july 2009 chamber chronicle

Now is the time to takenote of some upcomingevents and take part inthem.

Throughout 2009, thechamber has realized theimportance of having grass-roots tools that all of us can

use to grow our business. Below are some points

you need to be aware ofand take advantage of.

This Thursday, July 2,our monthly membershipmeeting will take on a dif-ferent tone. As the mem-

bership committee contin-ues to work on a “bootcamp” work session, ourJuly luncheon will besomewhat of a mini-bootcamp.

First, we will talk aboutthe benefits of membership

through a PowerPoint pres-entation that MartyWilliams has developed. Ihave now seen thisPowerPoint three times andI still find myself writingthings down that I missedpreviously. I will not steal

any of their thunder, butthis alone is worth yourtime.

It’s hard for small busi-ness owners to get away

The Member Newsletter of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce

July 2009

D A W S O N C O U N T Y

Post Office Box 299“Old Jail”west of the square

Dawsonville, GA 30534(706) 265-6278

Ashlyn’s AtticAntiques and More

welcomed

Upcoming events boost small, big businesses

Jay Walker

Breakfast benefits local nonprofit

See BOOST, 3

By Elizabeth HamiltonStaff Writer

Dawson County FamilyConnection’s first fundrais-er served up biscuits andgravy with a side of grati-tude.

“This is the firstfundraiser that FamilyConnection has had,” saidNancy Stites, director ofthe organization. “I had noidea what to expect, but wehad an excellent turnout.Waiters and guests alikeseemed to enjoy the event.”

Held June 19 atLonghorn Steakhouse inDawsonville, the CelebrityWaiter fundraiser featured abuffet-style breakfast alongwith service from 10 localleaders, ranging from thesheriff and county managerto city clerk and countycommissioners.

Stites said all thoseinvolved seemed to enjoythemselves.

“The fundraiser was notonly a good time, it wasalso a success,” Stites said.

Close to 200 people

were served breakfast. “The people of Dawson

County have such bighearts. Whenever someoneneeds help or support, thereis always someone there,which has been especiallybeneficial to nonprofitsduring this difficult eco-nomic time.”

Part of a statewide ini-tiative of community col-laborative partnerships,

CommissionerGary Pichonbrings orangejuice to BillSexton, left, andEd Combs.Pichon was oneof 10 “celebritywaiters” who par-ticipated in afundraiser June19 to benefitDawson CountyFamilyConnection.

Photo/ElizabethHamilton

Local leaders served food for funds

See BREAKFAST,Page 4

By Michele HesterStaff Writer

When Pam Bradfieldbought a ticket for theDawson County Chamberof Commerce Reverse raf-fle last summer, she lookedat it as her way of support-ing the chamber.

That support turnedinto a $10,000 check whenthe raffle ticket she washolding was called as thewinner.

Only 350 tickets willbe sold for this year’s raffledrawing party, which willbe held Thursday, Aug. 27at 7 p.m. The event is oneof the chamber’s mostanticipated events. Ticketsare $100 each.

Purchasing one ticket

allows two people to enterthe party.

“The event locationwill be on the ticket,” saidDawson County Chamberof Commerce MembershipDirector Pam Hamalainen.“When you purchase theticket, you’ll find outwhere the drawing partywill be.”

In addition to the cashraffle, ticket holders arealso eligible for valuabledoor prizes donated bylocal businesses.

Every 25th ticketdrawn will win a prizeequal to or greater than theprice of the ticket.

“This is the most excit-ing event we have,”Hamalainen said.

Tickets are available at

the chamber and throughthe chamber’s board ofdirectors. You can also stopby Roger Slaton’s StateFarm Office at the inter-section of Hwy. 53 andHightower Road to pur-chase a ticket fromMargaret Bowen.

The chamber accepts

major credit cards, cashand checks.

Proceeds from the raf-fle support many chamberinitiatives throughout theyear.

For more informationon the chamber’s reverseraffle, call the chamber at(706) 265-6278.

When someone consid-ers entrepreneurship, andperhaps the operation willbe based in the home, thereare many questions to beanswered.

Assessing your person-ality may help you learn ifsuch a venture is right foryou. Once you have deter-mined that you are finan-cially ready to step out onyour own and your person-ality assessment has con-firmed that you are a self-starter (among many otherthings) you may be readyto begin a new chapter inyour professional career.

According to CherMurphy PR, a public rela-tions agency with officesin Miami and Virginia thatfocus on small-businessPR management, about10.4 million people in theUnited States are self-

employed. More than halfof those, 5.4 million, workfrom home.

Realizing that home-based businesses are defi-nitely on the increase, hereat our local chamber wewant to identify which ofour members are in thiscategory.

We recently added aquestion regarding “Home-based business” to ourmembership application.

However, many of ourexisting members may behome-based and we maynot be aware of it. We wantto hear from you and whatyour needs are as youwork day to day from yourhome.

There may be issuesthat confront you that donot confront someone witha traditional work set-up.Even if you do not current-ly have a specific need orissue, if you would, give usa call or an e-mail and letus know to categorize youas Home-Based.

It will not change yourcategory listing in theMembership/BusinessDirectory, but simply beoffice data that will help us

serve you better.Also, let us hear from

you on home-based busi-ness issues. Give me oryour chairman Jay Walkera call and let us know howwe can join together tohelp you succeed. Would aseminar on how to set upand run a Home-BasedBusiness be helpful toyou? Would a Home-Based Business Forum onour Web site be a placeyou would “visit” for sup-port from your peers? Doyou have any ideas of howmembers can share infor-mation with each other?

In the meantime, if youare considering setting upa home-based business —you must begin by writingyour business plan. TheSmall BusinessDevelopment Center inGainesville serves our

county and will guide youthrough the process ofdeveloping and puttingyour business plan onpaper.

SBDC also offersclasses in business start-ups. Check out their offer-ings on www.gainesvilles-bdc.org.

In addition, there are anumber of home-basedbusiness sites on the Web;I recommend you startwith www.busi-

ness.gov/guides/home-based/.

So, no matter whatyour business categoryhappens to be, we want tohear from you and learnwhat your needs are!

Give us a call and per-haps you can attend achamber event soon.

Won’t you join us?

• Dawson Chamber Chronicle • July 2009

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National Expertise - Local Service

Linda Williams

Home-based business: Is it right for you?

Reverse raffle tickets on sale now

July 9: Lunch with thechamber at noon atLakeview Center onDawson Forest Road. Thetopic will be "Getting toknow your chamber."Lunch will be $12.50 with areservation or $15 without.For more information, call(706) 265-6278.

July 9: Fundraiser forKARE for Kids. TracyKirkley, a Premier DesignsJewelry Lady, will be pre-senting Premier Designsbeautiful and affordablehigh fashion jewelry at 54Dogwood Court,Dawsonville from 6:30-8:30p.m. One hundred percentof the profits will go toKARE for Kids. For moreinformation, call RobinSmith at (706) 216-5273.

July 12: For the Birds FolkArt Show artists will bemeeting and greeting allattendees at the art centerfrom 3-5 p.m. There is nocharge, and all are wel-come. The center is locatedat 334 Hwy. 9 North,Dawsonville. For moreinformation, call (706) 216-ARTS.

July 13- 16 and July 20-23: Event at Around Backat Rocky's Place "SummerYouth Art Camp." Thecamp is for children ages 5to 12. Two sessions will beoffered. The first sessionwill be held July 13-16 andthe second session will beJuly 20-23. Each session isconducted by gallery artists

exploring with the artistsdifferent mediums. Arts willinclude Mavis and her fab-ric art, Lisa Pirkle and hergreen art, Billy Roper andhis concrete sculptures,Alinda with her paintings,Blacktop with his tar paperpaintings and Coyote Codywith his paintings, just toname a few.

July 13: Fellow Citizens;Thank you for your interestin seeing a Habitat forHumanity organization inDawson County. A worksession will be held at 7p.m. in the meeting roomupstairs in the DawsonvilleMunicipal Complex, 415Hwy. 53 East, Dawsonville.All interested are invited toattend and learn about:• The four major areas ofHabitat International andlocal organizations.• Have the opportunity tocommit to one or more ofthe areas.• Hear about the localgroup's discussion with thenational leadership.

July 15: Join the chamberat 11:30 a.m. for a ribboncutting ceremony atChildren's Dentistry ofDawsonville's new location.The office moved toDawson Commons, 100Dawson Common Circle,Suite 110, Dawsonville. Besure to bring the childrenand let them check out allthe fun things to do at thedentist's office. For moreinformation, call Natalie at(678) 445-5444. There will

be a drawing for a bicycle,donated by Crest, at theceremony.

July 16: Mountain HomeRentals of GA, LLC is hav-ing a ribbon cutting for theirnew location at 11:30 a.m.They are located at theFoothills Shopping Center,80 Foothills Parkway, Suite201 in Marble Hill. Formore information, callBarry at (770) 894-4444.

July 28: Christi's Bridalhosts Business after Hoursfrom 5-7 p.m. They arelocated at 66 South 400Center Lane, Suite 230-235. For more information,call Christi at (706) 265-8500. The Cash Drawing

(Chamber's EconomicStimulus Package) is spon-sored by AFLAC-SharonReagan, Anderson FamilyMedicine-Dr. LarryAnderson, The NortonAgency-Kristie Myers, R&DCaulking, Inc.- Mike Downsand United CommunityBank-James Askew.Youmust be present to win ifyour name is called. Thecash drawing is currently at$2,425.You must be pres-ent to win if your name isdrawn.

Aug. 27: Reverse Rafflewill be held from 7-9 p.m.The Dawson CountyChamber of Commerce willonce again hold a ReverseRaffle. The Grand Prize will

be $10,000 CA$H! Ticketsare now available to pur-chase at the chamber orcall for other locations. Alimit of 350 tickets will besold for $100 each, soodds of winning are excel-lent. All sold tickets will bedrawn and the LAST ticketdrawn will win $10,000!The Drawing Party is fun,fun, fun. The last few ticketholders are usually biddingto buy each other out.

Are you certified WorkReady through the stateof Georgia? Everyone isencouraged to go to thenearest Technical Collegeand take the Work Readyassessment and earn theirWork Ready certification.Having the certificate mayhelp you gain a promotionwith your present employeror find the perfect new job.Dawson County residentsshould call Kathy Davis atthe Adult Learning Center(388 Hwy. 9 North) at (706)265-1690 to set up anappointment. Jobseekers,as well as employers andhuman resource special-ists, may call Linda at thechamber to learn about thisvaluable hiring tool, 706-265-6278.

Just Announced. TheWork Ready program isoffering $50-100 to assistthe unemployed with theirjob search after successfulcompletion of the WorkReady assessment.Details can be found atwww.begaworkready.org.

Dawson Chamber Chronicle • July 2009 •

C H A M B E R M E M B E R SChamber events

Dawson County FamilyConnection brings togethercommunity partners to helpaddress the challengesfacing children and fami-lies.

Among the local non-profit’s programs are themeth task force, churchalliance and prevent childabuse.

Mike Berg, chairman ofthe county commission anda Family Connection boardmember, said the fundrais-er was a “smart move.”

“Family Connectionhas been around for 10years, and this is the firstfundraiser it has had,” hesaid.

Cecil Bennett, commu-nity involvement coordina-tor for the local Wal-Mart,donated $1,000 on behalfof the supercenter to “an

organization that is a greatasset to this community.”

“They are a greatorganization to work with,”

Bennett said. “They pro-vide excellent support forour school system and weappreciate all that they do.”

In addition to the dona-tion, the event raisedmoney through sponsors,ticket sales and tips.


Office: 706-216-4806Fax: [email protected]

P.O Box 1096137 Prominence Court

Suite 240Dawsonville, GA 30534

C H A M B E R M E M B E R S

BREAKFAST from 1


Reading EducationAssociation of DawsonCounty held an open houseat the Adult LearningCenter June 16 to show-case the organization’smany achievements andliteracy efforts.

In attendance was EricDowdy, a Dawson Countyman who quit high schoolwhen he was 16.

A week and a half ear-lier, Dowdy receivedREAD’s Sue Tennant

Honorary Scholarship forhis outstanding achieve-ment.

Dowdy said he is grate-ful the center is availableto adults wishing to makechanges in their lives andthankful READ supportsthe center.

“I wanted to get myGED, because I want to domore,” said Dowdy, who iscurrently working withLanier Tech to try tosecure additional scholar-ships in hopes of continu-ing his education.

Carol Tyger, chairman

of the READ board, saidshe’d love to see morepeople in the communityget involved, beginningwith the organization’slargest annual fundraiser,“Are You Smarter Than a10-year-old,” which willbe held in October.

Sponsorships for theevent, which raised morethan $17,000 in 2008, areavailable for $300.Proceeds benefit READ’smany community literacyprojects.

For more information,call (706) 579-1771.

Eric Dowdy, therecipient of theSue TennantHonoraryScholarship pre-sented by theReadingEducationAssociation ofDawson County,speaks to SandyLipkowitz June 16at the AdultLearning Centerin Dawsonville.

Photo/Michele Hester

Adult education advocates gatherCenter opens doors to the community

DawsonCounty

Sheriff BillyCarlisle was

just one of10 “celebritywaiters” thatparticipated

in a fundrais-er June 19 at

LonghornSteakhouse

in Daw-sonville.

Photos/ElizabethHamilton

Guests of theCelebrityWaiterfundraiserenjoyed ahearty break-fast completewith bacon,eggs, biscuitand gravy andmuch more.



Antique store compliments existing salonBy Elizabeth HamiltonStaff Writer

Last month, theDawson County Cham-ber of Commerce wel-comed a new memberthat Chamber PresidentLinda Williams describedas a nice addition to busi-nesses in the county.

Ashlyn’s Attic Ant-iques and More, locatednext to Bella Sol Salon indowntown Dawsonville,celebrated its grandopening and held a rib-bon cutting ceremonyJune 18.

“We are always excit-ed to welcome new busi-nesses to the community,especially ones that fill inthe gaps to offer moreplaces for the citizens toshop local,” Williamssaid. “We appreciate you

choosing downtownDawsonville for your

business and adding tothe variety of businesses

we have here.”Store owner Tara

Bohanan said she openedthe antique store becauseshe has always been intoantiques, yard sales andauctions.

“This is not just yourgrandma’s ant iques tore . I t ’s more thanthat ,” Bohanan sa id .“We have new furniture,consigned items as wellas quality antiques ataffordable prices.”

She added that thename for the s tore isone shared with her 2-year o ld daughter,Ashlyn.

Bohanan and herhusband Andy are alsothe owners of neighbor-ing business Bella SolSalon, which she sayscompl iments theantique store nicely.

“The antique storehas been open for about

a month, and has hadgreat reception from thesalon customers,” TaraBohanan said.

“Salon clients whocome for lengthy hairservices can browsethrough the store whilethey wait.”

Adding that i temspurchased f rom thestore wil l have lowerprices than other localfurni ture s tores, TaraBohanan says she isglad to have anotherbusiness in Daw-sonville, especially onethat works well with thesalon.

Ashlyn’s Attic An-t iques and More islocated at 749 Hwy. 53East in downtownDawsonville. For moreinformation, call (706)344-1450.

Photo/Elizabeth Hamilton

The Dawson County Chamber of Commerce officially welcomed new mem-ber, Ashlyn’s Attic Antiques and More, with a ribbon cutting ceremony June18.The store is located next to Bella Sol Salon in downtown Dawsonville.


With the vast amount of informa-tion available at your fingertips onthe Internet, many people take on therole of travel agent themselves.

Sara Reed, owner of AccentTravel, agrees the information is outthere if you have the time to spendsearching.

“You can find deals if you wantto spend 20, 30 hours looking, butthat’s what I do, and it’s not going tocost you a dime to call me,” shesaid. “There are no hidden costs ...not even a penny.”

Reed has been serving the area’sgrowing travel needs to destinationsaround the world for more than 17years and recently was a co-sponsor

of the chamber’s May BusinessAfter Hours event at the Bowen ArtCenter.

“The Caribbean, Mexico, Vegasand the west coast are real popularright now. People seem to be stayingaway from Europe,” she said.

Reed says this is the year of thebargain. There have been several situ-ations where she has found a betterdeal on travel than marketed Internettravel sites can offer.

“In many cases, I can probablymeet or beat your budget,” she said.“No matter what your budget is, giveme a chance.”

Accent Travel Inc. is on the Webat www.accenttravelinc.com.

Reed can also be reached at (770)783-1344 or by e-mail [email protected].

Accent Travel will help plan next escape

Photo/Submitted

Excursions to ancient Mayan ruins in Mexico are a popular trip.



Photographer takes pride in quality photosBy Elizabeth HamiltonStaff Writer

According to JohnSeibel, there is more totaking a picture than justpushing a button on acamera or making surethe flash goes off at theright time; photographyis his passion and profes-sion.

Owner of John SeibelPhotography, the experi-enced photographer saysthat he has loved takingphotos and capturingmoments that some peo-ple never see.

Working with start upcompanies in Austin,Texas doing softwaredevelopment for manyyears before becoming afull time photographer,Seibel said that takingphotos was his escapefrom the working world.

“I’ve loved takingphotographs my entirelife,” Seibel said. “Lifegot in the way and I hadto put the camera aside

for a while, but havesince picked it back upand have been a profes-sional photographer forabout seven years.”

Specializing in execu-tive portraits, workplacephotography, individualand family portraits,landscape and architec-tural photography, Seibelsays he prides himselfand his company onquality work.

“I do what I dobecause I love it. Moreimportantly, we prideourselves in not onlyhaving good photograph-ic skills and using that tocapture a great image inthe camera, but we alsohave made a significantinvestment in having theright types of equipmentthat allows us to capturevery large and high qual-ity images to do somethings that some peoplecan’t do,” Seibel said.

He continued to saythat in terms of being aphotographer and taking

good pictures, it is reallyimportant to understandlight, composition andthe value of capturing agood image within thecamera in the same wayit is seen with the eyes.

“You can’t take a badpicture and make it good.You can take a good pic-ture and sometimes makeit better by overcominglimitations of a camera,but its important not torely on software or otherpost-capture processing

to make it right,” henoted.

Seibel says that natu-ral life photography andtaking pictures of any-thing that has to do withnature is what he has thebiggest passion for.

“I love landscapesand am really drawn tocity scenes andcityscapes because I’m afan of architecture andstudied it in college,” hesaid. “I’m a real fan ofinteresting architecture

and interesting iconicimages whether they bestatues, or integratingnatural life photographysuch as sunrise and sun-set with water, bridgesand architecture to tietogether for interestingcompositions.”

Seibel added that oneaspect of his businessthat has brought him suc-cess was getting out inthe local community andphotographing thingsthat people are close to

or have a childhood asso-ciation with.

He said that focusingon the community inwhich he works throughphotography captures theemotional attachmentand pride that peoplehave for the place thatthey call home.

“It’s always neat todo something that youlove, and I believe thatyou do things betterwhen you have a passionfor whatever it is thatyou are doing,” Seibelsaid.

Seibel runs his busi-ness out of his home inDawsonville, and has asmall number of printson display at the BowenCenter for the Arts. Hisworks can also be seenand purchased at the Artand Frame Warehouseand Images of Austin inAustin, Texas.

For more information,call (678) 427-6183 orvisit www.johnseibelpho-tography.com.


Dust off your fatigues andcombat boots for the DawsonCounty Chamber of Com-merce’s July luncheon andmini-boot camp.

The chamber luncheon, tobe held at noon on July 9, willbe an hour-long refreshmentcourse on what the chamber isand what it can do for you andyour business.

With speakers ranging from

staff at the chamber to mem-bers of the board of directors,attendees will receive a greatoverview of the chamber andthe benefits membershipaffords to the local businessesand individuals.

“We have so many businessowners ask: ‘What will I getout of this?’ The boot camp willshow what we do and how itbenefits them,” saidMembership Director PamHamalainen.

There will be presentations

on membership, the chamber’srole in economic development,Dawson County/Dawsonville’sacceptance as an EntrepreneurFriendly Community, and whatgoes on behind the scenes withthe chamber’s board of direc-tors and councils, among oth-ers.

The July luncheon will beheld at the Lakeview Center,2057 Dawson Forest Road, inDawsonville.

The cost is $12.50 with areservation and $15 without.

Mini boot camp planned for July luncheonBailey White, of Civitium, was theguest speaker at the DawsonCounty Chamber of CommerceJune luncheon held at PeachBrandy Cottage. White discussedthe consortium and explainedthat broadband capabilities are acrucial component for a growingcommunity, especially those hop-ing to draw new business andindustry to their areas in regardto economic development.

Photo/Michele Hester

The Edge ofthe Worldrapids are apopular sum-mer destina-tion for resi-dents, and oneof several nat-ural land-scapes JohnSeibel hasphotographed.

Photo/Submitted


... Don't forget to buy your tickets to the reverse raffle.The draw-ing for $10,000 cash will be held Aug. 27.Tickets are $100. Callthe chamber for more information, (706) 265-6278.

... Get well soon: Jane Berg, Victor Wallace, Bob Couch, LindaWilliams.

... Shop chamber members first. Shopping local keeps sales taxdollars working for you.

Please let the Chamber know when you have a special event so we may add them in our Chamber Chronicle.


Walden helps businesses build clientsBy Elizabeth HamiltonStaff Writer

According to AnnetteWalden, customer rela-tionships are the lifebloodof every good company.

Walden is the ownerof Painted Lady En-terprises, a company thathas been around for 15years, which specializesin helping businesseswith their clients,prospects and referralpartners for a source ofendless referrals.

“My passion is help-ing entrepreneurs,” Wal-den says. “I love helpingpeople, whether it’s help-ing with marketing needs,building relationshipswith clients and pros-pects, or referring servic-

es/prod-ucts too t h e r st h a twould beb e n e f i -cial.”

Prim-a r i l yworkingw i t h

small to mid-size busi-nesses all over the county,Walden noted that sheaims to assist businessesin getting the mostmileage out of advertisingefforts, about sellingvalue over price and thatkeeping in touch after asale is an excellent mar-keting and business tactic.

“I help businessesunderstand the sales cycleis not a sell and walk

away procedure because asatisfied client is yourbest referral source,”Walden said. “In today’seconomy, the businesses

that will come out ahead,or on top, are the onesthat make efforts to con-tinue relationships withtheir customers and

clients.”Painted Lady Enter-

prises offers servicesincluding gifts, greetingcards, imprinted ad spe-cialty promotional pro-ducts tha t inc ludeappare l and bus inessresources.

Walden says that rela-tionships between a com-pany and their customers,distributors, employees andreferral sources are vital tocontinued, sustainedgrowth and stability.

“Customers who arecontinuously courted,interacted with, appreciat-ed and reminded of acompany’s presence areless likely to go racing offwhen competitors comecalling,” she added.

Calling herself a

“young retiree,” Waldensays she has retired twice,but continues to find greatproducts and services thatshe wants to share withothers.

“My career has beenin direct sales, marketingand customer service,”she says.

She also noted whather company strives to do,which is summed up inthe Painted Lady slogan:“Helping You and YourBusiness Look Good.”

Walden was also acosponsor of the cham-ber’s May Business AfterHours Event at the BowenArt Center.

For more information,call (770) 887-6792 orvisit www.paintedladyen-terprises.com.

Photo/Submitted

Annette Walden prides herself in helping busi-nesses build relationships with customers andclients and provides assistance with marketingneeds and strategies.


They may not have wings,but the clients they serveknow them as angels.

Visiting Angels is thenation’s leading, nationallyrespected network of non-medical, private duty homecare agencies providing sen-ior care, elderly care, person-al care, respite care and com-panion care to help the elder-ly and adults continue to livein their homes acrossAmerica.

Susan Sanfilippo, a regis-tered nurse with 25 years

experience in home healthcare in the north Georgiaregion, opened a VisitingAngels office in Gainesvillealmost four years ago togive the older communityan opportunity to remain inthei r home and age inplace.

“We have several clientsin Dawsonville and DawsonCounty, and we’ve had sev-eral long-term cases in thecounty,” sa id Market ingDirector J im Sanfi l ippo,who added the agencyhopes to create a greaterpresence in the county.

Services include senior

home care, meal preparation,light housekeeping, errandsand shopping, transportationaccompaniment, and groom-ing and dressing assistance,among others.

Visiting Angels is thefamily alternative to assistedliving facilities and nursinghomes and provide up to 24-hour care in the comfort ofyour own home, at affordablerates.

For more information, call(770) 886-7900, or visitVisiting Angels on the Web atwww.visistingangels.com.

E-mail Michele Hester [email protected].

Home care agency sends‘Visiting Angels’ to clients

Walden


Chamber Chronicle is the monthly newsletter of the Dawson CountyChamber of Commerce.

The editorial content includes Chamber News and goals of interest to thebusiness and residential community.

The Chamber will keep the community informed about ribbon cuttings, business expansions, chamber functionsand events, community events and the benefits ofChamber membership through ChamberChronicle.

The Chronicle is mailed to all subscribers of theDawson Community News, plus all Chambermembers. Additional copies are available at theChamber office.

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Delivery...Dawson Community News

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Deadline: MondayOne Week Prior to Publication Call Jennifer Lyness at 770-887-3126 for rates

EXTEND YOUR ADVERTISING MARKETin our

Dawson Community NewsA Community Newspaper Serving Community Needs


Dr.Timothy A.Annis66 South 400 Center Lane,Suite 105Dawsonville,GA 30534 (706) 216-4875

Timothy A.Annis,D.C.Jeremy Elzey

Elzey Exterminating Co., Inc.(Residential & Commercial)

Free Termite inspections

1992 Dr. Bramblett Rd.Cumming, GA 30040

Office # 678-455-9200Cell # 678-887-0038

June totals


Walk-in visitors: 377Telephone referrals:

1,951

By Elizabeth Hamilton Staff Writer

Last month’s businessafter hours drew a largecrowd, and had RogerSlaton of State FarmInsurance been present, hewould have left with anextra $2,300 cash in hispocket.

Sponsored each monthby the Dawson CountyChamber of Commerce,business after hours is asocial networking eventfor chamber members tonetwork with one anotherand possibly leave withprizes or cash in hand.

The most recent eventattracted a large crowd andwas held at H&R Blockand co-sponsored by BigD’s BBQ, who providedthe food.

May’s event drew alarge crowd as well, spon-sored by the DawsonCounty Arts Council,Accent Travel, PaintedLady Enterprises and JohnSeibel Photograpghy.

More than 100 peoplegathered for the June 23event, talking amongstthemselves in anticipation,

hoping to hear their namecalled for the highlysought-after cash prizedrawing.

Over a hushed crowd,the audience heard RogerSlaton as the name drawn,but to no avail, he was notpresent.

Chamber membershave to be present whenthe drawing takes place inorder to win the money;the amount for nextmonth’s event grows to$2,524.

Sponsors of the cashdrawing are: SharonReagan of AFLAC, LarryAnderson of AndersonFamily Medicine, KristieMyers of North GeorgiaTeam Keller-WilliamsRealty, Mike Downs ofR&D Caulking and JamesAskew of United Com-munity Bank.

Chriti’s Bridal will bethe host for the next event,July 28 from 5-7 p.m. Formore information call(706) 265-8500.

Wanted: winner for chamber’s ‘stimulus package’Cash drawing continues to increase

Photos/Elizabeth Hamilton

Michelle Heard of H&R Block draws a name from the door prizebasket held by Darin Muenchow of Big D’s BBQ.

With the cash prize up to $2,300 for the JuneBusiness After Hours event, a crowd of morethan 100 people gathered at H&R Block for theevent.


Thank YouChamber Building Fund

Sponsors

PropertyInvestmentAssociates

New members

Events by DezineJennifer Mineo(770) 889-3239462 Memory Lane, Suite 170Dawsonville, GA 30534Category: Caterer

Sweetwater Consultants, LLCJill Pearson(706) 265-2028209 Fawn DriveDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Appraisal/Consulting

R.E.A.D.Sandy Lipkowitz(706) 579-1771388 Hwy. 9 NorthDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Nonprofit

Ashlyn’s Attic Antiques & MoreTara Bohanan(706) 344-1450749 Hwy. 53 EastSuite 120Dawsonville, GA 30534Category: Antiques & More

I like ur style consignmentsLydia Seitz(404) 219-49193651 Dawson Forest Road EastSuite 100Dawsonville, GA 30534Category: Consignments

Alycia Volk(706) 216-2982224 Poplar TrailDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Individual

Dawson MontessoriBarbie Skalleberg(678) 641-36981732 Perimeter RoadDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Private Christian School

Big D’s BBQ #2Darin Muenchow(706) 216-67066566 Hwy. 9 EastDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Restaurant

All Your Virtual Services, LLCMelanie Davis(706) 531-13006625 Hwy. 53 E., Ste 410-120Dawsonville, GA 30534Category: Admin & BookkeepingServices

Cover to Cover Used BooksPatricia Moyer(404) 252-482842 Grant RoadSte 100Dawsonville, GA 30534Category: Retail

Special thanks to the following members that renewed in June

Coyle & ReemsnyderDenny Insurance GroupFASTSIGNSLiberty Mutual Insurance - Brian BlissScrubs-N-ThingsThe Dawson Clinics - Chestatee Regional HospitalWomen2Women Business Networking Group


Each month a different businessor organization sponsors theDawson County Chamber ofCommerce Ambassador’s breakfast,held at 8 a.m. at Ryan’s inDawsonville the fourth Wednesdayof the month.

United Community Bank, whichhas two branches in DawsonCounty, sponsored the group’s June24 meeting.

United Community Bank, for-merly Dawson County Bank, hasserved Dawson County for morethan 50 years.

Known as the “bank that servicebuilt,” United Community Bankcontinues its commitment to servingcustomers with the highest level ofprofessionalism, coupled with theidea that its customers are the bank’sgreatest assets.

The third largest bank holding

company headquartered in the stateof Georgia, United CommunityBank today is an $8.1 billion, multi-bank holding company with bankingoffices located throughout northGeorgia, coastal Georgia, westernNorth Carolina, eastern Tennesseeand metro Atlanta.

United Community Bank has abranch in downtown Dawsonville onHwy. 53 and one near the intersec-tion of Ga. 400 and Hwy. 53. Formore information, call (706) 265-3232.

Breakfast sponsorships, at a rea-sonable cost, are still available forambassador breakfasts through theyear.

The sponsorship is a great wayfor businesses to spread the wordabout themselves and/or their com-panies.

The sponsorship provides thebreakfast for the monthly meeting,gives sponsors 10-15 minutes tobriefly speak on their business and

includes a short profile in theChamber Chronicle.

To register to sponsor an ambas-sador breakfast or for more informa-tion about the program, call (706)216-1750.




Ambassador SpotlightAmbassador SpotlightUnited

CommunityBank

Chamber’s Pioneer Ambassador is Helen Taylor

Taylor


Helen Taylor and her latehusband, Morris, were part ofthe group that began theDawson County Chamber ofCommerce AmbassadorProgram more than a decadeago.

“We got the idea from aspeaker who came fromGainesville to talk to us. Theytold us that an ambassador wasa link between the chamber

and the members and back,”she said.

“At that time, we didn’thave a full time director andstaff. The chamber was volun-teer,” Taylor said. “The ambas-sadors became a very impor-tant part of the chamber’s suc-cess in Dawson County.”

Taylor said she would loveto see the AmbassadorProgram grow over the nextfew years, as more and morenew businesses locate toDawson County.

“One thing we used to doas ambassadors was that eachambassador was assigned a

group of businesses that theystayed in contact with.

“We would call them andremind them of events, andwe’d get to know them. Thenwhen they came to an event,we’d introduce them around,”she said.

“When we started theAmbassador Program, it wasan honor to be asked to be anambassador. The new ambas-sadors need to realize it’s stillan honor. They are the vitallink,” Taylor said.

Employees atUCB’s down-town branchedged offtheir “compe-tition” to winthe bank’s“Save for aRainy Day”contest heldlast month.

Photo/MicheleHester

❞

❞

The ambassadorsbecame a very

important part ofthe chamber’s

success in DawsonCounty.

- Helen Taylor




May 11 was a mile-stone in the lives of Chadand Nicole Wimpy, own-ers of Jolie Day Spa, oneof the newest businessesthe county has recentlywelcomed.

After celebrating agrand opening nearly twomonths ago, NicoleWimpy is glad to be inDawson County andthankful for the doors thatwere opened in order forthe business to become areality.

Jolie Day Spa waschosen as a recipient of a$20,225 entrepreneur andsmall business develop-ment loan guarantee fundfrom the OneGeorgiaAuthority at the beginningof the year. The loan madeWimpy’s business plancome true.

“Mike Underwoodfrom First Citizens Bankhelped us out and reallywent out of his way tohelp us apply for this loan,when we otherwise wouldnot have been able to getthe money we needed

from a bank,” NicoleWimpy said.

“When we were get-ting started, banks justweren’t lending anymoney, but Mike went theextra mile to help us getstarted. I am really thank-ful to him, as well as theauthority, for providing uswith the loan,” she said.

Wimpy noted that theloan, in its entirety, wasused for labor costs tocomplete the build outphase of getting the spastarted.

“Without it, we wouldnot be here today,”

Wimpy said. “This was adoor that God opened upfor us and we were able tocomplete the projectbecause of the loan fromthe authority.”

Gov. Sonny Perdueand board members of theauthority announcedwhich businesses from theauthority’s portfolio offinancing programsreceived a portion offunds from $16.2 millionworth of monetary awardsJune 24.

The money will assistwith a variety of economicdevelopment projects in

rural Georgia aimed atcreating jobs, stimulatingnew private investment,supporting the retention ofexisting jobs and enhanc-ing regional competitive-ness through capacity-building projects. Theprojects, along with theirrespective local leadershiprepresentatives, were rec-ognized at theOneGeorgia board meet-ing.

According to its Website, the OneGeorgiaAuthority utilizes one-third of Georgia’s share ofthe Tobacco Master

Settlement Agreement toassist the state’s most eco-nomically challengedareas. The goal of theauthority is to offer finan-cial partnerships withrural communities to cre-ate strong economies inall business sectors, allow-ing new and existingindustries, both large andsmall, to flourish.

According to the Website, “OneGeorgia isbridging Georgia’s eco-nomic divide by ensuringbalanced growth acrossthe state. Helping to guar-antee that all Georgianshave access to economicopportunities in their owncommunities.”

Awards given outrange from entrepreneurand small business devel-opment loans to economicdevelopment, growth andexpansion funds, to equityfunds and broadband ruralinitiative to developGeorgia’s economy.

The spa offers a vari-ety of relaxing andaccommodating services.

“Our services includevarious massages, facials,make-up application, wax-

ing and specialty mani-cures and pedicures,” saidWimpy.

An exclusive line ofretail spa and beauty prod-ucts are also available.

Wimpy described thespa as a peaceful place toget away for an hour orfor a day, an aspect thatmakes Jolie Day Spaunique from others.

“Another uniqueaspect is that it does notlook like a normal spa,”she said. “We decoratedand furnished to have amore home-like and com-fortable feeling. We wantour clients to have anoverwhelming feeling ofpeace and comfort whilethey are here.”

As the number of peo-ple moving from Atlantagrows, the Wimpys real-ized the need for anupscale spa in the NorthGeorgia Mountains. Theypartnered with, and arelocated in the same build-ing as J. Thomas Salon.The two entities perfectlycompliment one anotherand offer services to itsclients in one convenientlocation.

Local spa thanks bank, state for business fundingNicoleWimpygives apedicure,one of sev-eral servic-es offeredat her spa.

Photo/ElizabethHamilton

BOOST from 1

from their work to get to variouschamber functions. In this pres-entation, you will be given toolsthat you can use right in yourown place, business or fromhome.

Secondly, Kristie Myers willaddress getting involved withmembership. If you have neverheard Kristi talk about somethingshe is passionate about, you arein for a treat.

We all must mentor newmembers in order for them to geteverything out of the chamberthat they can, as well as take partin the functions that allow themto help all of us grow our cham-ber.

Denny Putlak will talk to youabout what the ambassadors aredoing this year. He has taken anaggressive approach to their par-ticipation and support in cham-

ber functions this year. As youlisten to Denny this Thursday,ask yourself: “If not you, who inyour company would stand tobenefit from being an ambassa-dor and still, at the same time,shed some exposure on yourbusiness?”

Marty will talk about “Webpresence.”

Marty has sunk many pro-ductive hours into our Web site,

as well as Dawson County’s Webpresence with local and nationaltravel organizations. He does agreat job of breaking this downwhere we can all understand it.

We will wrap up with a recapof upcoming events. We areapproaching several busymonths, in which you will notwant to miss out on what isgoing on.

Finally, don’t forget that we

will meet at Lakeview Centerthis Thursday.

As we work through thesepoints at the luncheon, pleaseshare additional points with thechamber that would help yourealize your full business poten-tial.

See you Thursday!

Jay Walker2009 Chairman




Getting word to thepublic about your businessand what you do requiresadvertising and marketingstrategies, much of whichis accessed via Internet intoday’s world.

Whether a first timebusiness owner just get-ting off the ground, or aveteran looking to pro-mote business in moreefficient ways in the busi-ness world today, look nofurther than WindNet Inc.

Located in Daw-sonville for the past sixyears, WindNet Inc. is one

of Georgia’s top AtlantaWeb site Design firmswith experienced cus-tom Web site designersand search engine mar-keters.

“If someone wantstheir business to show upon Google, we make ithappen,” said projectdirector Abe Flemming.“The Internet is a power-ful tool and we help ourclients best utilize it.”

WindNet Inc. providesa full range of Web servic-es including custom Website design, Web siteapplications, print designand packaging, brandidentity marketing, Web

site promotions and 3Drenderings and video.

Clients include compa-nies from aggressive smallbusinesses and mid-sizecompanies to fortune 200companies and govern-ment projects.

“The goal of our Webdesign work is enhancingbusiness image and brandidentity marketing forbusinesses seeking high-quality Web design, easy-to-use content manage-ment systems and superiorcustomer service,” saidFlemming. “We have theability to take any compa-ny and leverage them withall their competition.”

He also said that mem-bers of the WindNet teampossess a broad range ofexperience and expertise,so every phase of eachproject is monitored toensure the highest-qualityresult.

“We employ experi-enced project managers,conceptual designers,color theory specialists,expert programmers,copywriters and Internetmarketers to ensure trou-ble-free and effectivemanagement of yourdesign project from con-ception to finalization,”Flemming said.

Flemming noted that

in today’s Internet-drivenmarketplace, more andmore business is conduct-ed on the Web, bringing inclients who feel traditionalmarketing efforts “don’tpack as much punch asthey used to.”

“With e-Commercecontinuously increasing,corporate Internet brand-ing companies are re-sponding by enhancingtheir Web sites to featureproducts or services andeducational information,”Flemming said. “Thisenables the average cus-tomer to compare onlinefor the best product orservice for a fraction of

the time it would take totravel from site to site.For this reason, onlinecompetition has becomefierce.”

WindNet’s main serv-ice areas include metroAtlanta, Phoenix, Seattle,Dallas and Orlando. Thecompany also serves inter-national clients, spanningfrom Canada to Mexico toSwitzerland.

WindNet Inc. is locat-ed at 139 ProminenceCourt, Suite 240 inDawsonville.

For more information,contact the project devel-opment team at (706) 308-6528.

WindNet enhances image of businesses


A long-term collaborationbetween the Dawson CountyBoard of Commissioners andthe Dawson County SchoolBoard came to fruition June 4as a joint fuel station openedon Burt Creek Road.

While the joint venture hasbeen in the works for severalyears, the need to move for-ward erupted last fall whenfuel prices reached recordhighs and public service per-sonnel, including fire, policeand emergency workers,struggled to fill up their coun-ty cars during the gas short-age.

Chairman of the schoolboard Cecil Bennett called theopening of the fuel station acelebration for DawsonCounty and a way for both

entities to save taxpayer dol-lars.

The joint fueling stationwill eliminate two problems,according to Dawson CountyManager Kevin Tanner.

“First, we’ll have thereserves we need, and secondwe would see tremendous costsavings by buying wholesale,because we’ll be able to buyin larger quantities,” Tannersaid.

County officials anticipatean annual savings of morethan $50,000 in fuel costs.

Outgoing school superin-tendent Nicky Gilleland saidthe intergovernmental agree-ment is a win-win for allinvolved.

“We must be able to keepthese emergency vehicles onthe roads, protecting our citi-zens,” he said.

The school system current-

ly has a smaller fueling stationat Riverview Middle Schoolthat it was able to continue touse during the shortage.

“Since we have the busdepot out there on the proper-ty now, we had to have a fuel-ing station out there. Thissaved us half of what we’danticipated spending to fuelthe buses,” he said.

“This is another opportuni-ty for us to work together tobetter serve the community,improve relations and worktogether, while saving moneyfor our citizens,” Gillelandsaid.

The commission has alsoapproved a fueling station atthe new Fire Station 3, whichis set to open later this year onproperty next to TractorSupply on Hwy. 53.


County, school system fuel station opensFirefighter/EMTPaul Cloud wasone of the firstto take advan-tage of thecounty/schoolsystem’s newjoint fueling sta-tion that openedJune 4 on BurtCreek Road,adjacent to thetransfer station.Officials say thenew fueling sta-tion will savethousands ofdollars in fuelcosts.

Photo/MicheleHester



By Peter HillFor the Dawson CommunityNews

There is l i t t le dis-agreement that ourworld is in need of greatleadership. We live in avery excit ing t ime.Knowledge is expandingat an incredible rate.Technology permeatesall facets of our livestoday.

From the nationallevel, right down to ourlocal community, navi-gating the best path foryour organization is dif-ficult. It is filled withrisk. Our world certainlyhas become much morecompetitive.

Throughout historywe can look back andpoint to outstandingleaders, military con-querors and eloquentstatesmen. But who arethe leaders of our time,and of our community?

Well, they might becloser than you think.

Many, many peoplehave written about thetopic of Leadership andLeadership Develop-ment. It has become abillion dollar industry.

If you are ready totake your leadership andinterpersonal skills to anew level , the Lead-ership Dawson Programmay be for you.

The Leadership Daw-son Program began in1992 through a com-bined effort of theDawson County Cham-ber of Commerce andthe Universi ty ofGeorgia ExtensionService. Since then, thelocal program has grad-uated six classes, con-sisting of 102 graduates.

On the surface, theleadership program pro-vides education andaccess into how ourcommunity works. That

includes our ci ty andcounty governments. Italso includes our lawenforcement services,judicial system, parksand various communityservice organizations.

However, at a deeperlevel, the program is anintense shared experi-ence that binds the classtogether.

It also creates a net-work or power base oflocal c i t izen leaderswho have the tools, thetraining and the accessto get plugged in.

The program startsin January 2010 with anovernight retreat.

The candidates get achance to get to knowone another through avariety of activities andgames. The class alsohears a ser ies of lec-tures on integrity, hon-esty and ethics in busi-ness and in government.

Fol lowing the

retreat, the leadershipclass meets every otherTuesday afternoon foreight distinct programdays.

These different pro-grams address issues likedemographics, diversity,local government andeconomic development.

One entire programday is dedicated to stategovernment , whichincludes a t r ip to thecapitol, while our law-makers are in session.

The Local Gover-nance Day is a c loseexamination into howour county commissionand city hall conductsbusiness.

Candidates will havean opportunity to hearfrom the various depart-ment heads and discussthe challenges facingour community.

The program alsoincludes a great deal ofleadership t ra in ing.

These include classeson conducting effectivemeetings, the art of lis-tening, communicatingand consensus building.

There is also a seriesof lectures on emergingtechnologies, makingconnect ions and ofcourse , finding yourpassion.

Part of the programincludes a study of thecandidates’ own person-ality profile and leader-ship styles.

Using the MyersBriggs and the RightPath programs, leader-ship candidates learnhow they work bes twith others.

This inc ludes anawareness of yours t rengths and yourweaknesses. The leader-ship program is not foreveryone. It is not free,and your commitment isrequired.

One hundred percent

attendance is expected atal l program days, aswell as at several publicmeetings.

The program in-cludes outside study andreading in addition to aclass service project.

In actuali ty, fewleaders have all the giftsand talents themselves.

What they do have isan acute awareness oftheir own weaknesses,as well as the self-confi-dence and security tosurround themselveswith talented peoplewho compliment theirteam.

When you’re ready toexplore your leadershipskil ls and surroundyourself with other tal-ented people, call theDawson County Cham-ber office at (706) 265-6278 and ask aboutLeadership Dawson.You’ll be in good com-pany.

A world in need of great leadership

From staff reports

Blue Cross BlueShield of Georgia isoffering a new productthrough the MemberCareAlliance program spon-sored by the DawsonCounty Chamber ofCommerce.

The BCBSGa product,called Employee Elect,allows a single qualifiedemployer to offer asmany as 30 different cov-erage options to each oftheir employees. Each eli-

gible employee canchoose from any plan onthe list they wish, allow-ing them to have thebest plan to suit theirneeds.

In addition to in-creased employee choice,another byproduct of thisproduct is that businessowners can stabilize theirhealth care costs.

Most employersknow the amount theycan afford for heal thcare coverage. With this

product , they candeclare the amount theywish to contr ibute totheir employees’ bene-fits. Then an employeecan choose the plan thatbest meets their needsby paying the differencebetween the baseamount and the selectedbenefits.

Commonly referredto as a “defined contri-bution plan,” this allowseach employee to knowhow much they are

receiving from theiremployer toward theircoverage.

And, all of BCBSGa’splans are available atreduced premium rates toeligible business membersof the Dawson CountyChamber of Commerce.

Through the group“buying power” of theMemberCare Allianceof Dawson CountySM,the local chamber is partof a statewide networkof over 130 chambers of

commerce offering dis-counted insurance prod-ucts to chamber memberbusinesses.

The MemberCareAlliance of DawsonCounty program includesa variety of discountedinsurance products, suchas: group term, voluntaryand dependent life insur-ance, group dental insur-ance, group long termand short term disability,accidental death and dis-memberment and long

term care insurance. For more information

on these insurance offer-ings, please call theDawson County Chamberof Commerce, one of yourparticipating chamber-member insurance agents,or Purchasing AllianceSolutions Inc., (the com-pany that developedMemberCare Alliance ofDawson County program)at (770) 579-1214 or(800) 782-8254, Ext.3012.

BCBS offers chamber a product with choice and savings


Chestatee State Bank is participating in the FDIC’s Transaction Account Guarantee Program. Under that program, through December 31, 2009, all noninterest-bearing transactionaccounts are fully guaranteed by the FDIC for the entire amount in the account. Coverage under the Transaction Account Guarantee Program is in addition to and separate from the

coverage available under the FDIC’s general deposit insurance roles.

july 2009 chamber chronicle

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