Photography byLaura Heck, Heck Design Group

Phone/Fax [email protected]

Layout byTerry Palmer, QuickCREATIVE

[email protected]

3DMA-Gab-RRR OCTOBER 2005

Around Duluth

Scooby Doo 2: Monsters UnleashedSaturday, October 29Movies take place DowntownDuluth outside on the Town Green.

The Nerd9/29/05-10/23/05 Slapstick comedy- Meet Rick,a blundering klutz with nosocial sense, littleintelligence, and less tact… a “Nerd”Thursday – Saturday at 8:00pmSaturday & Sunday at 2:30pmTickets $18-$25

Cabaret Series Monster Mash Bash-Halloween Cabaret10/28/05 -10/29/05 A spooktactular concert of thevery best of Broadway’s darkside, with selections from

Halloweenon the Green

Phantom of the Opera toRocky Horror Show!Friday & Saturday at 8:00pmTickets $15-$20

Hometown Holidays-Aurora’s Canteen 200511/25/05-12/23/05 Back for it’s 10th year. Thisholiday tradition is filled withnostalgia and the magic ofthe season. It’s our gift to you.Wednesday – Saturday at 8:00pmSaturday & Sunday at 2:30pmTickets $18-$25

Special EventsThe Gospel of JohnBiblical Translation: New International Version11/3/05 - 11/5/05 Thursday – Saturday at 8:00pmSaturday Matinee 2:30pmTickets $18-$25

Dennis and Carol Keller ofAccent Mail teamed up withLaura Heck of Heck DesignGroup at the request of KathrynWillis to produce the first-everDuluth Fall Festival directory,which was successfully launchedat the Taste of Duluth celebrationon September 15. Modeled afterthe DMA directory, the new FallFestival directory will becomeanother tradition in the 23-yearhistory of the festival, listing over300 volunteers and sponsors.

Laura Heck will be showing herReflections in Water photography

at the Northern Star Coffeehousein Historic Norcross thisDecember and January. The showwill feature over 20 photographsdisplayed throughout thecoffeehouse, which also serveswine and desserts.

Kathryn Willis has been votedMost Valuable Volunteer bythe GA Downtown Associationand the Georgia Department ofCommunity Affairs. She will bereceiving the award on Oct. 6 atthe Annual Georgia DowntownConference in Madison, GA.

Duluth’s Barefoot in the ParkFine Arts Festival was alsovoted Best Downtown Event.The first year committee ofBarefoot in the Park was madeup of the City of Duluth, theGwinnett Community and VisitorsBureau, Doug Spohn, Rock,

Paper Scissors,The AuroraTheatre andProof of thePudding.

Terry Palmerrecently hadthe opportunityto meet withGovernor SonnyPerdue as hepresented SPAN-GA (SuicidePrevention Action Network) witha proclamation designating asuicide prevention day inGeorgia. Terry’s company, QuickCREATIVE, LLC, is anadvocate for the SPAN-GAorganization and works to raiseawareness of the importance ofsuicide prevention programs andfunding. For more info on SPAN-GA, visit www.Span-ga.org

MEMBERNews….

Saturday, October 29Trick or Treating withmerchants, hayrides andmore. For more info call(770) 497-5312 orwww.duluthga.net.

Terry Palmer ofQuickCREATIVE, withGovernor Perdue.


Great Day at The 20059/11 Police and FireOlympix! The morning began with a welcome from our own Mayor,Shirley Lasseter. Next up was a 9/11 Tribute delivered byCongressman, John Linder to all of the men and womenwho serve this county.

Herman Pennamon, Jr. (Chairman for the FosterChildren's Foundation) deliveredan invocation that touched thehearts of all. Duluth ROTC proudlyposted the colors. Then 6 Yearold Caity Schreiner, (Miss GeorgiaPrincess) asked the crowd tostand and led them in the Pledgeof Allegiance. Afterwardseveryone yelled to Caity “we want your autograph” andmany of them got it. Next, Lena Hood sang a beautifulversion of the National Anthem which was followed by a21 gun salute proudly performed by the Duluth HonorGuard.

David Dusik, Vice Chair for the Foster Children’sFoundation introduced each team as they took the fieldto begin the Olympix. The competitions were tough andincluded: A donut relay, Pants on Fire, Dizzy Bat, HipHoppers and more………!

It would not have been the same without the greatsounds of ourDJ, Scott Parrishof Spin'n Hitswho played theperfectbackgroundmusicthroughout the

day. It was a great day, lots of laughs and lots of fun.The closing ceremony included a patriotic medley sungby Ruby Montgomery, a special thanks to sponsors and apatriotic message delivered by J.K.Murphy of theGwinnett Daily Post. Team plaques and gifts wereawarded to all the teams as they are truly all winners.

Below are reflections from one of the officers whoparticipated in the Olympix that tells the story.

Comments from a 2005 Olympix participant,“Without a doubt that was one of the most enjoyabledays I have experienced since being in Law Enforcement.

I certainly came into the eventwith every aspiration of winningthe gold but by the end of theday I was happier with thepeople I had met and the fun inthe sun. The day was gorgeousand the laughter from the

crowd made it all the more enjoyable. It was a goodfeeling to know that everyday citizens could witnessemergency personnel on such a lighter note than what isgenerally displayed on TV. I appreciated seeing all ofour people from the state government agencies includingCongressman John Linder. I am grateful for his effortsin Homeland Security and hope that I can be ofassistance to that cause one day.I would love to help out with the event next year. It was

a great day and I as well as my fellow officers,appreciate the invitation. Thanks again for helping us(Emergency Personnel) remember the importance of ourjob and the need to remember the ones who gave it allon 9/11/01."Tory

A huge thank you goes out to all DMA memberswho helped in any way with this event, the sponsors,participants, judges, celebrities and many wonderfulvolunteers who made this possible. With everyone'shelp, the Foundation was able to raise $20,000 to helpcontinue the work we do with Foster Children.

“The Foundation was ableto raise $20,000 to helpcontinue the work we do

with Foster Children.”

Photos by Walter Kirk of Windward PhotographyCompetition Three "Hip Hoppers"

Caity Schreiner, Miss Georgia Princess, givingautographs to members of Suwanee PoliceDepartment's team "Suwanee Storm"

"Sponge Relay" included audienceparticipation

The infamous "Tug - O - War


So you work for yourself. You setyour own hours. Call your ownshots. Make money on your ownterms. But how are you doing whenit comes to managing your money?While working for yourself affordsmany new freedoms, it also presentsunique financial challenges. Cashflow, for example, can be erratic atbest. Saving for a rainy day offersnew hurdles too; while corporateemployees enjoy automatic payrolldeductions for savings andretirement plans, the self-employedmust rely on good old-fashioneddiscipline when it comes to fundingfor their golden years. And thenthere is the whole issue of taxes.

Whether you are currently amongthe 12.2 million According to theU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics -December 2003. independentcontractors in today's work force, orjust considering making the leapfrom employee to entrepreneur, hereare five quick tips to help you secureyour financial future.

Tip #1: Manage Your Cash FlowWhat do entrepreneurs; freelancewriters, real estate agents andplumbers have in common? They allface periods of uneven cash flow. Toensure you always have moneyreserves, develop a budget thatallows for swings in your income.First, determine an average of howmuch revenue you can count on eachmonth and use that as a base formonthly expenses. Then, (and this isthe tough part) during months thatyou earn more, resist the urge tosplurge. Instead, stash away extracash in an interest-earning savingsaccount or money market account.Also, when setting up your budget,consider paying yourself a set salaryand keeping your personal andbusiness cash in separate accounts.These steps alone will greatly simplyyour life when tax time rolls around.

Tip #2: Keep Uncle Sam HappyAs an employee, you received aForm W-2, detailing your income and

the amounts your employer paid outfor federal, state, Social Security andMedicare taxes. As an independentcontractor, you will receive a Form1099-MISC from every organizationthat pays you $600 or more duringthe tax year. Since no taxes arewithheld, you will need to calculatethe amount you owe. Now is thetime to invest in a good tax softwareprogram, such as TurboTax. The IRSwebsite (www.irs.gov) also hasguidelines on calculating quarterlytax payments. Keep in mind, youwill also have to pay your own SocialSecurity and Medicare taxes - youcan use Tax Form Schedule SE tohelp you calculate these amounts.The good news is that the self-employed enjoy many unique taxbreaks. Generally speaking,contributions to retirement plans,health insurance premiums, travelcosts, and office-related expensesmay all be deductible. Your personaltax advisor can help you determinewhich deductions are applicable toyour business.

Tip #3: Prioritize ProtectionPlanningWhen working for yourself, it's up toyou to provide your own health,disability and life insurance. Sadly,many self-employed individualsforego this important financial safetynet, fearing they simply can't affordit. The reality is, a lack of adequateprotection planning can have direconsequences for your business andyour family. At the very least, youshould have enough coverage toprotect yourself against potential lossof income due to illness or disability,medical and dental expenses notcovered by government health plans,and potential medical expenses whileyou travel. You may also need toboost your home insurance coverageor purchase liability insurance if youhave a home-based business. Yourbest bet is to speak to your licensedfinancial advisor, accountant orinsurance representative todetermine how much coverage youreally need.

Tip #4: Invest in Your Future It's never too soon, or too late forthat matter, to start saving forretirement. Fortunately for you, thegovernment affords the self-employed many generous tax breakswhen it comes to retirementaccounts. While there are a numberof retirement accounts for businessowners, including the traditional IRA,Roth Ira, Keogh plan and Simple-Ira,two in particular, the SEP-IRA andthe Solo 401(k) Profit SharingAccount are especially worth yourconsideration:

-The SEP in SEP Ira standsfor Simplified Employee Pension, alsoknown as a "self-employedretirement account." The Sep isdesigned to meet the needs of smallbusinesses and self-employedindividuals, and is easy to establishand easy to administer - thanks to aminimum of paperwork. For 2005,you can contribute up to 25% of pre-tax income up to a maximum of$42,000 (the amount is adjustedannually for inflation).

-The Solo 401(k) Profit-sharing plan offers generousadvantages to self employedindividuals. As the name suggests, itcombines a 401(k) account with aprofit-sharing plan. For 2005, youcan fund it with up to 100% of thefirst $14,000 in salary you payyourself ($18,000 if you are 50 orover). You can then contribute asmuch as 25% of your remainingyearly profits into the profit sharingportion of the plan. The combinedtotal yearly limit is 42,000 tax-deductible dollars on an annualbasis. But that's not all - similar totraditional 401(k) plans, you cantake tax-free, penalty-free loansfrom your Solo k plan (loans are notpermitted with Traditional or RothIRAs, SEP IRAs, or Keogh (MoneyPurchase/Profit Sharing Plans)).

Tip #5: Set Aside Cash ReservesPerhaps you became self-employed

Smart Money Tips for the Self-Employed

See “Smart Money Tips ” pg 6

Article submitted by Chitra Parikh


as the result of a downsizing, anda severance package has left youwith a healthy double-digit savingsreserve. Good for you. For thosewho landed upon self employmentwith a less than golden parachute,the old rule of setting aside atleast four to six months ofemergency savings is stillapplicable. It may take youseveral months of sacrifice to getthere, but it's one of the smartestthings you can do when firststarting out. Once those cashreserves are in place, you will befree to save generously forretirement and not risk goingdeeply into debt, should youbecome ill or unable to work forseveral months.

Working for yourself can be bothexciting and overwhelming, withmany new challenges to face, andan equal number of opportunities.Meeting with a qualified andlicensed financial professional canhelp you develop a comprehensivegame plan that will ensure years ofeconomic security and success.

Article submitted by Chitra Parikh,a sales professional with ThePrudential Insurance Company ofAmerica, 3500 Lenox Road NE,Suite 1200, Atlanta, GA 30326.(404) 262-2600, ext. 7070,[email protected].

Life insurance is issued by The Prudential

Insurance Company of America and its

affiliates. Securities offered by Pruco

Securities, LLC. All are Prudential Financial

companies located in Newark, NJ. The

availability of other products varies by carrier

and state. Prudential Financial, its affiliates,

and their licensed financial professionals do

not render tax or legal advice. Be sure to

consult with your tax and legal advisorsregarding your personal circumstances.

cont. from page 5Smart Money Tips


In the August2004 Gab-rrr Ishared informationwith you aboutspoofing. Only the

last 12 issues are displayed on theDMA website so, if you no longerhave your copy, feel free to send arequest to [email protected] and I'll be gladto email you a copy.

The gist of the article explains thatspammers send off large emailcampaigns using valid domains(often your credit card companies,banks, and service providers) inorder to trick innocent users intoproviding them personal details suchas credit and debit card numbers oraccount passwords in order tocommit identity theft. Some try tolure you to click links that attachviruses to your computers. Theviolators have become sosophisticated that our primaryrecourse is to ignore them.Spoofing, phishing and spamming issuch common behavior today that Iam becoming an expert atrecognizing unwanted emails. Thetext has almost rubbed off of myDelete key from the frequent use. Ican easily recognize the repeatoffenders but of course one or twoemails slip through the cracks or Iinadvertently delete a legitimatemessage. That’s why it is alwaysimportant that you provide a subjectline that will help others todetermine that your message is notspam when you send an email tosomeone that may not recognizeyour email address.

Most recently I received an emailthat was obviously spoofing myfavorite credit card processor,

PayPal. Before replying or clickingany links in the email, I always loginto my account from a new InternetExplorer window to look for any sitenotifications that would back up therequest or issue in the message.PayPal also allows you to reportfraudulent email to [email protected] also instruct you to delete theemail and to never click any links orattachments in a suspicious email. Imake it a habit to delete the emailfrom my Trash folder as well.

Below is information from PayPalon how to protect your accountfrom fraudulent emails:

4 Safe Log In: To log in to youraccount, open a new web browserand type in the followinghttps://www.paypal.com. The “s” inhttps:// indicates that you arelogging into a secure area.

4 Greeting: Email from PayPal willaddress you by your first and lastname or the business nameassociated with your PayPal account.Fraudulent emails often include thesalutation “Dear PayPal User” or“Dear PayPal Member”. The fact thatthey don't know you is a deadgiveaway that it’s a fraudulent email.

4 Email Attachments: PayPalemails will never ask you todownload an attachment or asoftware program. Attachmentscontained in fraudulent emails oftencontain viruses that may harm yourcomputer or compromise youraccount.

4 Request for PersonalInformation: If PayPal requiresinformation from you, they willnotify you in an email and requestthat you enter the information onlyafter you have safely and securelylogged in to your account.

These tips can also be used whendealing with other secure sites likeyour credit card companies, banksand other online companies forwhich you have an account.

Other steps that you can take tohelp prevent spoofs from affectingyou are to:4 keep your security softwarecurrent,4 update your firewalls and securitypatches often,4 change your password regularly,and4 use a unique password thatcontains letters and numbers andthat is not used on other accounts.

I hope that I’ve helped you to staysafer as the holiday and electronicfraud season comes upon us duringthis fourth quarter of 2005.

Calendar

Anyone interested in hosting a DMAmeeting or providing refreshments,please contact Jennifer Ingalls at

770.490.0812

All Meetings begin at 6:00pm on the firstTuesday of each month, except where

otherwise indicated with an *. Locations will vary.

** Dates subject to change.

Recognizing FraudulentEmails

October 4 Atlanta FlooringDesign Centers

November 1 Houston &Company CPA

December 6 Aurora Theatre

2 0 0 5

www.BizLynks.com

Bits & Bytes is brought to you by our

webmaster and Digital Diva, Pamela Adams,

www.BizLynks.com, 770-564-0876.

IS YOUR COMPANY MAKINGNEWS?If it is, we want to spotlight you in

the DMA Gab-RRR. If youhave any significantnews about yourbusiness: awards, big

wins, new expansions, relocating, please e-mail them toTerry Palmer at [email protected] fax it to 770-813-9923. It is yournewsletter and we rely upon you.

ARE YOU NEXT?We want to showcase our DMAmembers in our meetings. If youwould like to host a meeting or ifyou have an educational 30 minutepresentation that you believe would

be of benefit to our members, pleasecall Jennifer Ingalls at678.376.9700.

ARE YOU USING YOURASSOCIATION’S WEBSITE TOTHE FULLEST?Add your web address and a business description to your entry in the online membership directory.Send an e-mail to [email protected] with your updates

CHANGE OF ADDRESS Please e-mail addresschanges to Dennis Keller at

[email protected] or call him at

678.473.4643

ALL NEWSLETTER ENTRIESmust be submitted by the 12th ofeach month for the next issue.

THE NETWORK TABLE ISAVAILABLE!Yes, we want to invite all of you tobring your literature (in smallquantities) about your products andservices to our DMA meetings sofellow members can learn moreabout you. BUT, FAIR WARNING: atthe end of the evening, you musttake your literature with you, or it will bethrown away.

Duluth Merchants Association

Welcome to The Duluth Merchants Association! The DMA was conceived with the idea that as business people we can best accomplish together

what no one could do alone.

It is an association for members to participate in and improve the Duluth Community.

Duluth Merchants AssociationP.O. Box 559Duluth GA 30096

oct05

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