Lilburn Business Association Blog

Our Field Trip to Back By Popular Demand

Sandra Waldrop — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 19:37:31 GMT

The LBA field trip to Back By Popular Demand (BBPD) was a huge success and was attended by 15 people including our guide Michele Dalton. BBPD also has a Marietta location. The business began in Old Town Lilburn in 1980 by Dot York, a longtime pillar of the community. The current owner Melissa Morales started working in the consignment business in 1997 and purchased BBPD in 2002. The move to the current location happened in 2004, followed by an expansion to the whole building in 2005. BBPD is a major innovative force in the Atlanta consignment market.

The shop is located on Lawrenceville Highway and sells women’s clothing and accessories on consignment. The front and largest showroom contains large, x-large and plus size clothing sorted on racks by color. The walls and display fixtures feature shoes, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics and beauty items, as well as household decor. There is a mix of great quality pieces from budget friendly to high-end designer items. The medium and small sized items each have their own room. There is also a room dedicated to formal wear including gala, prom, pageant, and mother of the bride dresses in sizes extra small to plus.

This visit included a behind the scenes tour. The lower level has the item intake desk. Here items presented are evaluated for brand, condition and current purchasing trends. Items that do not fit their criteria will not be accepted for consignment. High end designer accessories including jewelry, shoes, perfume and handbag maybe eligible to be bought by BBPD outright. Once accepted, the items are priced, photographed, and entered into the shop's online store. Items from designer brands are authenticated through a 3rd party.

There is a daily live show seen through Facebook, and notifications are sent out on other social media platforms that highlights selected items. Items are often purchased online during the presentation. There is a shipping department that handles mailing items purchased from the BBPD online store and from the Facebook live videos. The multiple channel selling was started in 2015.

BBPD is a bit of a hidden jewel here in Lilburn but is well known in consignment circles. Come on by and check them out.

Learn More

Investing Wisely in 2024

Sandra Waldrop — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 15:07:25 GMT

Jim Stanhouse CFP® spoke at the first breakfast meeting of 2024 where the following was discussed:

Most people noticed that 2023 turned out to be a good year, an excellent year actually with the S&P 500 index up about 26% at the year-end. Going into the year and throughout the majority of the year most market watchers expected a recession with correspondingly bad investment performance for the year.

So, the most widely anticipated recession in recent times did not materialize in 2023. Although it could be said that a recession "rolled" through different sectors of the economy at different times and never manifested to the entire economy.

The economy actually grew faster than expected, unemployment remained low, service sector spending remained strong, and inflation slowed. Then the biggest positive influence came in the 4th quarter as the Federal reserve indicated it anticipated interest rate reductions to start in 2024.

We did have up and down volatility this year, and we should expect the same this coming year. Emotionally withstanding the volatility in the markets and the economy is the price that we pay for the long-term returns that we enjoy, which are greater than those we would receive in a risk-free investment.

What is expected for 2024.

Niels Bohr once quoted “Prediction is very difficult - especially about the future” That is very applicable to the economy and market forecasting. Just as the investment community did not predict how 2023 would turn out, no experts (investment professionals, economists, academics) can say how 2024 will turn out either.

What do we know?

· There will be volatility.
· History has proven - long-term we know there will be growth – but not necessarily in any given year.

So what is an investor to do?

Focus on things that you can control (and don’t worry about things that you cannot.)

· Equity allocation appropriate for your risk tolerance
· Diversify your holdings
· Passive investment style - don’t worry about beating the market, guarantee yourself to get the market - via indexing. Most professionals do not beat the market, there is little chance for non-professionals to do so.
· Minimize expenses – be aware of expenses and manage them related to your investments
· Minimize taxes – be aware of the taxation and manage it related to your investments
· Manage your emotions
· Avoid distractions (media sensationalism via entertainment/news and biased information)

A note to conclude:

We lost many great minds in 2023, one of which was Charlie Munger (Warren Buffet’s longtime business partner). In addition to his investment success, he was famous for his many sayings on investing and life.

His formula for success. “It's so simple. You spend less than you earn. Invest shrewdly, and avoid toxic people and toxic activities, and try and keep learning all your life, and do a lot of deferred gratification because you prefer life that way. If you do all those things, you're almost certain to succeed. If you don’t, you're going to need a lot of luck.”

Had he lived just two more months he could have celebrated his 100th birthday. Through his well-disseminated wisdom and philanthropic activities, he will long be remembered.

Small Business Tax Savings

Sandra Waldrop — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 20:00:19 GMT

By Mark T. Winsor, CPA

Auto – I have found the using the IRS approved mileage rate may be better than actual expenses. You must track your business miles anyway, since only that percentage of auto use is deductible, if you use actual expenses. For 2023 the IRS rate is 65.5 cents per mile, so if you drive 500 miles per month for business, that would be a deduction of $327.50, or you can reimburse yourself that much from your business, which is tax free, since the IRS allows it a deduction, with no other documentation. If you use actual expenses, you must prorate actual expenses based on percentage of business mileage versus personal miles. With the deduction of actual expenses, you can depreciate your vehicle, but that is limited to the cost of an average vehicle.

Telephone - The IRS does not allow deduction of the cost of a home phone but does allow the deduction of the cost of your cell phone. If your spouse is an officer or a participant in your business, the cost of their cell phone would also be deductible. If you have a family plan, you may have to exclude the prorata cost of family members not involved in the business.

Internet – If you work from a home office, you can deduct a portion of your internet cost. You would want to gauge the amount of time that it is used for business, versus the time that is used personally and deduct that portion. Many times, half of the cost may be deductible.

Bank Charges – If you use a separate bank account for business, you can deduct the bank charges. I recommend that you use a separate bank account anyway, since the IRS would be more likely to disallow expenses if business and personal expenses are mingled together.

Insurance – If you have Error & Omissions or Liability Insurance & maybe an umbrella policy those premiums would be deductible.

Retirement contributions – “Pay yourself first”. I encourage my clients to set aside money in IRA, SEP, SIMPLE or 401(k) accounts. Which one that you decide to use will depend on how much you are able to set aside. If $6,500 to $7,500 or less is the amount that you can allow from your budget, then you would want to use an IRA account. You can contribute around 20% of your net business income to an SEP account, so that can be as high as $53,000, but you do have to cover any employees at the same level. A SIMPLE plan lets each employee decide how much they want to set aside, with a small amount of match from the employer. A 401(k) has higher limits, but also very high administrative costs, so many small businesses don’t use those. However, if you are the only employee or a sole proprietor, an Individual 401(k) can be advantageous.

Uniforms – Generally, the cost of acquiring and maintaining a uniform is a deductible business expense. You cannot use routine street clothing as a uniform, but if you have your business name and/or logo printed on your clothing, it is then considered a uniform.

Year-End Tax Planning – Close to the end of the year, you can speed up deductions and defer income to shift taxable income to the next year. If you are completing a job in December, you can wait to finish it and bill for it in January. If you are anticipating a business trip in January or February, you can buy and pay for air travel and some of the expenses in the current year.

It is good to evaluate your projected tax liability during December and then pay yourself a bonus, with enough federal and state withholding to cover that liability in an end of the year paycheck, to avoid any underpayment penalties.

Choice of Entity – There are advantages and disadvantages depending on the choice of business entity that you use to conduct business.

With a sole proprietorship or partnership all the net income is subject to self-employment tax. At a net income of $20,000 the self-employment tax would be $3,060. Using a home office can be deductible for a sole proprietorship. You can also pay your children for services they perform, without having to incur payroll taxes on their wages.

A regular corporation has more deductions available but is subject to double taxation. The company pays tax at a rate of 21% on its net income and if you then pay yourself dividends, that is taxed again on your individual income tax return.

With an S corporation you must take a reasonable salary, but money reinvested into the company is not subject to self-employment tax and avoids double taxation. You can take distribution of profit, over and above your salary, without incurring the payroll tax on that portion of income.

If you use an LLC (limited liability company), it could be taxed like any of the above entities. This form of organization is just simpler to administer. There is no requirement for annual shareholder meetings. It is the preferred method of operating rental real estate.

Speaking of the annual shareholder meeting, that can be an advantage. You don’t have to conduct your annual meeting in your usual business location. For example, it could be held at a ski resort, beach location or on a cruise. The expenses would not be deductible if held outside the United States.

I think that the Office in Home deduction is overrated. There is some benefit for sole proprietors, but it is not allowed for corporate entities. It is limited to the percentage of the house that is used exclusively for business. So, if a 10 X 10 spare bedroom is used as the office in a 2,000 square foot house, that works out to 5% of the home’s expenses that can be deducted. You can use a number of expenses as deductions, such as depreciation, mortgage interest, real estate taxes, insurance, repairs and utilities (electric, gas, water and trash pickup). Also, it is limited to the amount of income generated by the business, so if you have a loss, you would not be able to use the Office in Home deduction.

There can be a number of other deductible expenses, depending on the nature of the business. Generally, anything that improves the business or facilitates you producing more income can be used

ChatGPT for Business

Sandra Waldrop — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 16:18:01 GMT

You can access ChatGPT at chat.openai.com. There is a free version as well as a subscription version. AI or Artificial Intelligence is the science of training computers to mimic the human brain. NLP or Natural Language Processing is where computers can understand and generate human language. LM or Language Model generate probabilities based on a series of words. LLM or Large Language Model is enabled by AI accelerators to process vast amounts of text data mostly taken from the Internet. GPT or Generative Pretrained Transformer is an evolving and sophisticated LLM that uses CHAT, an API, to deliver answers to questions.

You input Prompts into ChatGPT and it gives you a result. The more details in your prompt, the more accurate and useful the reply. You can fine tune your prompt until you get a good reply. This reply has to be further vetted and edited by the user.

Business Applications areas include:

Addressing pain points
Outside of the box thinking
Writing of policies, procedures, education including role playing with employees
Automated reporting including data analysis
Optimization of marketing strategies with content marketing and SEO
Development of training materials

If you are concerned about sources used for a piece, you can ask Chat GPT for the sources used in the output.

The bottom line is this is a tool that can save you time but understand you must review the output and edit it to make it your own.

Thank you to Dana Plazyk of Social Marketing Business Solutions for your excellent presentation (https://www.danaplazyk.com/).

Information in this post came from Dana's presentation and is included in this blog with her permission.

-------- Sandra Waldrop, PhD

Lilburn City Government 101: What You Need to Know About the Mayor, Council, and City Manager

Sandra Waldrop — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 19:58:52 GMT

LBA would like to thank Councilman Emil Powella and DDA/Planning Commission Chairman Hugh Wilkerson for a very informative presentation about the Lilburn City Government and Boards/Authorities. The items below include information from that presentation as well as the City website.

How is Lilburn’s City Government structured?

Lilburn, like many of the surrounding cities, has a Council/City Manager system of government. There is a Legislative Branch that makes the laws, an executive branch that carries out the laws and a judicial branch that evaluates the laws.

What is the role of the Mayor and Council in relation to the City Council?

The Mayor serves as the head of the Legislative Branch.
The Mayor only votes when there is a tie.
The Mayor and Council create policy and provide direction
- Approve the budget
- Set the millage rate
- Hire the City Manager

What does the City Manager do?

The City Manager is the CEO of the City whose job is to manage all divisions of city government on a day-to-day basis.

Who is elected and who is appointed?

The citizens of Lilburn elect the Mayor and City Council. The Mayor/City Council appoints the City Attorney, the Municipal Judge and the Solicitor as well as members of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), the Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and the Merit Board. The Council also hires the City Manager.

What is the role of the Planning Commission?

The Planning Commission serves in an advisory role. They review development recommendations, zoning requests and City Update plans. They are the first to vet staff analysis for requests. They then recommend to the City Council to approve or deny a development request.

What is the DDA and what is its role?

City governments cannot buy and sell property for development so the concept of the DDA or Downtown Development Authority was created. This is an authority established by state law and enacted by the city council that can buy, sell and develop properties in a defined geography. The members are appointed by the City Council. This entity is useful in assembling parcels of property for larger projects. It is a way to promote the highest and best use of target businesses or developments in a designated area.

What are the benefits to living in the City?

If you check your real estate tax bill from Gwinnett County, you will notice you do not pay the county for police protection. Lilburn has its own police force which is included on your City Tax bill. The Lilburn police response time is as fast as 2 minutes much faster than is possible for the county police. The City police are also responsible for code enforcement.

Our Public Works services include the Chipper service and clearance of roads from storm debris. If a tree is blocking a City road, contact the City anytime for removal.

The city seeks partnership with the business community, the faith community, the Homeowner’s Associations and the residents to evaluate and implement projects.

The City believes citizen engagement is key to long-term success. Opportunities for engagement include:

Boards and Authorities
City Website Informs
- Text and E-mail Notifications
Public Input Opportunities
- Budget Process
- Comprehensive Plan
- Project Opportunities

When are the regularly scheduled meetings?

City Council - 2nd Monday - 7:30 pm
Planning Commission - 4th Tuesday 7pm
DDA - 3rd Wednesday at 6:30 pm

Parkview 3DE

Sandra Waldrop — Tue, 30 May 2023 12:36:14 GMT

LBA paid a visit to the Parkview 3DE program for our May 16^th meeting. 3DE is a high school curriculum developed by Junior Achievement. There are 45 programs nationally. At Parkview, the 3DE program is organized into an Academy in that the students take their core classes with other 3DE students. Although the program is designed as a 4-year program, a student can join the program as a sophomore or junior.

Our meeting began with the presentation that was given to 8^th grade parents. We had an opportunity to tell the students about LBA. Since many of us started our businesses after having had other careers, we shared how we had to learn “the business of running a business” in a less formal way. We also let them know the skills they were developing would serve them well in any career they choose.

The program takes a project-based approach to learning. In the 9^th/10^th grades the focus is case challenges. They work with big name companies like Home Depot and UPS. An example challenge was to find locations for distribution centers in certain regions of the country. In the 11^th grade, they focus on Entrepreneurship by starting and running their own business. In the 12^th grade, the focus is on consultancy and work-based learning.

The entire program focuses on:

· Effective Collaboration
· Engaging Communication
· Cultural Agility
· Critical & Analytical Thinking
· Self-Direction
· Creativity & Innovation

A panel of 7 students plus 1 alumnus were organized into a panel. 3DE Lead Teacher Tyler Hall and the 3DE liaison Johnny Taylor lead the students through a series of questions that provided us information on how the program worked and how the students were developing academically. The students were very engaged and motivated. We had the special “treat” to meet a recent graduate of the program. This student brought delicious and beautiful cupcakes to the meeting. She continued her baking business that she started as a 3DE student. She has also expanded her skills by working in a grocery store bakery.

Our hope is for LBA to find ways to support this program and students.

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Sandra Waldrop

GCPL Business Resources

Sandra Waldrop — Sat, 29 Apr 2023 16:39:44 GMT

GCPL Business Resources

The Lilburn head librarian, Melissa Grammont, shared with us an overview of the tremendous resources available at the library that are helpful for business owners. Most of these resources will be located in the Digital Resources section of their website, www.gwinnettpl.org. You will need your library card and pin to access the online items.

Ebooks and audiobooks

The Libby app is the resource for accessing ebooks and audiobooks. Beginning May 1st, Overdrive will be discontinued.

Classes and Learning

Linkedin Learning

Linkedin Learning offers thousands of video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills.

Treehouse

Treehouse is an interactive online learning platform that teaches you how to code, develop websites and apps. There maybe a waitlist to use this application.

Gale Courses

Available 24/7, Gale Courses provides more than 360 six-week long, online programs taught by college instructors. New courses begin each month, and lessons are assigned twice a week, enhanced with images, videos, and games to support varied learning styles. Users will enjoy a self-paced learning environment and engagement with fellow students and instructor through weekly discussion boards.

Your library can enrich lives by providing diverse learning opportunities with classes that support:

Business professionals – with communication, entrepreneurship, human resources, management, manufacturing, and marketing offerings
Computer and technology – suiting skill levels from beginner to advanced in software, computer applications, web design, and programming
Parenting, language & arts, hobbies, and more – a wide array of personal enrichment subjects with something for everyone
Health and wellness offerings – certifications in topics from mental health and aging to pain management and nutrition

Reference USA

Reference USA is a premier business and consumer reference and research tool offering instant real-time access to in-depth information on millions of US businesses and more.

Learning Labs and Tech

The Learning Labs are a great place to enjoy the capabilities of often expensive equipment and software. Here you could, for example, take high quality images for use on a website or produce a video. Equipment varies depending on the branch.

Book a Room

Did you know you can book a Meeting or Study Room? These rooms can be used for business meetings.

Book a Librarian

Want more ideas? You can always Book a Librarian for detailed information.

The Yellow River - Lilburn’s Hidden Gem

Sandra Waldrop — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 19:57:09 GMT

What is the Yellow River Water Trail ?

The YRWT is one of 21 certified Water Trails in Georgia. We are a 501c3 organization formed about 7 years ago. Think Riverkeeper, with a larger scope. The YRWT is GA Water Trails Certified by the Georgia River Network, which has 18 more river trails in process for certification.

Wow, I drive over it often, and never gave it a thought.

Exactly, Awareness and Education is one of our core focuses. The Yellow is a clean, beautiful, river suitable for paddling. People can paddle it 53 miles, through 4 Counties, to Lake Jackson. A Water Trail maps and documents the river with GPS coordinates, river mileage, with access points where paddlers can enter and exit the river; along with descriptions of any features and hazards.

So people can paddle it ?

Yes, for most of it’s length it flowing flatwater, shady, peaceful, beautiful. In a couple spots there is some challenging Whitewater, and we become a destination for those adventure paddlers when the water level is up. For the paddler seeking a peaceful, pretty experience, the river moves at a steady jogging speed.

Someone told me the river wasn’t clean ?

Actually, the river is very clean. The YWRT is an Adopt-a-Stream partner and we test monthly at more than half-a-dozen sites in Gwinnett and DeKalb. We test Chemistry (pH, Conductivity, dissolved Oxygen); and for E.coli, our results have come in healthy for the last 7 years that we’ve been testing.

Wow!... So, how is this good for Lilburn ?

Gwinnett is blessed to have 2 recreationally active rivers, the Chattahoochee and the Yellow; most other Georgia Counties wish they had a river that can be paddled. More and more the Yellow will be an outdoor destination, close to Lilburn, Mountain Park, Centerville, and Stone Mountain. And there is a long-range plan for a Greenway along the river, linking river easements, utility easements, County land and parks.

Increasingly the River and the Greenway will be a destination for families, and these people will spend money, and they want to live near quality outdoor recreation venue. Good for business, good for home values.

How can I help ?

The YRWT needs volunteers to help with pushing the vision, water test, help and lead litter cleanups, paddle the river, and make contacts & relationships with the jurisdictions along the river. For example, all the “Improved” river access points are in Newton Co; in Gwinnett, DeKalb & Rockdale, the access points are “Unimproved”, meaning “natural” we enter/exit at the bridges (Five Forks Trickum, Hwy-78), Yellow River Park, etc. The Paddle Maps list all the access points and their conditions.

We need Gwinnett County to help with inexpensive access improvements, such as grading and gravel, and some parking area.

Informative Links:

LBA Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17PBZ9-7XjUQVqTv8QmtDOpmGn7aAa_El/view?usp=share_link

All the river maps: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H1Ucwx50WgQK-8vn-62ajrT7IautnlB5/view?usp=share_link

Georgia River Network, Water Trails: https://garivers.org/water-trails-and-paddling/

Yellow River Water Trail: https://garivers.org/water-trails-and-paddling/yellow-river-water-trail/

Yellow River Water Trail Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/yellowriverwatertrail/

--Mark Wilson - Chairman of the Yellow River Water Trail

Beware of Scam Emails

Sandra Waldrop — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 20:58:57 GMT

This Monday my day began with a number of LBA members letting me know I had been hacked. They had received a suspicious email from me representing the Lilburn Business Association asking for the purchase of gift cards for a veterans' charity project. After my initial panic, my analytical skills started to kick in as I investigated what was going on.

From the notices, I could tell everyone contacting me were current LBA members. We use one product to manage our membership, events and website and another product to produce and email our newsletters. Neither one of these systems sent out that email. That left me with one conclusion. The scammers harvested the email addresses from the LBA website Directory page. A quick web search confirmed this is a typical practice.

Using this email example, let's review a few simple things to keep in mind regarding email.

Public Email Addresses

As a business owner, we have to have our contact information in the public domain. It is important you use a dedicated business email address. You should keep your personal email address private.

Red Flags

Always look at the email address of the sender. Even though the name on the email looks familiar, the actual email address will look odd. It will be an address that is different from what you associate with the sender. It may even be a nonsensical looking address like “asdfaerewaf@asdfasfas.com”.

The language used in the email may be more formal than expected. The sender is asking for you to do something for them because they are away and can’t perform the task from their location. They ask for gift cards. There is an urgency in the request. The sums can be large $100+. They want you to send them the codes for the gift cards so they can be redeemed with the card not present.

These scammers make some effort to make the emails and requests look real, but there are usually red flags. Additionally, the whole scheme with the gift cards is they are trying to get the cards sent to people that are already being scammed to develop more trust.

Sandra Waldrop, PhD
LBA President

Be more effective at public speaking

Sandra Waldrop — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 14:54:12 GMT

I don't know many people who can honestly say they enjoy public speaking. However, if you have a business, there will be times you are expected to speak publicly in selling yourself, your products or your services.

In January, Susie Corbett from the Gwinnett-Tucker Toastmasters Club #833 was our featured speaker. Their mission statement is "To provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth".

If you have the sense you are not being effective when speaking publicly, there are ways to improve.

Check out the resources at Toastmasters International.
Linkedin Learning (free access through the Gwinnett Public Library Digital Resources) listed 49 courses when searching under "public speaking".
Do a Business Spotlight 5 minute presentation at an LBA meeting (including in your membership).
Practice your elevator speech with a friend who does not know details of your business.

We will be incorporating public speaking exercises into our meeetings this year. So add becoming Public Speaking Fit to your New Year's Resolutions.

Need a temporary website?

Sandra Waldrop — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 14:43:07 GMT

Has your company website ever become broken or has stopped working? Have you ever needed a temporary page for your domain to show while your website is being redesigned. Is your business website on hold but you have a domain? Your LBA membership can help you with this problem. Your LBA Directory page can be used as your domain landing page. In addition to information about your business you can even display images on your directory page. Contact Sandra Waldrop for more information.

Gwinnett Chamber Small Business Awards 2022

Sandra Waldrop — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 20:44:07 GMT

It was an honor representing the LBA at the Gwinnett Chamber Small Business Awards ceremony today where we were finalists for the category Support System Award. And the winner was .... not us, but congratulations to the Atlanta Chinese Entrepreneurs Club. The event was held at 12Stone in Lawrenceville. Chamber events are always a great opportunity to network and meet with friends made through the business community. There was a "Fireside Chat" with Terri-Nichelle Bradley, Founder & CEO of Brown Toy Box. A truly inspiring story of a single mom in Snellville starting an educational toy company that focuses on bringing children in the black community into STEM. Her company is one of Oprah's Favorite things this year. I was able to speak with the Gwinnett Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson of Lilburn. I think we can get her to drop in on one of our breakfast meetings in 2023. I also caught up with Cole Porter of Porter Steel and congratulated him on the final release of the movie, The Ark of Lilburn. Finally a big thank you to Tyeme Woods pictured with me. She is the Senior Membership Development Manager at the Chamber and regularly reaches out to the LBA with events of interest to our organization.

Recent Solo Practice Attorney Shares Her Journey

Sandra Waldrop — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 19:10:44 GMT

It was around this time last year that I went to my mother and told her I was thinking about opening my own law practice. After almost a decade of practicing law, and always working under others, I was at a point where I became frustrated that I wasn’t able to apply my legal skills to do…more. I wanted to volunteer more, I wanted to help others in more legal arenas, I wanted more from my career. I wanted more of a work-life balance.

I expected more from my mother’s response, as well. All she said, after taking a few beats to sip from her cup of coffee (we’re a family of coffee drinkers), was this: “Megan, I love you and want you to be happy and I think you will do great things if you started your own firm.” There was no dreaded “but” to follow what she said. There was no criticism or disdain. I’ve taken that beautifully compassionate response, and I’m applying that compassion to my own business.

Because here I am, a year later, actualizing the things that were mere ideas twelve months ago. I wanted to open a law firm that could help address the various needs of my community, understanding that legal wellness is a multi-faceted issue that impacts us all in different ways. Addressing legal wellness requires a holistic approach that not all lawyers are able to do, or even want to do. Let’s face it: the law isn’t known as being an especially “touchy feely” field. It provokes feelings of aggression, confrontation, elitism, negativity, and anxiety.

“Holistic” and “client-centered” are buzz words in the legal field right now but aren’t strangers to it. A holistic practice is one that seeks to help the client meet their legal needs by addressing other issues as well that could be exacerbating or contributing to the legal need. A classic example might be the alcoholic who comes to a lawyer for help with a pending D.U.I. The holistic lawyer will not only address the criminal case, but also help connect the client with treatment for their alcohol problem and maybe even assist with connecting that person to other resources in the community if needed. The thought is: if I can help address this person’s issue from not only the legal angle but other angles as well, I can help maximize this person’s overall wellness.

A “client-centered” law practice is one that takes into consideration the entire client experience, from start to finish, using that mindset to enhance that client’s overall journey through the legal process. You develop procedures to make clients feel comfortable with the process, respond to their questions and concerns promptly, use terms and wording that the client understands, and meet the client where they’re at.

A client-centered, holistic law practice is one that puts the client at the center. Really, this is how the relationship should be anyway however there are still many lawyers out there whose own egos are at the forefront of their practice. Their social media or website may be nothing but sharing their own accomplishments, talking about themselves, or expensive headshots from their penthouse office in downtown Atlanta. And that’s completely fine! That’s their style, not mine. But is that the best match for you, when you’re looking for an attorney to help you with a family issue or to handle some simple estate planning?

My goal when opening my law firm was to keep the clients first and make their experience as holistic as possible, being as authentic and true to myself as I could. I knew that for sure. But there was something else I knew for sure as well: I wanted to open my business in Lilburn. Why Lilburn? Is it because the people here are incredibly gracious and kind? Yep. Is it because the businesses here are tight-knit and supportive of one another? Yep. Is it because we have streets lined with big beautiful trees, and green parks packed with kids playing ball? Yep. Is it because the community is diverse and vibrant, with people from all walks of life? Yep. Yes to all the above.

I moved to Lilburn in 2020 just before the pandemic shut us all down for a while. I watched this community come together, support each other, and continue to grow and thrive even when a global pandemic was raging. I saw the fortitude and endurance of this community and grew to not just admire it: I fell in love with it. And when I decided to make the move to open my law firm as a solo practitioner, I knew that this was the place to do it. I knew, and still know, that I have the type of background and experience that would benefit Lilburn and the wonderful people in it (and all around Georgia, too).

But starting a business from scratch in a new community was daunting to me. I have friends and neighbors here, but how would I get from point A to point B? I knew that I would need to make more connections if I truly wanted my business to succeed – I needed some roots. And joining the Lilburn Business Association was the absolute best choice I could have made to start planting, nurturing, and growing those connections into fruition. The breadth of knowledge and experience that this group has afforded me has been invaluable.

Through this group, I’ve gained confidence, made friends, received numerous client referrals, learned about all the ways Lilburn helps and encourages business growth, connected with other business owners, and even received constructive feedback on my marketing materials. I even met the woman who would go on to be my business banker! A focus of the LBA is how to help businesses grow, thrive, and help each other, and I have felt that from the minute I first walked awkwardly into my first LBA meeting.

For some of us, putting ourselves out there isn't easy to do. The LBA has given me the courage to do not only that, but the courage to be myself.

---------

Megan McClinton, Esq

The Business of Running a Pet Sitting Business

Sandra Waldrop — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 20:50:30 GMT

Hi, I'm Barbie Klapp, the Founder and CEO of 2 Paws Up Inc Pet Sitting, Dog Walking, and Dog Training company since 2003.

Let’s be honest, most of the time running a pet business is not a super serious job – it’s not a shirt and tie affair – it’s a lot of dog slobber, and being covered in hair and mud daily.

But it’s also not all cupcakes, treats, and pet toys – the pet industry professionals are among the most educated, insured, caring, creative and hardworking people you’ll find ANYWHERE!

First, we must ensure the people coming into your house are trustworthy, reliable, and have the right personality for working with pets. I typically advertise for employees using online job sites and can do an initial first screening from the questions included in my online application. During the interview process, we ask industry and attitude-specific questions. We also give potential employees an assessment which gives us a quick snapshot of their work-related attitudes that lean to on-the-job behavior...behaviors that can either boost or shrink profits. Furthermore, we perform criminal background checks on all potential new employees. We train new hires using online certifications and on-site job training (shadowing), as well as monitor their activities both during and after training.

Second, we use industry-specific software. My clients have a login to their account (Time To Pet App) where they can make scheduling requests, update their personal information, pay invoices, and provide details on their pet's health. When my clients leave on vacation, they can be confident we are on the lookout for any developing health concerns their pets may have. Our clients enjoy receiving both text and email journals with pictures of their pets at each visit.

Third, I am consistently working on my business and professional development. I have both an industry and non-industry-specific business coach I meet with regularly. I also provide coaching to individuals just starting their own pet sitting business.

After years of success, I am proud of the growth of this extraordinary business. My job is both challenging and rewarding....After all, this is my "purrfect" dream job!

Barbie Klapp, MBA Founder & CEO 2 Paws Up Inc

Phone/Fax: 770-695-3096

Website: 2pawsupinc.com

Email: barbie@2pawsupinc.com

Pet Sitting & Dog Walking Service

LBA Visit to Plaza Las Americas

Sandra Waldrop — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 18:43:54 GMT

For June’s midday meeting, we took a field trip to Plaza Las Americas where we toured and then enjoyed lunch in the food court. Arturo Adonay, manager, and co-owner shared with us how the Plaza brings community members together for shopping, music, meals, sports, and celebrations. The idea was to recreate an authentic Latina Plaza experience with a place for people to gather and socialize.

Plaza Las Americas is a multicultural destination featuring 136,000 sq ft of space with the largest Jalisco Supermarket in Georgia, a 26,000 sq ft event space, a soccer field, basketball courts, an automotive center, 11 restaurants, a children’s play area, a game room, hair salons, and a large variety of shops. The Plaza’s popularity has led to its being 100% leased with a waiting list.

Upcoming events include La Guelaguetza celebration on July 24 with music, dancing, samples of food and drink, and handicraft exhibits and Tech Camp 101, a free computer camp for kids sponsored by Comcast.

Arturo Adonay told us that the best time to visit is on the weekends when the Plaza is bustling with Mariachi bands and events for the family. Come see what the Plaza has to offer!

Address

733 Pleasant Hill Rd, Lilburn, GA 30047

Hours

Daily 11am - 8pm

Contact Info

info@plazalasamericasga.com (404) 838-6740

Website

https://plazalasamericasatl.com/

----- Susan Seay, Better Homes & Gardens Metro Brokers

Sharon Yun - Alternative Energy Southeast

Sandra Waldrop — Sat, 21 May 2022 16:21:31 GMT

My name is Sharon Yun and I am a Solar Consultant and Project Administrator and Liaison for Alternative Energy Southeast. Our owner, Montana Busch, is a Lilburn resident as well as me so I am writing this post on the behalf of our company and to let you know a little bit more about myself and what I have to offer this community. You can reach me at 678-792-8848 and Sharon@altenergyse.com

Alternative Energy Southeast, Inc is the Solar Company you can trust. We’re committed to care, efficiency, and your satisfaction. AES specializes in the design and installation of solar power electric energy systems, or photovoltaics (PV) for residential and commercial customers. Our highly accredited team provides customers with exceptional customer service and workmanship for solar installations throughout Georgia and surrounding states. What’s more, we’re driven by a real purpose to make the world a better place. We were established in 2007 and have multiple 5 star reviews, hundreds of successful installations and most importantly, a large extended family of happy PV System owners. To learn more about us please visit our website, www.altenergyse.com.

Everyone’s situation is unique, so we need to evaluate your electric bill and property to come up with accurate numbers, but our typical customer has a return on investment of 9 to 15 years, which means that your system could pay for itself several times over. That’s not something you can say for your electric bill. If you own your house or business and your property has good solar potential, it just makes sense to also own your electric supply as well. We have great loan options too so you can start investing in your photovoltaic system now. We install roof mount and ground mount systems with or without energy storage. No project is too small or too large for our skilled team of installers.

We understand that the future for energy resiliency is distributed generation, which means electricity is being used where it is produced or it is used in a microgrid which can supply power to the surrounding neighborhood or campus. This method as practiced around the world can be more economical and equitable than relying on large electric companies, which often place profits over people, to push electricity from huge power plants hundreds of miles away. Also, having one’s own power supply means you can become a backup source of electricity for yourself and your neighborhood when the grid is down. Much of Georgia Power’s electricity comes from coal and natural gas which are antiquated sources of electricity and currently polluting our air and water. Providing your electricity with solar reduces our community’s dependency on these harmful energy sources. Also, those electric cars are only emission free when their source of electricity is emission free. There’s nothing like driving a car powered by sunshine. Yes, there are some emissions involved in producing solar panels, but they become carbon neutral after only a few years of use.

Montana Busch is very active in solar advocacy and environmental policy and is Co-Chair of Georgia Solar Energy Association’s Board of Directors. GA Solar is a great organization where anyone who is interested in solar advocacy can participate. There are educational workshops where you can learn more about solar policy and opportunities to be active in influencing and changing legislation and holding our Public Commissioners accountable to encourage more growth and equity in the Solar Energy sector. GA Power has a monopoly on the electric power supply in this state and it is up to us to let them know what we want by voting for Public Commissioners who represent our values and by telling our legislatures to vote for policy which moves us towards clean energy sources.

Here is a link to GA Solar’s webpage with information regarding purchasing solar. Unfortunately, there have been companies new to the state who are misinforming people in order to make a sale. In order to help people make informed decisions regarding their energy portfolio, Montana Busch did a video explaining what you should be looking for when getting solar quotes. Our Solar Consultants are committed to giving you accurate information about your solar potential and we back it up with a 25 year power production guarantee. Our free consultations and detailed proposals show you how much you can save over 30 years. As the panels are warrantied to lose less than .5% of their production every year, they will last much longer than 30 years.

Now, a little more about me and what I have to offer. I am an avid gardener, nature lover, cat lady, and dedicated cosmic citizen. I have several mottos that I live by: “Embody your Niche”, “Bee Love,” “Leave it Better than you Found it,” “Be Kind” and “An it Harm None, Do What Ye Will.”

I am on a mission of Collective EmPowerment. I seek to promote Justice, Equity, and Compassion in all my relations. I also affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every living being and care for and respect the Interconnected Web of Life of which we are each a very small part. I have a goal for World Community with Peace, Liberty, and Justice for all. I affirm our right of conscience and the democratic process in our communities. My principles can be summed up by the 7 Unitarian Universalist Principles which are listed here.

I am an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett. I lead a Women’s Group and soon hope to have a Non Violent Communication Practice Group. I also serve Gong Fu tea at events on our property.

One day my husband and I would like to open a Wellness Center with a Gong Fu Tea Garden with live music and open mic nights. We would host events throughout the week such as yoga, dance, kirtan, and other wellness practices. It would also have rooms for practitioners of different healing modalities. I used to have a similar place on Haight St., San Francisco called Eden Sauna and Tea Lounge. I’m interested in finding collaborators for this endeavor.

We are hosting a Benefit Concert on June 4 from 4-8pm on our property at 4335 Bending River Trail, Lilburn. We will have live bands including Mixed Genes and Zephaniah Peterson. My husband is an addiction psychiatrist at Mercy Care and the money raised at the Benefit will help their Street Medicine Team’s treatment-resistant patients get the care they need. Click here for the Facebook invite.

My husband Thomas Yun, I, and our 9 year old son Bodhi care for a 7 acre homestead with flower and vegetable gardens, chickens, bees, sheep, solar, and an outdoor venue on the Yellow River for community events and retreats. I have a certificate as a Sustainability Ambassador from attending the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Resiliency Sustainability Ambassador program and for my graduation project I created a Community Composting program. Please let me know if you want to join. We have a free U-Pick Strawberry farm which I have been sharing with the community through the Buy Nothing Central Lilburn Facebook page and would also invite all LBA members to come pick some strawberries and take some plants home. I have many herbs I can send home with you too. I am always happy to give tours and share what I know about solar, permaculture, and sustainability.

I am also an Executive Committee leader of the Greater Gwinnett Sierra Club Group and an Outings Leader. You can find more information about our monthly meetings in the Georgia Sierran. We are a nonprofit politically active environmental organization and are always looking for more engaged citizens to help us promote environmentally friendly policy and to participate in events and outings. Our meetings are always informative about environmental issues that affect you and your local community. Our next meeting on July 7 will feature Russell Edwards, a Public Commissioner for Athens-Clarke County. More info will be posted on our Meetup and Facebook pages soon.

I am also part of a grassroots citizen’s campaign called Gwinnett Ready for 100, with the ultimate goal of moving Gwinnett towards 100% Renewable Energy. Our main initiative right now is to get an Office of Sustainability for Gwinnett County. This position will pay for itself as having an Office of Sustainability is a prerequisite to be able to apply for grants which will fund efforts to move towards more renewable energy including installing solar, buying county electric vehicles and making buildings more efficient. Also, the Office of Sustainability can reduce agency expenditures such as the cost of water, energy, and infrastructure development and maintenance. More information is on page 11 of the Georgia Sierran. Please fill out the petition here asking our County Commissioners to create an Office of Sustainability.

Another organization I’d like to share about is Citizen’s Climate Lobby. They have a single focus of passing a Carbon Fee and Dividend legislation which would move us to Net Zero Carbon by 2050. For more information, click here.

Our time on Earth is precious and short which is why I am taking every opportunity I can to educate, support, and thus emPower my community. Please reach out to me at sharon@altenergyse.com or 678-792-8848 if I can be of any assistance to help you or someone you know become more emPowered. There is a $500 referral bonus for anyone you send my way who signs a contract with us.

“In the morning, in the rise up, there's a bridge from all that's been
In the dawning, the vines are pushing through the pavement
We were born of burning hearts
We are tearing off the reigns
From the ground up we will build it
From the clouds above we'll rain it
From the crowd up we will raise it
From the ground up...”

Ayla Nereo From The Ground Up

Be sure to check out my video interview!

--- Sharon Yun

Catching up with Tom Mills

Sandra Waldrop — Fri, 20 May 2022 15:37:33 GMT

We were delighted to catch up with Lilburn resident, Tom Mills, before he headed off to Poland to interview Ukrainian refugees. Tom is a member of the Lilburn DDA, developer of Multimedia products for various industries and has a passion for being green. Tom and his family were living in Grayson but coming to Lilburn 3-4 times a day for his children's private school and for church. They saw the changes happening in Lilburn and wanted to be a part of the action. They knew the owner of the parcel at the corner of Main St and Poplar St. When it went up for sale, they bought it and built a very green or sustainable home. In addition to his videographer career, Tom has 3 YouTube channels around his GreenShortz brand. His DIY channel has a whopping 107K followers.

Check out Tom's videos and give them a "Like", so he gets credit on YouTube.

-- Sandra Waldrop

Black History in Lilburn

Sandra Waldrop — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 17:59:43 GMT

Deacon Gregory Bailey of Salem Missionary Baptist Church shared with us a slide presentation originally prepared for the Historical Society. Salem, established in 1834, is the 2nd oldest church in Lilburn after Camp Creek Primitive Baptist, established in 1832. Salem is the oldest African American Church in Gwinnett County and 6th oldest in the state. The oldest African Baptist church in Georgia is First African Baptist in Savannah, established in 1773.

Gwinnett did not have large plantations, but more so large farms. Georgia Law prohibited gatherings of over 6 slaves at a time. The Carroll family owned 1000 acres in Lilburn and had 4 to 45 slaves. John Carroll of the Carroll Plantation, established in 1820, was the nephew of a Jesuit Priest in Georgetown. John instructed his slaves to build a meeting place for his slaves and those of neighbors to worship. This was the beginning of what would become Salem Missionary Baptist Church.

The church has a museum called Heritage Hall. This museum is getting a professional organization and update and will become the regional museum of African American history in Gwinnett.

The church is located at the corner of Killian Hill Rd and Poplar St. Deacon Bailey is the community service director.

LBA Spotlight - Cristina Zakis - Savor the Gifts - doTerra

Sandra Waldrop — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 18:26:38 GMT

Cristina Zakis an independent Wellness Advocate with doTerra. As a former teacher, she enjoys educating on the many natural health solutions doTerra provides as well as empowering families to consider the natural options for staying healthy.

Check out her video interview.

LBA Spotlight - Brian Kinsey of Polaris IT Services

Sandra Waldrop — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 18:22:42 GMT

Meet Brian Kinsey, owner of Polaris IT Services. His company is a Lilburn based IT service provider for small and medium businesses in Gwinnett County and surrounding areas. Brian is also in the first group selected to participate in the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center which is a county-sponsored facility designed to support entrepreneurs and nurture small business startups.

See his Video Interview.

Hiring from the disability's community

Sandra Waldrop — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 18:21:48 GMT

At our recent LBA meeting, we explored hiring from the disability's community. Individuals from this community can have more difficulty finding employment. With the current labor shortages, employers may be curious about connecting with this pool of potential employees.

Our speaker, Kimberle Monroe, M.S., CRC, Manager of Workforce Resources, and guest Julia Massey, Case Manager, Traditional Family Support with Bobby Dodd Institute, shared with us information on how businesses can connect with organizations to hire individuals with disabilities to create or expand an inclusive work environment. The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) and associated providers, such as Bobby Dodd Institute (BDI), facilitate and support employment for individuals with disabilities, such as Intellectual or Developmental, Mental Health, Physical, Vision, or Hearing.

GVRA has several providers contracted with their agency to assist individuals in achieving employment goals through job training and placement supports, such as BDI, Tommy Nobis Center, and Goodwill Industries. BDI Institute provides many services, including Workforce Resources for job training and placement services. Other services offered at BDI include Family Support, Benefits Navigation, and Georgia Community Trust.

In addition to the services BDI provides, they also employ individuals with disabilities. BDI has several businesses that support contracts (some federal) in facilities management, call centers and switchboards, administrative services, supply chain, and logistics.

Where should you begin as a business open to hiring individuals with disabilities? Companies can get in touch with the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency. Information specific to businesses wanting to hire individuals with disabilities can be found on their website at: https://gvs.georgia.gov/businesses. Companies can also contact non-profit agencies that provide placement support for individuals with disabilities, such as BDI. Companies can find information about BDI on their website: https://bobbydodd.org/ as well as obtain information on Disability Awareness: https://bobbydodd.org/empowers/disability-awareness-training/. For inquiries regarding services, call 678.365.0071 or send an email to empowers@bobbydodd.org.

For an individual who receives government benefits such as Social Security, where should they learn how employment could impact their benefits? Individuals receiving SSI or SSDI should speak with a Benefits Navigator Representative by calling the Social Security Administration Ticket to Work helpline at 1.866.968.7842 and request a referral to a Work Incentives Planning and Assistance Agency (WIPA). The helpline will prescreen and then connect the individual with an appropriate WIPA. BDI is an approved WIPA for the Social Security Administration. Additional information regarding employment support services for Social Security Disability Beneficiaries who want to work can be found on the Ticket to Work website’s page at: https://choosework.ssa.gov/.

-----Sandra Waldrop, PhD, LBA and Kimberle Monroe, M.S., CRC, Manager of Workforce Resources at BDI

First Fridays are for Business Topics

Sandra Waldrop — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 20:57:38 GMT

LBA meets during the breakfast hour, 8-9 am, the first Friday of each month usually at the Lilburn IHOP. Donna Hill of E2E is bringing us business topics with new concepts and concepts worth a review.

Our Jan 7th meeting covered 10 Tips to Make the Most of a Networking event. Here is the list:

Be Personable. As in don't hide behind your phone, don't lead with your elevator speech and seek to make a friend first and client second.
Be passionate. Strangers are trying to connect with you, so make it easier by showing interest in them.
Be Memorable. Think of one thing to say that will make them remember you such as a sincere, detailed compliment.
Prepare. Have business cards handy, know your audience, customize your elevator speech and take notes after each conversation. You may even review the membership or attendance list beforehand if available.
Don't Hang with People You Know. Pick the table or group with strangers or as a leader shuffle the groups periodically.
Stand in a Line. Lines are a great place to chat as you have one person in front and one in back of you.
Mind Your Appearance. Err on the side of being overdressed, don't slump, keep your hand open/visable,, and SMILE.
Repeat Their Name. People love to hear their names so include it in the conversation and as you part.
Learn to Enjoy Networking. If you are enjoying yourself, you will be more approachable. Think about who might be the most interesting person, most fun, smartest, most unusual you might meet tonight.
Follow Up. That night or the next morning connect on LInkedin with a note referencing your conversation. Possibly set up a coffee or lunch date and even periodically follow up.

Bob Atwater - Journey to Contractor

Sandra Waldrop — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 17:19:01 GMT

Many of our LBA members are enjoying their second careers. Bob Atwater is one of those. Previously an award winning executive in human resources recruiting and staffing, the circumstances of life, to include parent care, were leading him to step back from those endeavors.

He now runs Atwater Partners a residential repair and renovation LLC. The changing regulations to obtain a General Contractor license have become increasingly daunting, complex and costly. Bob has found that certification is not necessary to his trade effectiveness or career success.

Atwater Partners, LLC marketing is entirely word of mouth and referrals based on excellent service. He does not use paid advertising. The best way to contact him is via the company Facebook page, Atwater Partners, LLC. In fact, Bob’s use of Facebook to showcase the day-to-day activities of his crews is the best advertising strategy for his business sector I’ve seen. He ends each post with “Who’s next for a contractor crew or handyman for any interior or exterior project?”

As an avid entrepreneur, Bob is one who sees opportunities and solutions where others see problems or inconvenience. His journey to successful contractor began while caring for his aging father. Bob needed work with a more independent schedule and got creative offering small handyman jobs where he could bring dad along. Over the years, Bob had developed a large network of friends who knew him to be responsible and honest from as far back as elementary school. Bob was also an athlete at Lakeside HS, he is friendly and enjoys talking and listening to all he meets, he receives favor wherever he goes.

His two sons participated in sports and he further extended his friend network to include coaches who have access to much needed manpower in an industry that typically has a high turnover and is further impacted by the unionized film industry construction. Bob’s experience in recruiting and vetting has garnered him loyal employees that have worked with him for years. Bob starts recruits on cleanup/moving tasks and later as apprentices matched with seasoned tradesmen. These young people often continue working with Bob through their college years as well as recruiting their friends. He typically has up to 8 crews working at a given time, leaving a trail of satisfied clients in his wake.

So…“Who’s next for a contractor crew or handyman for any interior or exterior project?”

---- Sandra Waldrop and Nancy Tawes

Networking Works: Senior Living Edition

Sandra Waldrop — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 20:27:21 GMT

When Anthony Manetta and Taylor Bennett of Brookside Stone Mountain Senior Living reached out to the LBA, we were very happy to accept an invitation to visit. As a business sector, senior living has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and was the subject of a series of articles in the AJC at that time. The LBA is all about helping our local business community thrive and looked forward to our visit.

Brookside has been at its West Park Place location for many years and does not have the glitz and glamour you find at premier newer assisted living communities around Atlanta but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Brookside came under new ownership and management in 2018. What we found on our visit was a warm home-like environment including a beautiful garden area.

Brookside has 45 rooms including some that are for double occupancy such as for couples and even has a memory care unit They provide assisted living care at affordable all inclusive rates, rather than the more complicated fee structure found in many communities. For clients with VA benefits, they are able to facilitate access to those funds. There are no move-in fees or long-term contracts. Respite care is also available.

Because I had recently visited Brookside, it came to mind during a discussion with a friend on the increasing care needs of a family member. Her wish was to have her mother-in-law nearby rather than in Cumming which can be a long drive to help with doctor visits and errands. I suggested she look at Brookside, a short drive from her home.

Her family member had recently spent time for rehab in a newer community with a higher end environment. She is much happier in the smaller homey environment at Brookside and enjoys frequent visits with her family. She is relieved that the monthly cost of Brookside is mostly covered by her Social Security plus VA benefits.

I’m not sure if my friend would have thought to look at Brookside if I had not suggested it. The holidays are often a time to observe and discuss the care needs of loved ones. Should that be the case, consider a visit to nearby Brookside Stone Mountain Senior Living.

Scott Mecredy and MOMS

Sandra Waldrop — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 13:43:28 GMT

We had a great time at our Zoom LBA meeting yesterday interviewing Scott Mecredy of Music On Main Street or MOMS. The interview was recorded so you can enjoy the entire session (see link at the end of this post).

Scott pays tribute to his own late mother not only in the naming of his and his wife's business (MOMS) but also in the charity Gracenote Foundation. The foundation promotes the role of music in child development, throughout adult life, and within communities in a variety of ways. Foundation support projects have included instrument donations, camp and lesson funding and even a benefit concert to help someone from the music community fighting cancer.

In appreciation for being a positive influence on the business and extended Lilburn communities, LBA will be making a donation to the Gracenote Foundation in the amount of $100.

Link to full interview:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/QN5a3yDV17u4q1NLZ2uvHJlglcefMG2zGHAx9KpO1gjx9xvkJcy-ond2reo6yOh-G1mejnyh9CvMsXN-.05AxvutnQV6VN-aY

Old Town Lilburn Update with Brian Burchik

Sandra Waldrop — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 20:40:34 GMT

Brian Burchik, Community Development Administrator & PIO (Public Information Officer) for the City of Lilburn gave us lots of information on things happening behind the scenes at City Hall. It is always interesting to hear the thoughts and efforts involved that are driving the changes in and around Old Town. The City has enlisted the help of Retail Strategies in finding more upscale businesses to open locations in our area. A recent RFP involved development the Main Street property next to the Station Master's House. The DDA is reviewing the submitted projects. The Steel Building on Railroad Ave is to be vacated Oct 1st and is slated to become a brewery and food hall. Stay informed on further developments on the Old Town Lilburn website and on Brian's podcast, The Burn podcast on the City of Lilburn Facebook page.

Meet John and Susan Seay

Sandra Waldrop — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 22:22:21 GMT

Meet husband and wife Associate Broker John Seay and REALTOR Susan Seay of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers!

Susan was born in Atlanta, and John has lived here most of his life. Currently living in Lilburn, no one knows the neighborhoods like they do. Together, they have a wealth of real estate experience and knowledge of the metro area.

John and Susan love helping others through the process of buying and selling real estate. They enjoy meeting new people, many of whom become life-long friends.

John and Susan like working together, but they each have different strengths. John teaches the prelicense class which is a requirement toward becoming a real estate agent. Susan has an interior design background and is happy to give suggestions on staging your home to sell.

In their spare time, they love travel and college football. They also enjoy finding new parks, hiking trails, restaurants, and hidden gems around Atlanta.

Contact the Seay Team if you need some guidance selling your property or finding your next home. They would love to meet you!

Crescent Sun Gallery

Sandra Waldrop — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 14:30:14 GMT

Crescent Sun Gallery is a small, fine art gallery located in downtown Lilburn right next to the prestigious 1910 Restaurant and Taproom. We started with just two artists specializing in photography and oil painting, but hope to grow quickly and add additional artists!

Crescent moons are a fairly common occurrence, but a crescent sun comes along only once in a while, during a solar eclipse. Since Brittany Lunsford-Kurz and Kevin Kurz, the founders of the gallery, are avid eclipse chasers, this seemed like the perfect name for the new-found gallery.

Brittany is a world-renowned photographer, with over 20 years of experience. Her photography and post-production work has been exhibited all over the country. An avid eclipse chaser, she's always got her eye on the sun.

Kevin Kurz is a photographer and painter specializing in landscapes with a pop-culture twist.

We're always looking for new artists to spotlight at Crescent Sun Gallery!

Back By Popular Demand

Sandra Waldrop — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 19:30:08 GMT

You may have noticed the consignment store, Back by Popular Demand (BBPD) on Lawrenceville Hwy close to Main Street. BBPD has been around Lilburn for 41 years. The owner Melissa Baxter began working in consignment at age 15. She purchased BBPD located in Old Town, sight unseen, 19 years ago at the age of 20. She ultimately relocated the business to the building on Lawrenceville Hwy and expanded her Lilburn offerings to cover over 8000 sq ft of space. The clothing and accessory offerings focus on name brands. They also have small furniture and household décor. There is also a Marietta boutique location

Melissa is well known in the consignment world for being forward thinking and an innovator. She founded Atlanta Consignment Stores, a local directory of Atlanta area consignment stores in 2008 which hosts bus tours, is visible around town, and has a community map of local consignment stores. She was an early adopter of LIVE “Online Shopping” on Facebook and has been featured on the front cover of the financials for USA Today in 2017.

In addition to the daily LIVE Facebook offerings, the online store was a platform that really took off during the pandemic. They are always on the lookout for new employees that love clothes and love people. She has employed high school students that worked through their college years gaining valuable business experience. With the growth in the online business they are now looking to hire a shipping manager.

Melissa approaches her personal like with the same vigor as her business life. She is strong in her Christian faith, she has 2 elementary age children (one on the Autistic Spectrum) and she fosters senior dogs, particularly those under hospice care.

LBA congratulates Melissa on her business success which is the result of hard work, risk taking and innovation. A big thank you to Sherise Sherman, store manager of the Lilburn store who did an awesome job representing Melissa and BBPD at the June LBA lunch meeting.

Keep It Historic

Sandra Waldrop — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 19:56:16 GMT

Teresa Ingalls is an Old Town resident and archeologist employed by New South Associates as a Digital Data Manager. These days, much of an archeologists workflow is digital. They may be hired by a developer for above and underground work to fulfill Federal permitting requirements. This can get interesting if the development is near a historically significant site.

Teresa has a side project called Keep It Historic. Here she presents short videos of historical sites that catch her interest. Her Lilburn videos cover the antique shop in old town, Salem Missionary Church and the Wynne-Russell House.

Check out her website and purchase some of her cool merchandise.

Interview with Carlos Castrejon, Owner Agavero Parkside

Sandra Waldrop — Mon, 24 May 2021 17:59:01 GMT

Carlos' first experience in the restaurant business was as a dishwasher/busboy where his father worked. This job was supposed to be encouragement for him to improve his school grades. He actually fell in love with the restaurant business and has worked in it his whole life, except for a construction job where he only lasted 2 weeks. It is always good to know what you don’t want to do as a career.

The 3 Agavero restaurant locations each offer a different dining experience. The Midtown location is higher priced and caters to a more affluent crowd, with a taste for high end margaritas and drinks, etc. The Lawrenceville Highway location is more suburban with lower prices but also popular for date night. Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day are always busy at the Lawrenceville Hwy location. The Bus is set up for fast casual dining, with a more limited menu. He wants the Bus to be like a Mexican Chick-fil-A, with fast and friendly service, but saying “My Pleasure” in Spanish, but it did not sound quite right!

The restaurants struggled at the beginning of the pandemic but were able to make it with the support of the community. The Bus was the first location to reopen for business, since they have the open-air patio. Carlos plans to add shade or awning to the top part of the bus, for the sunny summer days.

Important business lesson learned from his grandfather and father was work ethic. His grandfather worked in restaurants 6 days a week. His father, a waiter, helped Carlos learn the importance of being social and to interact with the customers, to keep them happy and want to come back.

We are very happy Carlos has made Agavero Parkside such a wonderful addition to Lilburn City Park.

---- Andrea Alvarez

Up Close & Personal with Joe Goodman

Sandra Waldrop — Mon, 10 May 2021 17:36:19 GMT

Joe Goodman was the presenter at our May Breakfast Zoom meeting. Joe's lifelong love of publishing started in junior high in his journalism class, an early career with a large publishing house in NY and continued 19 years ago when he started Up Close & Person in Tucker.

In planning his magazine, Joe decided to use a Biographical/Autobiographical hook, something he had never seen with a publication. He began with a Tucker-focus, but realized the close connection Tucker had with Lilburn. Fourteen years ago he added a Lilburn addition to his offerings.

In 19 years, he has never lacked for an interesting person/story from the target communities for his magazine cover story. His subjects have included astronauts, a ghost writer of well known books, an Olympic athlete, a Freedom Rider and the organist for the Braves. His knowledge of so many interesting local residents has turned Joe into a very interesting person himself!

Every two months, Up Close & Person is mailed to 55,000 homes in the Tucker and Lilburn extended communities . His "pivot" during the pandemic has been to do combined Tucker/Lilburn issues. He has split the cover to show 2 different stories, one from Tucker and one from Lilburn and a group shot of 4 girls (2 from Tucker and 2 from Lilburn) describing their individual community projects.

Up Close & Personal does not have a website or public phone number. The best way to reach out to Joe Goodman is by email at content@upclosemarketing.com and you better put a worthy subject title so he opens it. If you want to market to Tucker and Lilburn, this is a great place for a print ad.

Action Coach John Davis

Sandra Waldrop — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 18:09:31 GMT

Have you ever thought of getting a business coach. John Davis of Action Coach shared with us 5 key areas for a successful business. Is marketing an expense or an investment? Do you use metrics in your business? What does it cost to acquire a customer? Are you able to generate passive income? Check out John's presentation.

Realtor Lanier Ward's Passion is Helping First Time Buyers

Sandra Waldrop — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 12:58:47 GMT

Lanier Ward is our Business Spotlight for May. He spent 13 years as a pastor before becoming a realtor with Century 21. He was born in Atlanta and his wife grew up in Lilburn so relocating here from NC was like coming home. Lanier has a particular passion for working with first time homebuyers. A few years ago, he and his wife purchased their first home. It did not start out as their dream home, but they now appreciate how cosmetic updates can make all the difference. He can help those first time buyers find the perfect home that may start out as an ugly duckling.

Check out his Youtube Channel.

Building a Story Brand

Sandra Waldrop — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 13:21:47 GMT

By Sandra Waldrop, Insite To Web, LLC

When you think of your customer vs your business offerings, who is the hero of the story? I hope you said your customer. Your business offerings should be a way for your customer to solve or avoid a problem, much the way in a good story a character finds a mentor to guide them to victory.

Check out my slide presentation on this book:

The Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center

Sandra Waldrop — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 17:06:05 GMT

Link to presentation recording.

Getting to know Porter Steel

Sandra Waldrop — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 14:50:46 GMT

If you live in Lilburn and take Arcado Rd to Hwy 29, you have passed Porter Steel many times. We were very fortunate to have the company VP, Cole Porter, as our guest at the February Zoom meeting. The company was started in 1983 by Cole's father Lowe who became interested in working with steel from his father.

The company employs 80-90 people and does about $12 million in projects in a year. About 90% of their orders are for light structural (not supportive) which is used in high end homes and apartments as gates, stairs, etc. They also do medium structural projects such as structural steel for school buildings. They also partner with companies that need a steel component like a support for their primary product such as a pump. Here the company can focus on their primary product and let Porter Steel hand the steel support structure. You can see Porter Steel at the JCB bridge and at the 17th Street bridge at Atlantic Station.

This company sources its steel from the US or from NATO countries. Most US mills tend to specialize in a particular product such as beams of certain size or parts. The price of steel on the world market can fluctuate with the impact of Tariffs. Covid also caused mills to shut down leading to reduced supplies and causing prices to increase by as much as 100%. That can make quotes for projects tricky.

The work force at the company is quite diverse with 23 countries represented and they even have women welders. The jobs at the company include fabricators, welders, logistics, estimators, project managers, machine operators, helpers, CDL drivers, crane operators, CAD, etc. They tap into school programs from Georgia Trade School, Gwinnett Tech and even the Architecture and Construction Academy at Berkmar HS. Much of the work is hard labor but the company provides 100% health benefits, 401K and paid time off.

Film location scouts from No Bull Productions approached the company to use their shop for a fight scene for a Netflix pilot for the show "Verified". While there, they noticed a large 54 ft boat. Construction of this boat had been a project started my owner Lowe Porter in 2003. They were getting ready to finally move the boat to a Knoxville Marina for finishing work. Documentaries are good work for production companies during a pandemic and No Bull saw an opportunity. Thus began "The Ark of Lilburn" documentary chronicling the delicate move of this huge object. There is even some possibility the film will include the boats final journey down rivers to the gulf.

For 38 years, the company obtained customers by word of mouth. In 2019, they hired a marketing firm that has been mostly tasked with telling their story. Thank you Porter for sharing the story of the company as well as your story as you have take on leadership within the company. Cole is also involved with the Gwinnett Chamber and Partnership Gwinnett.

Want to know more. Porter's interview is available to stream online:

LBA Virtual Lunch - Porter Steel

Feb 16, 2021

Meeting Recording

Access Passcode: MEE.RR?0

Nicky Nocera and Salon 97

Sandra Waldrop — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 18:33:44 GMT

January 1st, LBA member Nicky Nocera became the owner of the salon on Main Street in Old Town Lilburn. She has wasted no time is giving the old place a hip new look. Check more images on our Instagram page.

How did you become a cosmetologist?

I have always been into creative things. I always wanted to do something artistic and since high school wanted to do hair. My hairstylist growing up was always coming up with new ideas and taught me how to style hair. I started college as a marketing major. In the early 2000s that’s what all the parents were pushing for, like, what’s this trade school you speak of? Get a real job! I tried that for a couple of years then decided to go with my passion. About a year after I started doing hair I fell in love with the product line Surface and with the process of education. I became an educator with the brand and started doing classes – cutting and styling classes. I have also spent a lot of time coaching others on how to have a successful salon. When it came to light that I had an opportunity here to build a salon I already had the knowledge how to do that. I love that we can make our clients look good and feel good – we call ourselves “day makers” for a reason.

How did you wind up in Old Town Lilburn?

I had been working in midtown for 7 or 8 years and driving in. I lived in Lilburn and started getting more and more settled into the community. As I met people and they found out what I did they were interested – until they found out I worked in midtown. I was also spending a lot of time calling on salons with the Surface product. One day I called on this salon and when I came in they told me about all of the exciting things that were happening in Old Towne Lilburn. Lilburn is a hidden gem and it just made sense to work here. I started part-time and my business built faster than it ever has anywhere else. About 6 months after I started working here I found out the building was for sale. My husband and I talked about it and we were afraid that whoever bought it might not want to keep a salon here. I never really saw myself owning a salon but the universe aligned and here I am.

What has the Lilburn Business Association done for you and what do you see it doing for you?

The main thing is the connections I’ve made. I’ve gotten clients through LBA and just as importantly, Tim with Print Magic has done my signs and printing and Sandra Waldrop spent two hours with me teaching me how to build my web site. It has really been a resource for me and I’m looking forward to getting more involved as COVID restrictions ease and we can go back to meeting in person and getting to know each other.

--------- Donna Hill

The Accelerator Effect

Sandra Waldrop — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 23:16:13 GMT

Many entrepreneurial journeys begin as an idea to solve a problem, a solution looking for a problem to solve or a way to do something more efficiently. Our December speaker, John Adcox, spent many years writing and managing writers for a variety of media. He gained insight into the many inefficiencies of how stories were brought to multiple media formats. He had an idea and vision to disrupt the industry.

The “Story Incubator” Gramarye Media was born. To accomplish his vision, he needed resources of not only money but expertise. John and his vision were accepted into the very competitive Georgia Tech business accelerator program for startups called Flashpoint. Yes Tech has developed a way to engineer business startups. Only 10% of all startups succeed, while 80% of startups using a business accelerator do.

Flashpoint was a 6 month program that involved, as John put it, “weekly public floggings” and the privilege of Ga Tech owning 7% of the company. Along the way, he found out it was easier to fundraise for a $240 million startup than a $3 million one.

The goal of each Gramarye Media project is to find the unpublished manuscript with the potential of Harry Potter. They want to find the equivalent of JK Rowling writing on a napkin in a coffee shop. Pay her $50k plus 15% of the multimedia explosion they generate from the manuscript. They would produce and control the publication (paper and digital), movie rights, gaming rights, etc. The key is data obtained and analysed through the Flashpoint process for picking the winners.

Four projects will be delivered to the public in 2021 and 12 per year thereafter. They anticipate having their first revenue in the 2nd quarter of 2021.

Gramarye Media is in the process of occupying offices within the Atlanta Opportunity Zone. They are working towards building a studio on land that is EB-5 (foreign investor) and USDA loan eligible.This studio would include Smartstages which use surround LED and cameras. The Mandalorian series uses this technology which is superior to bluescreen methods and allows volumetric video capture.

John is having quite a ride on his journey and it looks like he is nearing the top of the highest (maybe second highest) hill of the roller coaster. I can’t wait to see how this ride finishes.

Business Spotlight: Right At Home

Sandra Waldrop — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 13:56:04 GMT

The Holidays is often a time for families to gather and discuss the growing needs of loved ones. Francine Oglesby of Right At Home East is our newest LBA member. Right At Home is much more than a home health provider. They provide in-home care and assistance for seniors and those with special needs. The east Atlanta office opened in 2012 and now has an office in Snellville. They are proud to say a human will answer their phones 24/7 and there are no long term contracts. They have 3 nurses on staff and currently service around 80 families with 120+ caregivers. They even have a therapy dog, Mylo.

Services are typically paid by long term care insurance, VA benefits, self-pay and even Medicaid. They are hiring caregivers and CNAs.

Whether a family member needs a little extra help around the house, assistance recovering from a hospital stay or someone to check in on them throughout the week, Right at Home East Atlanta's in-home care is the answer.

New Library Resources of Interest to Businesses

Sandra Waldrop — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 18:17:13 GMT

Since the Gwinnett County Public Library closed due to recent health concerns, we have been hard at work to pivot our offerings to continue to be of service to all facets of our community. In doing so, we have added three new resources to our rosters that are free to use with your Gwinnett County Library card.

The first resource that we added to our offerings was Tutor.com. This resource was acquired in partnership with Gwinnett County Public Schools, in which children are offered free tutoring assistance in a variety of topics. However, Tutor.com is not just for children! It boasts a career center for adults, in which one could get assistance in job searing, as well as preparation for the Naturalization Test. There is also the option to submit a paper for review by a tutor for technical writing, and letters. Tutor.com also provides tutors that speak Spanish, so they are accessible to quite a few members of the community!

The library has also worked in collaboration with Grow with Google. They provide free resources in which individuals can gain skills and knowledge in various areas. Notably, they offer Career Certificates, in which people can embark on new career pathways to gain the valuable experience needed for employment. Grow with Google offers free training on various topics of importance to small business owners, including how to manage one's business in the virtual format. Grow with Google also provides resource guides for small businesses.

Lastly, the Library has added Social Explorer to our list of Digital Holdings. Social Explorer is a tool that uses various data sets to provide demographic information in an intuitive and easily searchable map format. Currently, they offer Data from the U.S 2020 Census, U.S Election Data, U.S Business Patterns, and U.S Covid-19 Data, and many more. All information is displayed on comprehensive maps that are color-coded and searchable down to zip codes!

Please join us for a tour of the new resources that the Gwinnett County Public Library has to offer you and your business on Tuesday, September 15th at 11:00 am. We will be going through all of the resources mentioned above, and we will take your questions on how to use them.

Vicky Perez, Head Librarian, Lilburn Branch, GCPL

Q/A with Officer Mike Johnson

Sandra Waldrop — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 19:45:16 GMT

The virtual LBA Meeting today was a Q/A with the City of Lilburn Police Community Liason, Officer Mike Johnson. Officer Johnson did an outstanding job answering questions about Business Safety, Community Outreach, FLOCK Camera Systems and Safety Programs.

For those that missed our meeting today here is the video of Officer Johnson's portion of the meeting.

Link to video

Learn about Lilburn Downtown Development

Sandra Waldrop — Fri, 01 May 2020 19:41:34 GMT

Our special guest for the May 1st Zoom meeting was Lilburn Assistant City Manager, Jenny Simpkins. Jenny provided a presentation that took us through the ongoing changes and development of downtown Lilburn. Link to video with Password: 8q.?%^@X

Journey of Entrepreneurship: Fresh Air Party Rental

Sandra Waldrop — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 13:21:21 GMT

For many of us, the road to business ownership hasn’t necessarily been a clear path. I started my business, Fresh Air Party Rental, over 10 years ago, but never had a specific career path planned nor had considered the possibility of entrepenuership growing up. In 8^th grade I remember being excited to take a test in school that would supposedly guide us to our ideal job possibilities, through questions about our habits and personalities. I recall answering that I would enjoy doing something different and unpredictable each day, where I could work both indoors and outdoors. Apparently my answers narrowed down the options quite a bit, because when I got my results, I was disappointed to see just 2 suggestions: forest ranger, or funeral director! But it turned out having an event rental company has been a perfect fit, obviously allowing me to work both indoors and out, and as any business owner can tell you, every day brings new challenges and unpredictable schedules.

My husband and I started Fresh Air Party Rental in 2007 with 2 used bounce houses, that we would deliver to house parties on the weekends for extra income. We now operate as a full-time business with 40 different inflatables, along with tents, tables, chairs, audio equipment, etc. and provide equipment for festivals, corporate gatherings, concerts, and weddings, in addition to backyard parties. We are grateful to participate in many local events in Lilburn. Even though we travel to all areas of town, it is a special privilege to service events right here where we live and work.

As I am writing this, we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has of course affected all our lives in unprecedented ways. Most entrepenuers are faced with new challenges of how to continue business during this public health crisis. Personally I am concerned about the future of parties and events, but am confident they will return, though probably not in the same way as before...just as travel changed after 9/11, or the housing market changed after the Great Recession. As business owners we will adapt and learn from this situation, and I believe will eventually come out stronger than ever. Hopefully one day we will be able to look back at this time as a challenging but inspirational chapter in our lives and our journey of entrepenuership.

Andrea Alvarez
770.279.2787
FreshAirParty.com

4493 Lilburn Industrial Way SW Suite B1

Lilburn, GA 30047

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Back Story on Smokin' Gold BBQ

Sandra Waldrop — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 19:39:28 GMT

Smokin' Gold opened in Dahlonega Georgia in April of 2008. My wife and I have been competition BBQ cooks for many years. When the opportunity availed itself to open a fully furnished restaurant for very little money, we decided to give it a try. After 3 years in that location we were able to relocate to downtown Dahlonega and reap the benefit of serving more tourist. Our home is and has been located in Lawrenceville for that entire time. When I met John and this building was available, it was time to sell the Dahlonega location and move back home.

People often ask what style of BBQ we offer, Kansas city tomato, Carolina mustard or vinegar. My response is competition style. Our goal is to give you a superior barbeque product off the grill and let you choose your own style of sauce. In barbeque competitions, it's a meat contest not a sauce contest, so we continued to cook the way we know. Our signature dish is the brisket, the pulled pork, ribs and chicken are also excellent. Every Friday, we offer burnt ends off the brisket. Very few BBQ restaurants in this area offer burnt ends.

That is a little history and insight to the kind of restaurant you can expect here.

Dan Dieterle

Why Hire a Professional Photographer

Sandra Waldrop — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 18:05:42 GMT

From Nancy Tawes' Business Spotight presentation at the LBA meeting on Oct 15, 2019

I consider myself an artist. I’ve had a couple of shows representing my fine art photography in general including a Black History exhibit which is a work in progress. I have an event coming up this March, showcasing fine art portraiture featuring my late mother’s porcelain doll collection. This will be at the Pinkneyville Activity Center. I’ve also been privileged to judge the work in a couple of Art Events in the area. Currently some of my fine art images are displayed at the Corner Cup Coffee in Decatur.

As the Owner/Operator of Nancy Tawes Photography, I specialize in Fine Art Portraiture, Professional Headshots and Editorial Website Images.

I base my work on Philippians 4:8 “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Our world today is inundated with images and people expect imagery wherever they go. A Picture is worth a Thousand Words. Say it with pictures.

Your online presence is your professional validation, the public’s go-to before they call you, if they call you.

When they get to your website, they scan it. One blog called it the .05 seconds of doom.

If you make it past that, it is typically a result of compelling imagery.

Pictures break up and highlight text.

They determine what people think and help them to make decisions.

They represent your brand.

So why pay for images when you have a camera, a friend with a camera or someone you know who will do it for free? Or an inexpensive stock photo?

Let’s face it. Everyone thinks they are a photographer and stock images are easy to get.

But a trained professional photographer has invested time and money to perfect the craft.

Personally, I have an AAS in Photography including 55 hours of targeted college credits, I’ve invested $55K in training and about $10K inequipment. And I have thousands of hours of experience.

The images of a professional photographer are controlled and edited for maximum impact.

With their professional software they provide SEO optimization.

A professional photographer can take your images from sub-par to amazing.

Your images represent your brand and they should visualize what YOU and YOUR company are all about, not a stock image.

“

In this digital world, it is important to make a personal connection and stock photos are generic by definition.

So, put YOUR best foot forward without distractions. A professional photographer can make you look established, smart and polished.

You can expect to spend around $350 to $500 for editorial website imagery and $165 to $200 for professional headshots.

Professional photography is a deductible business expense that will increase your bottom line.

Remember Content is King and images are content.

I leave you with this thought…Got Image?

More Than Just Main Street

Sandra Waldrop — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 19:12:44 GMT

Doug Stacks, the Director of Planning & Economic Development for the City of Lilburn, was our June luncheon speaker. July 1st his duties will also include Assistant City Manager. There has been a focus on Main Street and bringing up Old Town. Did you know 8-10 businesses were interviewed for the spot now occupied by the 1910 Public House? Hope Springs Distillery originally wanted a Norcross location, but there was no spot for them (lucky for Lilburn). Good to know there is thoughtful consideration and planning as Main Street is transformed.

The installation of the SPLOST funded water main was key to allowing higher density construction along Main. The 55+ senior community across from the City Hall/Library Complex site is prepped and we should see units going up soon. The site for the townhouse development at Main and Railroad is also close to having the start of building construction. These units will not be cookie cutter and there are still some design decisions in progress. The developer will also oversee the retail space to be developed in the second phase. The idea of residential over retail is not off the table. Check out the developer’s website and contact them with questions: https://www.oldtownlilburn.com/.

Speaking of the townhome development on Main Street, am I the only one wondering about the $400k-$500k price point? Consider this, the townhomes being developed on Arcado Rd near Beaver Ruin Rd have sold in the $270-$300 range. The success of that development persuaded the developer of the property across the street to rejig their designs to a higher standard and price point. So, a high end townhouse across from City Park for that price point is not a stretch.

The police station/park area is seeing many changes. The new playground area and equipment are complete and the new restroom facility adjacent to the playground should be complete by August. Some of the old playground equipment was placed at the lawn on the Greenway for continued use. When the new Police Station is completed on Hwy 29, the old building will come down. The building design and condition were determined to be impractical to retrofit. Plans are being considered about what changes to make to the park after the building is removed. How about a park extension? There are 22 acres of land that adjoins the park which is an old concrete facility. How could that be used?

Outside Main Street are several projects by private developers. A big one is the Office/Distribution Facility on the old water treatment plant property. This building has 250,000 sf of space with 7.6 acres under one roof. Prior to this development, the property spent 50 years off the City tax rolls. The city even has new ordinances that make redevelopment of old retail properties easier regulation wise.

The City has created a new position called Main Street Manager. Former city council member Brian Burchik has taken on this part-time job. He has spent the summer meeting with the different community groups to find partners and gather ideas to enhance life in the "City". Contact Brian, brian.burchik.msa@gmail.com, if your community group was missed.

For more news on Main Street and a list of construction projects check out https://www.cityoflilburn.com/347/Main-Street-Program.

Sandra Waldrop - LBA President

Advice to avoid identity theft

Sandra Waldrop — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 00:35:56 GMT

At the recent LBA Breakfast the topic of identity theft came up. LBA Member Sandy Defoe, an Enrolled Agent, strongly recommended going now to the irs.gov website and securing an Identity Protection Pin (IP PIN). Generally these are only available to people who have had past problems with identity theft but because this is a particular problem in Georgia, anyone who files in Georgia can get one and should do it now to avoid being a victim. This is also available to those that file in Florida and DC.
https://www.irs.gov/identity…/get-an-identity-protection-pin

Additionally, LBA Member, Tim Hennington of Legal Shield, advises to activate fraud alerts rather than a credit freeze with the credit reporting agencies. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0275-place-fraud-alert