Michael Dedee - Magician

Mike Dedee is a Division Manager for the Monroe County Health Department working with Children and Families in our Community. He is also a professional magician.  Mike has been entertaining people with magic for ten years. He first began studying magic in California where he later became a Magician member of the Magic Castle in Hollywood; the world's most famous club for magicians and magic enthusiasts.  While he loves performing, he says the greatest magic in his life are his two boys and wife Tracey.  He adds that he would not be where he is today without the love and support of his entire family.  You can find out more about Mike at www.rochestermagic.com.

Chiropractic Solutions Launches New Website

Dr. Jonathan Zwerka of Chiropractic Solutions is proud to announce the launch of his website at www.zwerka.com.

Dr. Jon believes that health care should be focused on the prevention of disease by embracing a wellness lifestyle and educating the public on how to live healthier lives. Unfortunately, health care is currently more focused on the treatment of disease than prevention because that is “where the money is.” Dr. Jon encourages his patients to take charge of their health and spend their money and efforts on getting healthy, not just free of symptoms. This way they can live a longer and more active lifestyle well into their golden years.

Come in to see Dr. Jon, your family wellness chiropractor, and begin to reclaim your health today. For more information visit the new website or call 585-385-0650.

Prudential Financial Celebrates New Location

On Thursday, December 18, Prudential Financial cut the ribbon on their new office location at 1758 Penfield Road. Steve Alexander and Jeff Chapman of Prudential were joined by Penfield Town Council members, George Wiedemer, Debbie Drawe, Andy Moore, Jim Mulley and Linda Kohl for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Congratulations to Prudential Financial on their new home!

Four Corners Holiday Celebration Draws Smiles

Thanks to the Town of Penfield, the Penfield Four Corners businesses, and the Penfield Business Association for another successful Holiday event.

People attending the celebration had lots of fun and enjoyed the festivities including craft stations, hay rides, carolers, and the annual tree lighting. Many commented about the terrific businesses they discovered in the Penfield Four Corners including restaurants, retail stores, salons, services, and much more. Try taking a walk sometime and seeing all that it has to offer!

The winner of this year's 32-inch LCD TV raffle was Patty McMillan, of Macedon. She and her family were ecstatic when notified!

Congratulations also to the Sheid Family and to Tim & Mallory McCullum, of Penfield, who each won gift certificates to Spitali's Barber Shop.

The drawing for the TV and gift certificates was held on December 13 at the Edward Jones Investments office in Four Corners.  Present to conduct the official drawing were Penfield Town Board member Linda Kohl and Curtis Regruit of Edward Jones Investments.  To be eligible for the drawing participants needed to visit each of 42 Penfield Four Corners businesses that took part in the event to receive a stamp on a map of Four Corners.  The TV donation was made possible by contributions from each of the businesses, with a matching contribution from the Penfield Business Association.

PBA Members Celebrate The Holidays Together

The Clark House was the setting for the annual PBA Holiday Party. Over 62 members and guests enjoyed delicious appetizers prepared by the
chefs of the Clark House along with some festive treats from Colangelo’s Bakery of Penfield.

The event was an opportunity for the PBA to thank each of their members for their support and participation throughout 2008. Joann Nulton and the many volunteers who supported the Penfield In Bloom program were recognized and presented with certificates of appreciation from the PBA. Fairport Savings Bank was recognized as the PBA’s December Business of the Month. Cheryl Gregory, Penfield Branch Manager, was present to accept the award.

Five $50 American Express Gift Cards, generously donated by Fairport Savings Bank, and a gift certificate for LaSalle’s Steak and Crab were door prizes that evening. A 50/50 raffle was also held with half of the proceeds going to the Penfield Ecumenical Food Shelf.

Once again the PBA collected non-perishable food items for the Penfield Ecumenical Food Shelf at the event. Ted O’Brien from the PEFC was our guest for the evening and we were proud to present him with a monetary donation from the 50/50 raffle along with several boxes of collected food items.

Don't Forget to Renew Your PBA Membership for 2009!

• Learn from our community’s top business experts – by attending meetings and seminars, you can gain valuable insights and great tips on how to make your business even more successful
• Experience irreplaceable networking opportunities – at PBA events you have the chance to rub elbows with other business owners and spread the word about what your business has to offer
• Take advantage of inexpensive ways to promote your business – advertising can be expensive but as a PBA member you have access to our monthly e-newsletter, quarterly printed newsletter, website, deep discounted mass media, and many more communication outlets
• Gain in-depth knowledge on state, county and local government initiatives – through the PBA you’ll be tapped in to what’s going on in the community around you, how it might impact your business and how you can get involved.
 
That’s only some of the benefits you’ll receive from your PBA membership. And you’ll be doing your part to build the business vitality of the Penfield community – something we all benefit from all year round. To renew your membership, simply print and fill out the membership renewal form, then mail it in with your $75 membership dues.
 
We hope you will continue to be a part of the Penfield Business Association and renew your membership today.

2009 PBA Calendar of Events Includes Exciting New Series

Download the 2009 Calendar of Events

Introducing the New Family Fun Series
This new, member-networking series will occur each month during 2009 and will showcase 12 member businesses. Featured member businesses will showcase their services/products to fellow PBA members and their families by offering discounted rates to an event/gathering scheduled at a specified date and time. The goal is to increase awareness of member businesses, offer discounted fun/learning to members and their families, and enable members to attend networking events that they otherwise may not have attended because of their commitment to spending time with their family.

Introducing the New Lunch Bunch Series
This new, member-networking series will occur each month during 2009 and will showcase 12 member businesses. Members are encouraged to gather on a specified Friday afternoon for lunch at a PBA-member restaurant. These gatherings will not be official PBA meetings, but rather an opportunity to catch up with fellow members. We all have to eat lunch, right?

Expanding the Networking Series
Our member networking series will include the initiation of a new Speed Networking event in April where members will journey through a series of 5 minute introductions with the intent to meet as many fellow members as possible. The series will also include a Networking Breakfast to be held in June, as well as the Annual Holiday Party in December.

Preparing a Great Lineup for the Workshop Series
In March, Laurie Joslin of Unlimited Coaching will speak on how to effectively leverage networking opportunities for professional and personal growth. In May, Mary Anne Shew of Business Vitality will speak on effective time management. A workshop in September will focus on developing an annual business plan.

Maintaining the Popular Community Series
In February, Penfield Town Supervisor George Wiedemer will deliver his Annual Town Address over lunch. In October, we will Meet the Candidates. In November, Jim Costello will deliver Town Updates.

Continuing Participation in Penfield's Annual Events
Participation in our annual events include the Shepherd Gala in April, Penfield in Bloom in June, the Penfield Independence Day Parade on July 4th, the Penfield Fall Festival in August, and the Penfield Holiday Festival in December.

Download the 2009 Calendar of Events

If you are interested in participating as one of our featured businesses or would like to add your upcoming event to the calendar, please send an email to Chris Herlong.

Member-to-Member Discounts for 2009

The Member-to-Member Discount program is being revitalized for 2009. All members are encouraged to develop some type of discount, coupon, or incentive for fellow members so that there is no excuse to go outside of our network of Penfield businesses. Dr. Jonathan Zwerka is heading this initiative and will be contacting each of you shortly. So please begin thinking about what you could offer in this program.

Town Board Organizational Meeting
January 7, 2009

The Penfield Town Board will hold its annual organizational meeting Wednesday, January 7 at 7:30 pm. The first legislative session of each year establishes the Town leadership, from the Town Supervisor and Town Board to advisory board and committee appointments. The Town Board also adopts its rules and procedures for the year during this first session. The evening will begin with a swearing in ceremony at 7:15 pm. All are welcome to attend. The Town Board meeting will also be broadcast on PCTV Cable Channel 12.

Check out our Community Calendar!
Please visit the PBA website to view a complete list of Penfield events.

Can You Benefit from Current Opportunity in Municipal Bonds?
by PBA Director Curt Regruit, Edward Jones

As the year winds down, you may find yourself reviewing your investment strategy to determine if you made the right moves in 2008 to help you achieve your financial goals. And one topic you may well focus on is taxadvantaged investing. Did you do all you could in this area? If not, you might want to consider a popular, but often misunderstood, investment: municipal bonds. And right now, these types of bonds may be more appealing than they’ve been in many years.

Essentially, a municipal bond is a debt security issued by a state, municipality or county to finance its capital expenditures, such as bridges, highways or schools. The interest you receive from municipal bonds is exempt from federal taxes and from most state and local taxes, especially if you live in the state in which the bond is issued.

Nonetheless, if you’re like many people, you might dismiss municipal bonds as conservative investments that usually offer lower yields than taxable Treasury or corporate bonds. (The yield is the return you will receive on your bond if you hold it until maturity.) But what you may not realize is that if you are in one of the upper tax brackets, the tax savings you receive from your municipal bonds may be enough to provide you with a higher yield than you’d get from a comparable Treasury or corporate bond.

Furthermore, in recent months, we’ve seen something that rarely occurs: municipal bonds yielding as much as, or more than, Treasury bonds — even without taking the tax benefits into account. Why has this happened? For a variety of circumstances, the market has become somewhat “glutted” with municipal bonds; this oversupply has led to lower prices. And bond prices are inversely related to yields, so the drop in municipal bond prices has led to the higher yields.

Thus far, we’ve seen that today’s municipal bonds feature tax advantages, low prices and relatively high yields. Yet like all investments, municipal bonds do carry some types of risk, including the following:

• Credit risk — During difficult economic times, municipalities may be strapped for cash and have trouble meeting their financial obligations — such as scheduled interest payments on their bonds. It’s a good idea to invest in a municipal bond whose issuer is considered highly creditworthy, as determined by the ratings it receives from an independent rating agency, such as Moody’s or Standard & Poor’s.

• Call risk — When market interest rates are falling, a municipality may want to buy back — or “call” – its bonds so that it can reissue new ones at the lower rates. Obviously, if your bond is called, your income stream will be disrupted. That’s why you may want to look for municipal bonds that offer call protection — a period of time during which the issuer cannot call the bond.

One final note of caution: Some municipal bonds are subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT), so, before investing in a muni, consult with your tax advisor.

Once you understand these risks and take the steps we’ve suggested to address them, you may find that municipal bonds can play a valuable role in your portfolio, so give them some consideration.

*Edward Jones does not offer tax or legal advice. Consult with a competent tax or legal advisor about your specific situation.

Why do businesses succeed or fail? HINT: It’s not just sales
by Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Little Red Book of Selling and eight other business books on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development

Someone from Success Magazine called and asked me for a quote about being a successful entrepreneur and salesman. Here’s the quote I gave:

“Everyone has heard the phrase ‘The American Dream.’ I look at it as ‘The American Reality.’ When you’re in business for yourself you write your own history, you write your own success story, you write your own legacy, and most important you write your own paycheck. When you write your own paycheck, you control your own destiny. Being in business for yourself gives you the opportunity to work your heart out for something you love.”

These are the elements that have driven my business to success:

1. Great people. People who are excellent at what they do. Self-starters, smart, responsible -- with a passion for excellence, and a successful track record. Not just salespeople – everyone MUST be excellent. Reception, accounting, shipping, and especially anyone who talks to customers.

2. Harmony within. Each person must decide to “get along” with everyone else. This means their attitude must be positive, and they have to understand and be able to get along for the common good, even through personality conflicts, minor disagreements, and major disagreements will occur. They can get over it, and get on with it.

3. A continuous flow of ideas. From everyone – especially me as the leader.

4. Unless you have sales, you have no business. Products and services that are understandable, have perceived value, have gained market acceptance, and are easy to purchase. There are lots of sales on the books because the product is in demand.

5. Money. Don’t confuse sales with money. Money comes from making profitable sales. My father once told me “You can have lots of business -- but no money.” Learn your profitability, and transfer it to your sales and your salespeople.

6. Creativity and willingness to risk. Trying new things and new ways. Your customers demand it but your competitors hope you’ll do “business as usual.”

7. Earn loyalty from everyone. Loyalty is stability, growth, and profit all rolled into one. Loyalty has 3.5 parts. You must earn from (1) your customers, (2) your vendors, and (3) your employees. The best way to get loyalty is (3.5) to give loyalty.

8. Wide open communication. Speak your mind and say your peace – truthfully. This may mean drop the PC and get real world, real life. Maybe that way you’ll have a real business.

9. Freedom to succeed and fail. No one fails on purpose. I give everyone freedom to learn, freedom of expression (without fear of reprisal), and freedom to take risks.

10. A respected liked (loved) leader. I am the leader. The passionate, lead by example, cheerleader leader. I love what I do, and it’s contagious to all.

10.5 A fun atmosphere and a fun environment. We won an award a few years ago “Most fun place to work in Charlotte.” Could your company win that award?.

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