Accounting News and Notes

The Gwinnett Business Journal…News for Gwinnett County’s Entrepreneurs

For those in business and those who are thinking of setting up a new business in Gwinnett County, the Gwinnett Business Journal (GBJ) is an invaluable source of information about the business climate in the region. Proving since its inception, the Gwinnett Business Journal remains a unique publication geared towards the business owners of the county. Working hand in hand with the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, GBJ-TV and the Gwinnett County government, the GBJ offers a seamless but independent look at what affects you personally as a resident and the business climate alike. The GBJ excels in the coverage of:

-Top Stories. Covers articles from store openings to staying connected via telecommunications with the troops in Iraq.

-Business Briefs. News ranging from the Gwinnett Gladiators to new jobs and companies relocating to the region.

-Business Success Stories. Articles about Gwinnett top business owners and employers who have run the table on success.

-Growing Gwinnett and its Infrastructure. Details news about making Gwinnett Transportation safe, new roads and proposed development.

-Real Estate Trends and News. A detailed Monthly Report on all substantive Real Estate News, which will be useful for business owners and developers alike.

-Rainmaking/Marketing. Tips and techniques you can use to enhance and broaden your marketing efforts.

-Business Idea You Can Use. Includes current and state of the art business practices and information to enhance the practical concerns of every business owner.

-Financing & Legal Issues. Information on your local banks and their economic condition as well as articles on how to ensure you have adequately insured your home.

-Working and Living in Gwinnett. News ranging from fitness tips to new surgical procedures available to ensure you are in tip top shape.

-Local Events. News about what new events upcoming and how you and participate. A great place to let others know what you and your business are doing.

In short the Gwinnett Business Journal is a must read for all who are intent on making a difference in the community and for entrepreneurs who chose to do business here. To maximize your business efficiency I suggest you both subscribe and to visit the on-line version often at www.gwinnettbizjournal.com  For those who have specific needs and those doing specific research, using the Search the Site function available on their web-site will be an invaluable tool.

Written by John Dillard CPA of His CPA at 770 814 9304 and visit www.HisCPA.com  At His CPA we march to the beat of a higher drummer where we put the “Golden Rule” to work each and every day by “Serving Him by Serving You…One Tax Return at a Time.” We advise clients on: IRS representation, Offer in Compromise, Incorporation in GA, Corporate and Personal Income Tax Returns, Part-time CFO, Virtual Controller, Business Planning, Payroll Administration, Bookkeeping.

We serve clients that are located in Atlanta GA, Gwinnett County, North Fulton County, DeKalb County, Hall County, Clayton County, Cobb County, Forsyth County, Hart County, Jefferson County, Duluth, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Lawrenceville, Milton, Norcross, Snellville, Roswell, Buford, Cumming, Grayson, Hartwell, Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Loganville, Lilburn, Dunwoody, Gainesville, Decatur, and Beyond.

Gwinnett County along with the state is updating its Business License and Registration rules to ensure that all local business owners are indeed legal residents. From now on, when business owners apply for a business license they will be required to establish proof of citizenship and residency. The mailing address for the office is PO Box 1045, Lawrenceville GA 30046. The office is located on the 3rd floor of 750 South Perry St suite 300 in Lawrenceville. The office issues occupation tax certificates (business license) for businesses located in unincorporated Gwinnett County. If you plan to locate a business inside the city limits of a Gwinnett municipality, you should contact the appropriate city government.

The University of Georgia SBDC Network is alive and well and is doing much to improve the local economic and business client throughout the area. The SBDC is a division of the U.S. Small Business Administration and their focus is to help the small business community survive and thrive.

Two of the very best are located right here in the Gwinnett area and are Mr. Robert Andoh who is the Area Director and has been with the SBDC since 1991 and the other is Mr. Darrel Hulsey who joined shortly thereafter in 1992. Mr. Andoh is a renowned QuickBooks expert and is also a co-author while Mr. Hulsey focuses his talents on loan proposals and financial analysis. If you are a new business in Gwinnett County these are two men who will do much to help guide and assist you in your business startup and maturation process.

The Georgia SBDC web-site is located at www.sbdc.uga.edu and serves the whole of Georgia and their offices are open and ready to serve you and your business needs. 

The University of Georgia SBDC Network has an exhaustive array of business tools geared towards assisting business entrepreneur ranging from on-line articles, helpful hints, and a comprehensive listing of training sessions and classes. Availing yourself of these resources will be one of the best things you will ever do for your business.

If you have not yet done so and you live in Gwinnett County or the surrounding areas contact Mr. Andoh or Mr. Hulsey to see what tools are available to help you ensure your short and long term business success. You will be glad you did.

Gwinnett County, GA is a great place to both live and work. Having lived here since 1984 when there was approximately forty-five thousand residents to now, when where are nearly seven hundred and fifty thousand residents, I personally witnessed much change. The business community has grown dramatically over this time and continues to flourish despite these tough economic times. Having been a CPA during this time and working the past eleven plus years out of Duluth, GA, I have watched as networking in Gwinnett has transformed into a fine art form. Groups such as the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Suwanee Business Alliance, and the Johns Creek Business Association are just a few of the many great groups of which to associate and to market your wares. Two of the better business listings and networking sources available are the Gwinnett Business Journal which can be found at  www.gbj.com and Network Gwinnett at www.gwinnettnetwork.com

At the Network Gwinnett web-site you can also find many great articles on how to grow your business, networking events by date, time and who to contact, as well as business listings. So whether you are physically located in the metro Atlanta, GA area or are located in Gwinnett County, networking in Gwinnett is as popular and advantageous when there were just a few of us here. The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, which can be found at www.gwinnettchamber.org continues to live out its motto of “Success Lives Here” leading the way for the business community making Gwinnett County a great place to raise a family and to operate and own your business.

Stay tuned for what greatness is in store for our region as we will soon be completing the first decade of the twenty-first century.

We serve clients that are located in Atlanta GA, Gwinnett County, North Fulton County, DeKalb County, Hall County, Clayton County, Cobb County, Forsyth County, Hart County, Jefferson County, Duluth, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Lawrenceville, Milton, Norcross, Snellville, Roswell, Buford, Cumming, Grayson, Hartwell, Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Loganville, Lilburn, Dunwoody, Gainesville, Decatur, and Beyond.

There is an upcoming bond issue concerning the Gwinnett County Schools on February 5th.  Many of us will be going to the pools to pick our presidential nominee and we need to get out the vote to continue SPLOST. This past November Gwinnett County Board of Education approved a calling for voters to evaluate a General Obligation Bond referendum on the upcoming Georgia Presidential Preference Primary. If it passes, Gwinnett voters will authorize the School Board to sell $750 million in tax-exempt, General Obligation Bonds. The repayment of the bonds will be paid off using the present personal property millage rates.

The Gwinnett County School system is facing a funding crisis and our school board is offering a direction to its voters to meet that crisis head on.  Voting yes on SPLOST will help keep Gwinnett’s school progress on track. Since July 1, 2007 thirty new schools have been built providing over 2000 new classrooms.

In the last decade, funding for the ever-expanding Gwinnett school age population has been met with both property taxes and monies from SPLOST.  But growth in Gwinnett county’s population has far exceeding the schools growth and the school board is suggesting the bond issue continue so that they can meet the demands of the growing population by constructing new schools and adding on to existing ones. To read more about the program visit www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us

Keeping this program in tact depends on you. Please vote to continue school funding with school bonds.  Our children’s education depends on it!

Although there has been a general lessening of the lack of rain in recent months, the drought continues and even worsens. To date no substantive proactive directions have been taken to both lessen the use of water, to plan for management of our present resources, and to set up procedures and policies in place to ensure that we do not ever find ourselves in this situation again. We need a public outcry from all citizens to contact their elected officials now to help them know we are not satisfied with our present situation and are determined to see that it does not happen again. We need policies today which stress the vitality and livelihood of people rather than mollusks. Though we always need to pay attention to special interest/need groups we should ever determine that the needs of a few will not outweigh the needs of many. Though we all have rights and valid expectations we should never expect those to be give up or surrendered to others without our consent or valid and wise discernment.

To stay abreast of Georgia’s lake levels you can visit the National Weather Service Forecast Service web site where at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/html/rrm.php There you can monitor and review lake levels which are updated every twenty four hours, full pool levels, rainfall in the areas listed. Though we often discuss oil as our biggest need and worry, if we were to be honest, we would soon find out that it is water. Also at the National Weather Service’s web-site you can find satellite and radar images, current forecast, and even articles on weather safety. For the sake of all and the continued economic viability of our region we need action today.

If you build it they will come. The Gwinnett County Government Court system has its own special web site with a plethora of useful information you will want to come back to time and again. By visiting their web site at http://www.gwinnettcourts.com/#home/ you gain great insight into the Gwinnett County Court system as well as many free resources.

Material on how the traffic court process works as well as the magistrate and civil courts can be easily gleamed from the easy to follow prompts. There you can also discover information on Parenting Seminars, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Filing Continuances, Garnishments, and a wide variety of legal forms can be easily downloaded. You can also gain assess to Legal Assistance for Victims, the Sex Offender Registry, Partnership Against Family Violence and many other valuable resources and materials. You can also read about important changes regarding changes which are effective 1-1-08 for handling of child custody changes as well new requirements affecting both parties to a child custody case.

At His CPA we serve clients that are located in Atlanta GA, Gwinnett County, North Fulton County, DeKalb County, Hall County, Clayton County, Cobb County, Forsyth County, Hart County, Jefferson County, Duluth, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Lawrenceville, Milton, Norcross, Snellville, Roswell, Buford, Cumming, Grayson, Hartwell, Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Loganville, Lilburn, Dunwoody, Gainesville, Decatur, and Beyond.

In 1953, the SBA (Small Business Administration) was formed to help aid with the needs and development of small business. To that end, in 1957 the SBDC (Small Business Development Center) was legally formed to give teeth and action to the original needs and intent of the SBA’s original incorporation. Specifically formulated to provide resources to U.S. small business, the SBDC has formal training programs, advisers, and experts who are readily available to assist those in need. At their web site http://www.sba.gov/index.html you can gain information on starting your business, writing a business plan, financing, entity choices, permits & licenses, leases, employee management, taxes, insurance, forecasting, and much much more. At their web site you will also be able to locate an office nearest you, find out how you can apply for financial, technical, and disaster assistance in addition to OSHA and IRS forms. The mentoring services of your local SBDC representative are paid for by your tax dollars and their mentoring fees and guidance are available for your utilization with many of their services being provided for free of charge. The SBDC is a resource that I highly recommend to all who are starting their business or are looking for guidance on small business issues.

Gwinnett continues to grow at astounding rates. Combing a diversification of industry and peoples Gwinnett’s political, economic, and overall quality of life issues continues to make it a favorite place to live. Home to three of Fortune 1000 Top Companies, Gwinnett’s infrastructure continues to make it a national favorite. Now home to some estimated 739,000 residents with a population greater than that of four of our states. According to the U.S. Census, Gwinnett County has almost doubled each of the last three decades and has a median household income of $66,036 vs. that of the U.S. of $48,775. There are many factors which positively contribute to Gwinnett’s growth which include many overall business, economic, and demographic issues.

To learn about local taxes and special tax incentives including occupational tax rates and their 23% decline since 1996 and the 100% Freeport Exemption for Unincorporated Gwinnett County in addition to Duluth, Suwanee, Sugar Hill, and Buford, and many more valuable news visit http://www.gwinnettchamber.org/Taxes-Incentives.incentives.0.html

To learn about Gwinnett county demographics by city and by zip code visit http://www.gwinnettchamber.org/Economy-and-Demographics.demographics.0.html Here you can learn by city or zip code the numbers of white and blue collar workers, those who drive alone to work vs. those who car pool, the number of households by income level, the number of automobiles per household, the number of households and the numbers of people broken out by age and gender, the average median age, the projected population in the year 2012, the amount of education obtained for those 25 years and older, martial status, and the present number of households and and their 2012 projected totals. In short, almost everything a new business owner would want to know.

For detailed leasing and sales information by county sorted by city and type including break outs of industrial, land, office, and retail space  you can also visit http://www.gwinnettchamber.org/fileadmin/files/sites/properties.html to learn about what is presently available.

To find out what the SBA (Small Business Administration) is doing in your area of town, you can get a full listing of closed loans be month at http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/smallbusiness/index.html This list is sorted by county, loan date, amount, bank/lender, name of borrower, address, and its NAICS/tax code for easy reference. Here you will be able to get at a glance a complete listing of SBA loans and activity in your area and throughout the state.

For business’s who do not fit a traditional banking relationship or that of an SBA lender you can see a list of Atlanta Venture Capitalist (VC) . The listing can be viewed at http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/extra/vc.html and includes the name of each VC, the year their business was established, their address, lending focus, total capital, preferred lending range, and list of sample funds/incubated companies. Although a VC will typically request a large amount of equity ownership many business opportunities are well suited to this type of lending.

For business’s who are not yet quite ready to go to market there business Incubators who will work alongside and with business owners to help develop their ideas and to mature their business plan. For a listing of Atlanta Incubators please visit http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/extra/incubators.html Including in this listing you will find the Incubators full name, address, phone, officers/partners, their industry focus, samples of prior clients, their size in terms of square footage, and the average length of past incubations (i.e., the time a business is served by the Incubator).