May06

VOLUME 18 NO. 5 MAY 2006

DULUTH MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION

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

Tues. May 2, 2006MeetingSponsored by

Gwinnett NissanStars & Stripes5k Run/WalkSaturday, May 27

Duluth Town Green

Gwinnett Place Nissan2555 Pleasant Hill Rd

Duluth, GA 30096

866-251-2873

More Info on Pg 4

GGeett RReeaaddyy FFoorr.. .. ..

At Gwinnett Place Nissan, we are lookingforward to hosting the May DMA meeting!Gwinnett Place Nissan is one of thepremier dealers in the country. Ourcommitment to customer service is secondto none. We offer one of the mostcomprehensive parts and servicedepartments in the automotive industryand are dedicated to giving our customersthe best buying experience possible.

LLooookkiinngg ffoorrRRuunnnneerrss,,SSppoonnssoorrss,,

aannddVVoolluunntteeeerrss

Happy Spring DMA Members,

Georgia Spring time has arrived, and, just in time, for all of us tocelebrate the latest holidays and spring breaks!!! We truly haveexciting events to remember as well as, those to anticipate.Whileenjoying the fresh growth of the season, I have to say the pollen surehas inundated our homes, vehicles and sinuses!!!

The 5th Annual Spring Benefit andAuction was an exceptionaloccasion! Once again, I want toextend immeasurable thanks andgratitude to The DMA'sextraordinary volunteermembership that contributed to theaccomplishment of raising$7,500.00 for this year'sbeneficiary, The Dream House.

Many thanks to Dennis and CarolKeller, of Accent Mail, for hostingthe April meeting and for sharing their experiences and invaluableinsights of owning a business; to Rich Daluga, of La Cazuela for thedelicious meal: to Dana White, of All Events Rentals for graciouslydonating chairs and tables; to Mark Williams, Printing Trade Co.,for printing the check for The Dream House, accepted by BernardEtheridge, director of Operations; to Mayor Shirley for emphasizingthe importance of involvement in the War Memorial, and, not to missa tour of the new Safety Building; and, to Kathryn Willis for theannouncement of the Fall Festival. Despite the meeting fell duringspring break vacation, many, many thanks are extended to those whoparticipated, attended, and assisted with the growth of membershipthat evening!!

Let's keep the memendom of greeting and gaining new members eachmonth on go. The May meeting will be hosted by Joe Lassester atGwinnett Nissan. You do not want to miss this first time DMAmeeting at the Gwinnett Nissan Dealership on May 2nd at 6:00PM.

Reminder: the 10th Annual 5k Race is on May 27th. Please, Pleasesee or contact John Monk and Frank O'Brien for volunteer and sponsorsign-ups!!!! Registration, flyers and our websitewww.duluthmerchants.com contain all the information needed. Each ofus can do our part to contribute to this special event.

With sincere appreciation,

Jennifer IngallsDMA President

2006 OFFICERS

JENNIFER INGALLSPresident

RICHARD DALUGAVice President

ALISA WILLIAMSSecretary

JOHN MONKTreasurer

Duluth MerchantsAssociationwww.duluthmerchants.com

2

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Pam Adams 770.564.0876

Richard Daluga 770.366.4561

Laura Heck 770.814.8984

Jennifer Ingalls 770.490.0812

Marion Maloof 770.923.1111

John Monk 770.495.8900

Thom Mash 770.689.2600

Lois Martin 770.813.1033

Joyce Mell 770.232.2987

Frank O’Brien 678.542.2004

Terry Palmer 404.502.5531

Chitra Parikh 404.262-2600

Chuck Raynor 770.418.4929

Derek Whitesmith 678.957.8030

Alisa Williams 770.476.3434

Mark Williams 770.441.0945

DMA-Gab-RRR MAY 2006

from the desk of the

P R E S I D E N T

The Gab-RRR is a monthly publication

of the Duluth Merchants Association

Database, Printing and Distribution:

Dennis & Carol Keller

Accent Mail Service

www.accentmail.com

678.473.4643

Photography:

Laura Heck

Heck Design Group

Phone/Fax 770.814.8984

[email protected]

Newsletter Design:

Terry Palmer

QuickCREATIVE

www.Quickcreative.net

404.502.5531

[email protected]

Jennifer Ingalls & Donna Daluga present the

$7,500 raised from The Spring Benefit to

Bernard Etheridge for The Dream House

uluthAround

3DMA-Gab-RRR MAY 2006

Barefoot in the Park Fine ArtsFestival

Sat May 20-Sun May 21

An event for fine art enthusiasts

and collectors. The Town Green will

be filled with fine art, food, music,

song and dance. Barefoot in the

Park is a juried fine arts festival. All

artists’ work and their presentations

is evaluated before acceptance to

this festival.

www.barefootinthepark.org

Sat. 10am-6pm

Sun. Noon-5pm

Movies begin at dusk on the

Town Green

RobotsFriday April 28

Star 94 presents Movies Under

the Stars

Yours, Mine & OursSaturday June 24

Madagascar Friday, August 4

Nanny McPhee Saturday, September 9

Halloween on the GreenCasper Saturday, October 28

National Day of PrayerMay 4Duluth Town Green

Memorial Day ServicesSat May 27Duluth Town Green(see insert below for more info)

MEMORIAL DAY 2006

Honoring Vietnam VeteransHonoring Vietnam VeteransHonoring Vietnam VeteransHonoring Vietnam Veterans

WELCOME HOME!Saturday, May 27th 5:30 p.m.

Duluth Town Green & Amphitheatre

Featuring live patriotic music by the Marine Corp Band

Honorary Salute by theDepartment of Georgia Legion Riders

Presented by City of Duluth and American Legion Post 251Veterans interested in participating in the ceremonies should contact Audrey Turner

at 678-475-3517 or via email at [email protected]

Saturday, June 10Hawaiian Luau and Feastfeaturing Fire Dancers, HulaDancers and P.J. Adamson & theSteel Vibes7:00 pm

Saturday, July 15Livin Large 7:00 pm

Saturday, August 19 Performer TBA7:00 pm

Saturday, September 30Fall Festival Concert Performer TBA8:00pm

4DMA-Gab-RRR MAY 2006

Stars & Stripes 5kRun/WalkSaturday, May 27, 2006 Duluth Town Green 9:00am

AWARDS

Awards will be presented to the first male and female overall, and the top three finishersin each age division. All participants will also receive a cotton T-shirt and goodie bag onthe day of the race.

AGE DIVISION:

10 & under; 11-14; 15-19; 20-24; 25-29; 30-34; 35-39; 40-44; 45-49; 50-54; 55-59; 60-64; 65-69; and 70 & Over

ENTRY FEE/REGISTRATION

Pre-register before May 25 for $15, Day of Race $20

INFORMATION

John Monk (770) 495-8900; [email protected] Jenkins (678) 795-0115; [email protected]

Information and applications also available at: www.duluthmerchants.com

Mail entries to: Duluth Merchants Association; PO Box 559; Duluth, GA 30096

NAME ___________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________

CITY __________________________ STATE _______ ZIP _______________________

PHONE _________________________; EMAIL _________________________________

AFFILIATION ______________________________________________________________

T-Shirt Size �Adult Small �Adult Medium �Adult Large �Adult X-Large

Age__________ Sex �M �F Event �5k Run �Fitness Walk

Health Concerns

Duluth Merchants Waiver/Release Form: In consideration of acceptance of this entry, I, on behalf of myself, my heirs, executors and administrators, hereby waiveand release all rights and claims of any nature I may have against the Duluth Merchants Association, and all other supporters and sponsors, their officials, agents,employees, representatives, successors and assigns (collectively and selectively referred as "Sponsor") for all injuries or death which I may suffer or incur inconnection with any claims made by me.Additionally, I allow free use of my name and photography (or that of my child if I am signing as a parent). I am, or my child is, physically fit and sufficiently trainedfor this event, and I do not request and Sponsor of the race to attempt to verify or confirm that I am (or my child is) fit to participate in this event.

Entrant’s Signature Date

DateParent’s Signature if under 18

REGISTRATION:

(all entries are non-refundable)

Before May 25 $15 _____

Race Day $20 _____

Additional Tax Deductible Donation $ _______

TOTAL Entry FeeEnclosed $ _______

Make Check Payable to and Mail to:

Duluth Merchants Association

P.O. Box 559; Duluth, GA 30096

10th Annual

Volunteers &Sponsors . . .We will need about a

dozen volunteers the dayof the race and would

love as many sponsors aswe can get! For only

$200, you get your logoon the race T-Shirt.

Call John Monk at 770-495-8900 for more

details.

DMA BENEFIT DINNER RAISES $7,500

The Sutts and the Cooks enjoy the evening.

Dave Cook offers a bid

Susan and Jim Dugan helped with the raffle, as John Monk and Heather

Ingalls look on

Co-chairs Diane White and Donna Daluga present Dream House Founder

Laura Moore with a honorary plaque

Duluth High School provided a wonderful quartet for the evening’s music

Guests review the silent auction

Thank you to all The DMA's extraordinary volunteer membership that

contributed to the accomplishment of raising $7,500.00 for this year's

beneficiary, The Dream House.

5DMA-Gab-RRR MAY 2006

So you've worked hard. And,you've saved as much as youpossibly could. Now what?With an understanding of howmuch you need for yourretirement, your next stepsare deciding where to investyour hard-earned money andhow to best allocate amongstthe numerous investmentchoices within variousproducts.

Investment OptionsWhen planning how to save for

retirement, a person may think of

individual tax-advantaged vehicles such

as IRAs (traditional and Roth), or

employer sponsored retirement plans

such as SEP, SIMPLE, 401(k), 403(b) as

well as traditional defined benefit

pension plans. The better you understand

all of your available options, the better

prepared you're likely to be for

retirement. Maximizing all your

investment options is the key to success.

Traditional IRAs —

You are eligible for an IRA if you have

earned income and are younger than

age 70½. For 2005, you can

contribute as much as $4,000, plus

an additional $500 for those age 50

and older. If neither you nor your

spouse actively participates in an

employer sponsored retirement plan,

the contribution is fully deductible.

If you (or your spouse) is an active

participant and are filing jointly, the

deduction is phased out for adjusted

gross income (AGI) between $70,000 and

$80,000 (2005) for that spouse. If your

spouse is an active participant but you

are not, and you file jointly, then the

deduction for your contribution is phased

out for AGI between $150,000 and

$160,000. For single individuals who are

active plan participants,

the deduction is phased

out for AGI between

$50,000 and $60,000

(2005).

Roth IRAs —

Provided that one's AGI

does not exceed certain

limits, any person with

earned income can

contribute to a Roth

IRA, regardless of age. For 2005, the

contribution limit is $4,000, plus an

additional $500 catch-up for those who

are 50 years old or older (less any

amount contributed to a Traditional IRA

for the year). Roth IRA contributions are

currently phased out for singles with AGI

between $95,000 and $110,000 and for

married couples with AGI between

$150,000 and $160,000. Contributions to

Roth IRAs are non-deductible but

distributions are potentially income tax

free.

Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans —

Perhaps the most common employer

sponsored retirement plan is the 401(k).

One of the main attractions of a 401(k)

for employees is the ability to make pre-

tax contributions within limits (See Table

1). Another big attraction is that

employers often match a portion of those

contributions. Neither

employer/employee contributions nor

earnings on 401(k) balances are taxable

until distributed.

SEPs —

A simplified employee pension plan (SEP)

is an employer sponsored IRA program.

SEP plans work best when the only

eligible plan participant is the owner

Getting a Handle onGrowing Your Hard-Earned Retirement Assets Article submitted by Chitra Parikh; Financial Services Associate; The PrudentialInsurance Company of America's Southern Star Agency, Atlanta;[email protected] ; 404-262-2600 ext 7070.

Cont. on page 6

YEAR

2005

2006

2007

*Pretax 401(k) Contributions

$14,000

$15,000

**$15,000

*Does not include catch-up contributions for participants age 50 and older.

**Indexed for inflation after 2006 in $500 increments.

Table 1

401(K) PRETAX CONTRIBUTION LIMITS

6DMA-Gab-RRR MAY 2006

and/or his or her spouse. Otherwise it

can be expensive to include additional

eligible rank and file employees.

Assuming you are a one-person business

in 2005, you can contribute and deduct

the lesser of 25 percent of pay (up to a

maximum compensation level of $210,000

in 2005) or $42,000.

403(b) Plans —

403(b) plans are sponsored by tax-exempt

organizations - such as schools,

universities and hospitals - as defined

under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal

Revenue Code. Most 403(b) plans operate

similarly to 401(k) plans by allowing

employees to make pre-tax contributions.

If employers contribute at all, it is

usually to match employee contributions.

The maximum 403(b) contribution limit is

$14,000 in 2005, plus an additional

$4,000 catch-up for those aged 50 and

older. If an individual has more than 15

years of service with the same employer,

other additional lifetime catch-ups may

also be available.

Non Qualified Annuities —

Although contributions to non qualified

annuities are not tax-deductible, there is

no limit to how much you can contribute,

and earnings are tax-deferred until

withdrawn or distributed. Your

withdrawal or distribution is subject to

ordinary income tax, and may be subject

to a 10% federal income tax penalty if

made prior to age 59½. Your

contributions are not limited by IRS

regulations, which is advantageous if you

"max out" annual contributions to

qualified plans or if you have fallen

behind in your savings. If you don't need

income, your annuity can grow tax

deferred beyond age 70½ - some

contracts do not require annuitization, or

payouts, to begin until age 95. This may

be helpful if you intend to leave an

estate to your loved ones.

As you can surmise, when it comes to

deciding how to save for retirement,

the options and rules can be complex.

Learn as much as you can and consult

with a competent financial

professional to help you sort through

the choices.

Investment AllocationDetermining what the right

combination of investments is for your

retirement portfolio at any given time

is important. Asset allocation is a

scientific process that uses historical

data to create the right portfolio mix

for an individual by selecting the most

effective combination of investments

to help meet the needs of that person.

According to research by Brinson,

Hood and Beebower (1986) and

Brinson, Singer and Beebower (1991,

Ibbotson Associates) strategic

allocation is responsible for 92 percent

of your investment return. Only 8

percent can be attributed to when the

investments are made and the investment

selection.

Several factors typically come into play in

allocating assets, including your financial

goals, your risk tolerance, and your time

horizon. There are many risks to

consider when establishing a retirement

savings strategy. What about declining

interest rates? Potential tax increases?

What if you or your spouse become

disabled and can't generate the income

you were once saving?

If you're just starting out and have a long

time horizon, you can afford to take

greater risk because you have plenty of

time to make up for mistakes. As you

approach retirement age, you may

become more conservative in an effort to

preserve the assets you have already

accumulated. Factoring in all risks may

initially seem overwhelming, but a

strategy can go a long way in helping you

to minimize their impact and feel more

confident.

A licensed financial professional can help

identify the investment allocation model

to match your goals, life stage, and risk

tolerance. Please keep in mind that past

performance is not indicative of future

results. DMA

Cont. from page 5

JANUARY 10: Enhancing Health

FEBRUARY 7: Maloof Chiropractic

MARCH 7: Gwinnett Community Bank

APRIL 4: Accent Mail

MAY 2: Gwinnet Nissan

JUNE 6: Duluth Fine Wine & Spirit Superstore

JULY 11: The Printing Trade Co.

AUGUST 1: Duluth Fall Festival

SEPTEMBER 12: John Monk CPA

OCTOBER 3: Atlanta Flooring Co.

NOVEMBER 7: Houston &Company, CPAs

DECEMBER 5: open

Calendar Most Meetings begin at 6:00pm on the first

Tuesday of each month (although this can

vary). Locations vary monthly.

Dates subject to change.

2 0 0 6 DMA meet ings

7DMA-Gab-RRR MAY 2006

Dear Digital Diva: I am

creating a report for my

manager that requires the

inclusion of our

department's job

functions. How do I add an

organization chart to my

Word document? --

Organizing My

Organization

Dear Organizing:

Organization charts are

created in Microsoft products using the diagramming

tool. Place your cursor at the location in the document

where you would like the organization chart to appear.

Click on Diagram under the Insert menu. Click on the

first diagram icon, Organizational Chart, and click OK.

(You can also click Organization Chart from the Picture

option on the Insert menu.) A basic chart with one

superior and three subordinate shapes appears in your

document. The Organization Chart toolbar also appears.

Click in each shape and type the text for the

corresponding position.

To delete shapes, right-click on the shapes border and

choose Delete. To add shapes, click the Insert Shape

drop-down arrow on the Organization Chart toolbar and

select the type of shape you need; or, right-click on the

shape the new shape will be attached to and select

Subordinate, Coworker or Assistant.

You can customize your organization chart further by

changing the layout with the Layout drop-down arrow on

the Organization Chart tool bar; by changing the style

with the Autoformat icon on the Organization Chart tool

bar; and by changing the appearance properties (fill

color, line color, line style, etc) for each shape by right-

clicking the shape and selecting Format AutoShape.

Dear Digital Diva: I work on multiple projects for

different clients throughout the day. Currently I keep up

with the time that I spend on each project by writing the

start and stop times in my calendar. That seems to work

okay when it comes to keeping track of my time; but it is

a tedious process when it's time to provide my client

with a monthly report. Is there an affordable product

that can automate this process for me? -- Tying Up My

Time

Dear Tying Up My Time: I use a great time tracking

software called TraxTime. You set up your various

projects/clients and punch in and out like a large time

clock. That automates your first step of tracking your

actual time. The best feature of the software is the

reporting. This addresses the second phase of your

process. You can create various reports based on

different levels of detail (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.)

and include In/Out times and memos. You can also print

your reports to the screen, clipboard, or printer. Other

features of the software include using billing codes,

recording non-billable times, playing a reminder tune,

and rounding off/up. There is also a Manager's edition

that allows you to create reports based on other

TraxTime users' time data, maintain shared project lists,

and customize report headers.

The standard edition of the software is $39.00 and is well

worth the investment. Visit the company's website at

www.spudcity.com to download a trial version of the

software.

Ask the Digital Diva is brought to you by our webmaster,

Pamela Adams, www.BizLynks.com & www.BizSiteNames.com,

770-564-0876. Send your questions to

[email protected] www.BizLynks.comwww.BizSiteNames.com

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

the DMA Gab-RRR. If you

have any significant

news about your

business: awards, big

wins, new expansions,

relocating, please e-mail

them to Terry Palmer at

[email protected]

or fax it to 770-813-9923. It is your

newsletter and we rely upon you.

ARE YOU NEXT?We want to showcase our DMA

members in our meetings. If you

would like to host a meeting or if

you have an educational 30 minute

presentation that you believe would

be of benefit to our members, please

call Jennifer Ingalls at

770.490.0812.

ARE YOU USING YOURASSOCIATION’S WEBSITE TOTHE FULLEST?Add your web address and a

business description to your entry

in the online membership directory.

Send an e-mail to

webmaster@duluthmerchants.

com with your updates

CHANGE OFADDRESS Please e-mail

address changes

to Dennis Keller at

[email protected] or call

him at 678.473.4643

ALL NEWSLETTER ENTRIESmust be submitted by the 12th of

each month for the next issue.

THE NETWORK TABLE ISAVAILABLE!Yes, we want to invite all of you to

bring your literature (in small

quantities) about your products and

services to our DMA meetings so

fellow members can learn more

about you. BUT, FAIR WARNING: at

the end of the evening, you must

take your

literature with you, or it will be

thrown away.

Duluth Merchants Association

Welcome to The Duluth Merchants Association!

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

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

Duluth Merchants AssociationP.O. Box 559Duluth GA 30096