CrossRoadsNews, April 23, 2011 - Section B

COVER PAGE

April 23, 2011 www.crossroadsnews.com

ReadeRs ChoiCe awaRdsB1

Repeat winners shine in 3rd annual survey

East Metro’s best to be honored at April 30 Expo at the Mall at StonecrestTony and Leslie Royal (above, with CrossRoadsNews

publisher Jennifer Parker), owners of the Chick-fil-A restaurant at Turner Hill Road in Lithonia, were among top vote-getters in the 2011 CrossRoadsNews Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards.

Royal joins DeKalb attorney Boykin Edwards, former District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming, and Exotic Thai restaurant among many repeat winners from 2010.

They will be honored along with the other winners at

the 2011 Best of East Metro/Small Business Expo, noon-5 p.m. on the Lower Level at the Mall at Stonecrest.

The expo will also feature business owners promoting their goods and services (right), panelists with vital information for small business owners, and entertainment from The Beulah Boys (below) and the Conservatory of Dance and Fine Arts (bottom right).

B2Readers pick community’s best

Pamela Holmes (left) and Rae Rae Clark are regular fixtures at CrossRoadsNews’ Expos at the Mall at Stonecrest.

ReadeRs ChoiCe awaRds

2011 Best of East Metro Small Business Expo Grand Prize Entry Form

Name ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________City _______________________________________ St: ______ Zip: ___________

Email ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hm phone: _________________________________________________ Cell phone: ____________________________________________________

*Exhibitors must write their codes on your entry form. Your name, address and telephone nos. are required to win. Employees and immediate family members of CrossRoadsNews and the Mall at Stonecrest not eligible for awards. Must be 18 years or older to win. Must be present to win.

** Advertising package has no cash value. The award is non-transferable and all ads must be published in CrossRoadsNews by July 30, 2011 Ad design is not included.

Visit at least 15 of these exhibitors* at the Mall at Stonecrest on April 30 and enter to win a $3,560 CrossRoadsNew Advertising Package [Four (4) 1/4-Page, Full Color Ads]**

______ Alexander Alpha Climate Control Co.______ Armstrong Merchandising/EZ Brand USA LLC______ Cake Café Atlanta______ Citizens Trust Bank______ Create A Canvas______ CrossRoadsNews______ DeKalb Chamber of Commerce ______ DeKalb County Contract Compliance/DEBCO______ DeKalb Workforce Housing Initiative Program______ Excell Preparatory Center ______ Five O Protective Agency, LLC______ Life Solutions for Health, LLC______ Nappy Hair Kitchen

______ Omni Tech Institute______ Pesos Mexican Cantina______ Premier Education Consultant LLC______ Rainbow Park Baptist Church ______ Ramsey Realty Services ______ Roz Delectable Cakes ______ Stone Mountain Chapel ______ Tadda’s Fitness Camp______ Tobias Jackson/Century 21 Intown______ The Chocolate Forest ______ The Soul Project______ Wells Fargo

2011 Winners

Public AffairsCitizen of the Year

Robert James DeKalb County District Attorney

Best School Board MemberDr. Eugene P. “Gene” Walker

Best County CommissionerLee May

Best Local Entrepreneur Tony Royal, Chick-fil-A

Favorite Local Activist

John Evans

Most Beloved Elected OfficialJohn Lewis

East Metro LandmarkThe Mall at Stonecrest

Most Beloved Public Official

Gwen Keyes Fleming

Most Active State Legislator

Ernest “Coach” Williams

Best Civic_OrganizationDelta Sigma Theta Sorority-Stone

Mountain/Lithonia Chapter

© 2011 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without written

permission of the publisher.

“East Metro Atlanta’s Weekly Newspaper”2346 Candler RoadDecatur, GA 30032

404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007

[email protected]

The 2011 Best of East Metro Expo Special Section is a

publication of CrossRoadsNews Inc., East Metro Atlanta’s award-

winning weekly newspaper.

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker

Graphics Editor Curtis Parker

Reporters Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Carla Parker

Circulation Audit by

Audit Report available by request. For information,

call 404-284-1888.

More than 4,000 ballots were cast in print and online in the 2011 CrossRoadsNews Best of East MEtro Readers Choice Award.

The event, which is in its third year, celebrates the best that DeKalb and Rockdae County have to offer.

Nominations are made in January each year and voting takes place in March.

The winners are celebrated at the Best of East Metro/Small Business Expo at the Mall at Stonecrest in April. The 2010 Expo takes place on April 30, from noon to 5 p.m.

Please join us to celebrate the winners. This year, Expo goers can compete to win the

grand prize of $3,500 advertising package from CrossRoadsNews.

Throughout January each year, Cross RoadsNews’ 108,000 weekly readers have the opportunity to nominate businesses and individuals for the Best of East Metro Readers Choice Award.

The ballot with eligible nominees – businesses must be located within the ZIP codes covered by CrossRoadsNews – is published in the newspaper and posted at www.crossroadsnews.com in March, and the community is invited to vote throughout the month for their favorites.

Nominations and voting are done online and on ballots published in our weekly newspaper.

This year, readers nominated more than 200 candidates for consideration.

Of that number, we ended up 214 eligible nominees in 58 categories. Thousand of ballots were cast online and mailed to our offices from ballots published in our newspaper.

The winners of the 58 categories are published through this issue.

pants since they started in 2006. Clark annually kicks off the HEath & Well

ness Expo in January and the Summer Camp Expos in March with fun exercise demonstrations while Holmes introduces performers and participants.

MCs have hosted many CrossRoadsNews Expos

The Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards

Pamela Holmes, owner the Nappy Hair Shop, and fitness motivator Rae Rae Clark will share mistress of Ceremonies duty at the 2011 Best of East Metro Small Business Expo.

Both are veterans of the CrossRoadsNews Community Expo and have been regular partici

April 23, 2011B2 Small Business & Best of East Metro Expo

B3

3 p.m. Conservatory of Dance

2011 Best of East Metro /Small Business ExpoApril 30, 2011 - Noon to 5 p.m. • The Main Stage in front of Macy’s

Lower Level, The Mall at Stonecrest

Noon Expo Kick-off 1 p.m. Small Business Panel:Resources to Give SmallBusinesses the Edge

Featuring Sharon Walker, Deputy Dir. DeKalb County Contract Compliance Division; Charles Blackmon, Director, DEBCO; Jackie Ginn, VP Membership, DeKalb Chamber of Commerce Conservatory of Dance

Beulah Boys

Sharon Walker Charles Blackmon Jackie Ginn

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THIS WEEK’S PRIZE

S25 GASOLINE CARD

1:30 Presentation of Best of East Metro Winners Categories: Best Local Entrepreneur Buy & Sell Professional Services

2 p.m. Performance Berean Dance Ministry

2:15 p.m. Presentation of Best of East Metro Winners

Category: Community of Faith 2:30 p.m. Presentation of Best of

East Metro Winners Category: Fun for All


Categories: Dining – Specialty 3:30 p.m. Presentation of Best of East Metro Winners Categories: Dining – Romantic

4 p.m. Beulah Boys


Category: Public Affairs

4:45 p.m. Door Prize Drawing

5 p.m. Expo Ends

Small Business & Best of East Metro ExpoApril 23, 2011 B3

B4In addition to retaining the “Best Entrepreneur” award, Tony and Leslie Royal’s Turner Hill Road Chick-fil-A also won “Best American Restaurant,” “Best Restaurant Service” and “Best Takeout.”

‘Best Entrepreneur’ winner credits employees for repeat success

Continued, next page


If three times is the charm, ChickfilA operator Tony Royal has found it.

For the third consecutive year, he is the Best of East Metro’s “Best Local Entrepreneur.”

Royal won the category in 2009, the competition’s first year. Last year, he tied with Tadda’s Fitness Camp owner LaTasha Lewis.

This year, he dominated the category and emerged as the overwhelming favorite among CrossRoadsNews readers.

He called winning again awesome.“I am very honored that my guests think

that much of us,” Royal said this week.But he said a lot of the credit goes to his

team at his Turner Hill restaurant.“I am not there all the time,” he said. “It’s

how my team treats the customers.”Royal operates the 1,000th ChickfilA

restaurant, which opened in 2001. He said that at ChickfilA they try to make somebody’s day with a pleasant smile and great service.

“For the short time they are in our presence, we make sure they have a feel good moment,” he said.

Royal has also been standing out from the crowd with his passion for giving back to the community.

Over the years, he has donated more than $120,000 in partner scholarships to DeKalb students. He did not stop the practice in the face of the debilitating effects of the economic recession.

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B5

• Contract Compliance Clinics – 2nd and 4th Tuesdays (Learn How to Do Business With DeKalb County )

• Business Procurement and Lender Expo - Meet your local financial institutions

• Annual Small Business Development Conference - Attend workshops and hear keynote speakers from the small business community.

• HUD Section 3 - Contracts & employment for low income DeKalb residents

• First Source Jobs Ordinance – Putting DeKalb Residents to work on County Contracts

• LSBE Ordinance – Preferences for Local Small Businesses

• Brown Bag Luncheon Seminars – Every 3rd Thursday

Putting DeKalb County Residents and Businesses First

DeKalb WorksDeKalb County Department of Purchasing and Contracting,

Contract Compliance Division is…..

DEBCO also provides comprehensive entrepreneurial training and development to aspiring, new and existing businesses through the following training modules• So You Want to Start A Business – a 6-week course for persons interested in becoming entrepreneurs. • First Step Fast Trac – a 12-week program designed to help entrepreneurs to manage and grow successful businesses.• Growth Venture – a 6-week advanced program in collaboration with the SBDC for established business owners seeking to expand their business.• Eco-E – to introduce entrepreneurs to the process of creating businesses that are economically and environmentally sustainable.

For loan information, contact Charles Blackmon/Carolyn Keener, 404-378-1899 • For Training Information, contact Rod Wallace, 678-904-3465 • For loan requirement, loan applications and training schedules, visit www.debco.org

DEBCO • 250 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Suite 415 • Decatur, GA 30030 For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 404-378-1899

DeKalb County GovernmentDepartment of Purchasing and Contracting

Contract Compliance DivisionManuel Maloof Building

1300 Commerce Drive, 2nd FloorDecatur, GA 30030

(404) 371-6395 Phone www.dekalbcountyga.gov A joint effort by the Division of Contract Compliance,

Department of Community Development & DEBCO

DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis presents...

The DeKalb Enterprise Business Corporation (DEBCO) administers■ A Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) offering low-interest loans $10,000 to $50,000 for fixed asset

and/or permanent working capital financing funded by the DeKalb County Community Development Block Grant Program.

■ A Micro Loan Fund Program (MLF) funded by the Small Business Administration (SBA) offering loans of $500 to $10,000.

■ One-on-one consultation and technical assistance to borrowers of both programs

Small Business & Best of East Metro ExpoApril 23, 2011 B5

B6 Panel to offer tips for business ReadeRs ChoiCe awaRds

Best American RestaurantChick-fil-A Turner Hill Road

Best Asian RestaurantExotic Thai, Stonecrest

Best BBQ RestaurantSmokey Bones

Best Caribbean RestaurantKool Runnings

Best Chicken WingsAmerican Deli - The Gallery @ South

DeKalb

Best Family Dining RestaurantGladys & Ron’s Chicken & Waffles

Best Italian RestaurantOlive Garden

Small business owners can get information about county resources that can help them develop and grow their business at the April 30 Best of East Metro Small Business Expo at the Mall at Stonecrest.

At 1 p.m., a panel of county and business experts will speak about certification, financing and the benefits of membership in the Chamber of Commerce from the Main Stage in front of Macy’s.

Panelists include Sharon Walker, deputy director of the DeKalb County Contract and Compliance Division; Charles Blackmon, director of the DeKalb Enterprise Business Corp. (DEBCO), who will discuss certification and financing; and Jackie Ginn, DeKalb Chamber of Commerce vice president of membership.

DeKalb’s Contract Compliance, a division of the county’s Purchasing and Contracting department, offers a number of programs for the development and growth of businesses. It certifies businesses as LSBE, MBE and WBE to enable them to compete for county contracts. LSBE certification is for local small business enterprises. MBE is for minority business enterprises and WBE is for women a business enterprises.

The division also manages the HUD Section 3 Self Certification program for companies working on HUDfunded projects.

Contract Compliance also maintains the FirstServe Program, a registry of DeKalb County residents seeking employment with companies that win county contracts.

Walker said the division’s programs are opening doors for businesses and helping them use the experience they gain working on county contracts to secure businesses in other counties and cities.

“We get letters all the time from busi

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nesses telling us how these programs are helping them succeed,” she said.

In addition to its certification programs, the division host monthly brownbag sessions in which business owners get presentations on everything from insurance and bonding, to marketing, financing, and legal matters. It also holds “How to Do Business With DeKalb County” sessions twice a month for business owners seeking to under the understand the process.

FinancingBusinesses, starved of cash for expansion

and to purchase fixed assets, can find out how to tap into the Revolving Loan and its Micro Loan funds operated by The DeKalb Enterprise Business Corporation (DEBCO).

The Revolving Loan Fund offers low interest loan from $10,000 to $50,000, repayable over 10 years. Loan recipients must create jobs for lowtomoderate income persons.

Since 2000, DEBCO has loaned $ 2.9 million and leveraged almost $22 million in private funds while creating 200 plus jobs.

Its Micro Loan Fund lends $500 to $10,000. Ithas made near;y $1 million in micro loans since 2003.

DEBCO also provides oneonone consultation and technical assistance to borrowers and it offers entrepreneurial training and development through its DeKalb Microenterprise Institute.

Best Mexican RestaurantPesos Mexican Cantina

Best PizzaDavido’s $3.75 Pizza on Covington

Best TakeoutChick-fil-A Turner Hill Road

Best Chicken WingsAmerican Deli,

Gallery at South DeKalb

Best BakerySweet ‘n’ Sinful

Best BreakfastIHOP

2011 Winners Dining Specialty

Sharon Walker Charles Blackmon Jackie Ginn

I am honored to be voted“Best School Board Member”

�ank YouDr. Eugene P. “Gene” Walker

Ninth District

in the 2011 CrossRoadsNewsBest of East Metro

Readers Choice Awards

[email protected]

Support Our Advertisers!Tell them you saw their ad in CrossRoadsNews


B7Lifelong champion of oppressed people

Encore as ‘Most Beloved Public Official’


Gwen Keyes Fleming was also voted “Most Beloved Public Official” in 2010, and she was named “Most Beloved Elected Official” in 2009.

John Lewis was greeted by fans young and old upon his return from Washington, D.C., to receive the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

2011 Winners

Dining – RomancingMost Romantic Restaurant

Arizona’s

Best Restaurant for First DateArizona’s

Best Restaurant When Someone Else Buys

Red Lobster

Best Late Night EatsWaffle House

Best Place to Meet New PeopleJava Delight Cafe

Best Sunday BrunchSweet Melissa’s

From Civil Rights footsoldier to congressman, John Lewis has spent most of his life fighting for the rights of people.

No wonder he is CrossRoadsNews Readers’ “Most Beloved Elected Official” for 20011.

Lewis, who turned 70 years old on Feb. 21, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama on Feb. 15.

He has been a congressman since November 1986 representing Georgia’s 5th Congressional District, which includes portions of DeKalb County.

He was one of six people nominated for Most Beloved Elected Official. He got twice as many votes as his nearest rival.

His popularity is best explained by his enduring presence on the public stage.

As a young man, he worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and he took his lumps, including a policeman’s club to the head during the 1965, “Bloody Sunday” march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala.

Born into a sharecropping family outside of Troy, Ala., on Feb. 21, 1940, Lewis experienced the humiliation of segregation in education and public facilities and the denial of the right to vote.

He committed at an early age to the goal of education for himself and justice for his people. Inspired by the example of King and

Rosa Parks in the Montgomery bus boycott, he joined the struggle for civil rights. In the 1960s, he led the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

When he got the Medal of Freedom,

Lewis accepted it on behalf of “countless individuals” in the fight for civil rights.

“Those who took seats on the lunch counters, those that were on the Freedom Ride more than 50 years ago,” he said. “Those that marched on Washington in 1963, and for those that marched from Selma to Montgomery.”

Gwen Keyes Fleming is just a favorite of CrossRoadsNews readers.

This year, they again voted her “Most Beloved Public Official.”

She also won that category last year. In 2009, she was voted “Most Beloved Elected Official.”

Before serving as District Attorney, Keyes Fleming was DeKalb’s SolicitorGeneral.

She resigned last September to accept an appointment by President Obama to be the EPA Region 4 Administrator for the southern region.

A fearless prosecutor, she tacked the higprofile investigation of courruption in DeKaln County School System that led to the indictment of former School Superintendent Dr. Crawford Lewis and former chief operat

Put CrossRoadsNews to Work for You!Call 404-284-1888 for Advertising Rates & Information

CrossRoadsNewsApril 23, 2011 B7

B82011 Winners

Professional Services Best Barber Shop

Ultimate Barber Shop

Best DentistSpa Dental

Best Event Planner Brenda Jackson

Best Health ClinicSouth DeKalb Center

for Healthy Living

Best Health ClubTadda’s Fitness Center

Best HVAC ServiceBowman’s HVAC

Best Insurance AgentDeVon Hudson, State Farm

Best Law Firm Boykin Edwards, Jr., PC

Best OrthodontistDr. Craig Williams, DDS

Best Real Estate AgencyTobias Jackson,

Century 21 Intown

Best Restaurant ServiceChick-fil-A Turner Hill Road


Put CrossRoadsNews to Work for You!Call 404-284-1888 for Advertising Rates & Information

Busy 5th District rep voted Best County Commissioner

DeKalb County Commissioner Lee May has been busy this year.

As chairman of the Board of Commissioners’ Finance, Audit, & Budget committee, he shepherded the board to cut $33 million from CEO Burrell Ellis budget and passed the 2011 budget without a tax increase. In Lithonia, he has tried to appease residents who are stridently opposed to a proposed biomass gasification plant.

Sometimes, he even shows up at community meetings with his young daughters in tow.

CrossRoadsNews readers voted him Best County Commissioner from a field of four nominees.

Commissioner Lee May was joined by his daughters at a recent community meeting on a proposed biomass gasification plant.

DeKalb District Attorney Robert James is CrossRoadsNews readers’ Citizen of the Year.

James was among four people, and the only elected official, nominated in that category this year.

His meteoric rise in DeKalb’s legal community helped him stand out.

He because district attorney on Nov. 15 after winning the special election to finish the term of Gwen Keyes Fleming, who was tapped by President Barack Obama to be the EPA’s Southern regional administrator.

Before becoming D.A., James was solicitor-general three years. In that office he fought animal cruelty, elder abuse and truancy and was passionate about educating residents about the law and his office.

New District Attorney voted Citizen of the Year

DeKalb District Attorney Robert James displays one of 200 guns confiscated from criminals and sent to be recycled earlier this year.

CrossRoadsNews April 23, 2011B8

B9

“Best Pizza in East Metro Atlanta” three consecutive years

“Best Pizza in East Metro Atlanta” three consecutive years

Thank you for voting...Thank you for voting...

As we serve our community the best pizza and wings, daVIDO’s continues to be “Perfect for lunch, dinner or an after school snack.”

As we serve our community the best pizza and wings, daVIDO’s continues to be “Perfect for lunch, dinner or an after school snack.”

Please visit www.davidos375pizza.com for location information.

I’m humbled and honored to be voted: • Best Local Entrepreneur • Best American Restaurant • Best Restaurant Service • Best Takeout

in the 2011 CrossRoadsNews Best of East Metro Readers’ Choice Awards.

2985 Turner Hill Road • Lithonia, GA 30038 • (678) 526-0088

Tony Royal, Owner/OperatorChick-fil-A at Turner Hill Road

2011 Winners

Buy & Sell Best Supermarket

Publix, Flat Shoals Parkway

Best MallThe Mall at Stonecrest

Best Auto Dealer - UsedMalcolm Cunningham

Auto Gallery

Best Car WashCartopia

Best Financial InstitutionCitizen Trust Bank

Best Private School

Excell Preparatory Center

Fun for AllBest Running or Jogging Track

Stone Mountain Park

Best Movie TheaterAMC Theater

Best Free Wi-FiChick-fil-A Turner Hill Road

Come See Why We Were Voted “Best Small Church” in the CrossRoadsNews Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards


When business is down, smart busi-ness people know that they have to step up their marketing to lure some business their way.

Here are some tips from the SBA on helping to keep the lights on.n Never let a day pass without engaging in at least one marketing activity.n Determine a percentage of gross income to spend annually on marketing.n Set specific marketing goals every year; review and adjust quarterly.n Maintain a file of ideas for later use.n Carry business cards with you (all day, every day).n Create a personal nametag or pin with your company name and logo on it and wear it at high visibility meetings.

Target marketn Stay alert to trends that might impact your target market, product, or promo-tion strategy.n Read market research studies about your profession, industry, product, target market groups, etc.n Collect competitors’ ads and literature; study them for information about strat-egy, product features, benefits, etc.n Ask clients why they hired you and so-licit suggestions for improvement.n Ask former clients why they left you.n Identify a new market.n Join a list-serve (e-mail list) related to your profession.

Education, resources, infon Establish a marketing and public relations advisory and referral team of colleagues and/or neighboring business owners; share ideas and referrals and discuss community issues. n Meet quarterly for breakfast.n Create a suggestion box for employ-ees.n Attend a marketing seminar.n Read a marketing book.n Subscribe to a marketing newsletter or other publication.n Subscribe to a marketing list-serve on the Internet.n Train your staff, clients, and colleagues to promote referrals.n Hold monthly marketing meetings with employees or associates to discuss strategy and status and solicit marketing ideas.n Join an association or organization related to your profession.n Maintain a consultant card file for find-ing designers, writers, and other market-ing professionals.

Pricing and paymentn Analyze your fee structure; look for areas requiring modifications or adjustments. n Give regular clients a discount.n Learn to barter; offer discounts to mem-bers of certain clubs/professional groups/organizations in exchange for promotions in their publications.n Offer financing or installment plans.

Marketing communicationsn Publish a newsletter for customers and prospects (it doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive). n Include a postage-paid survey card with your brochures and other company literature. n Include check-off boxes or other items that will involve the reader and provide valuable feedback to you.n Remember, business cards aren’t work-ing for you if they’re in the box. Pass them out! n Give prospects two business cards and brochures - one to keep and one to pass along.n Create a poster or calendar to give away to customers and prospects.n Print a slogan and/or one-sentence de-scription of your business on letterhead, fax cover sheets, and invoices. n Create a signature file to be used for all your e-mail messages. It should contain contact details, including your Web site address and key information about your company that will make the reader want to contact you.n Include testimonials from customers in your literature.n Test a new mailing list. If it produces results, add it to your current direct mail lists or consider replacing a list that’s not performing up to expectations.n Rather than sending direct mail in plain white envelopes, use colored or oversized envelopes to pique recipients’ curiosity.

Media relationsn Update your media list often so that press releases are sent to the right media outlet and person.n Write a column for the local newspaper, local business journal, or trade publica-tion.n Publish an article and circulate reprints.n Send timely and newsworthy press re-leases as often as neededn Create an annual award and publicize it.n Get public relations and media training or read up on it.

n Create your own TV program on your industry or your specialty. Market the show to your local cable station or public broad-casting station as a regular program, or see if you can air your show on an open access cable channel.n Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.n Get a publicity photo taken and enclose with press releases.n Consistently review newspapers and maga-zines for possible PR opportunities.n Submit tip articles to newsletters and newspapers.n Create a press kit and keep its contents current.

Customer service, relationsn Ask your clients to come back again.n Return phone calls promptly.n Set up a fax-on-demand or e-mail system to easily respond to customer inquiries.n Use an answering machine or voice mail system to catch after-hours phone calls. Include basic information in your outgoing messages such a business hours, location, etc.n Record a memorable message or tip of the day on your outgoing answering machine or voice mail message.n Ask clients what you can do the help them.n Take clients out to a ball game, show, or another special event – just send them two tickets with a note. n Send handwritten thank you notes.n Send birthday cards and appropriate sea-sonal greetings.n Photocopy interesting articles and send them to clients and prospects with a hand-written FYI note and your business card.n Send a book of interest or other appropri-ate business gift to a client with a handwrit-ten note.

Marketing strategy important key to business success

CrossRoadsNewsApril 23, 2011 B9

B10

Earnest “Coach” WilliamsEarnest “Coach” WilliamsState Representative, House District 89

Always at Your [email protected] • 770-593-8467

Always at Your [email protected] • 770-593-8467

In the 2011 CrossRoadsNewsBest of East Metro Readers Choice Awards

Thanks for voting me“Most Active State Legislator”

If This Was Your Ad, Someone Would Be

Seeing It Now!Call 404-284-1888 today for rates & information.


2011 Winners

Community of Faith Best Large Church

Berean Christian Church

Best Small ChurchRainbow Park Baptist Church

Best Church ChoirSt. Philip Choir

Best Dance MinistryBerean Christian Church

Best Outreach Ministry Berean Christian Church

Best Christian SchoolGreenforest-McCalep Christian

Academic Center

Your Votes Inspire Us!Your Votes Inspire Us!

Thank you for voting us “Best Gospel Choir” in the 2011 Best of East Metro Readers Choice AwardsSt. Philip AME Church Choir

240 Candler Road SE. (at Memorial Drive) • Atlanta, GA 30317 • 404-371-0749 • www.saintphilip.org

South DeKalb’s favorite activist wins Best title again

John Evans with fans and supporters last year when he got his firs Best Local Activist award.

John Evans doesn’t rest.Evans, who celebrated his 78th birthday

in January, is back as president of the DeKalb NAACP, after a four-year break and busy as ever speaking truth to power. He is a regular

participant at DeKalb School Board, Board of County Commissioners and community meetings where he asks the tough questions and keeps politicians and elected officials honest and focused on the issues.

For that reason, Evans, who lives in Stone Mountain, got the nod again for Best Local Activist from CrossRoadsNews readers.

This is the second year he has won this category.

CrossRoadsNews April 23, 2011B10

B11CrossRoadsNewsApril 23, 2011 B11

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CrossRoadsNews, April 23, 2011 - Section B