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4th of July - Fabulous Fourth Festival

Fabulous Fourth Festival - This event is located in the Grand Prix Plaza and is a free admission event. No parking fee.
For the 5th consecutive year, The Fabulous Fourth Festival will be held at the GIHP on July 4 beginning at 5 pm. Highlights of this year's celebration include entertainment, children's activities, military displays, arts, crafts, vendors and a large fireworks display at dark. Concessions offer treats such as hot dogs, funnel cakes, ice cream, and other festival food. There will be no charge for admission to the event, and parking is also free.....however, some fees may apply for various children's activities. Blankets and lawn chairs are allowed into the event for prime fireworks-viewing comfort.Coolers and pets are prohibited. For more information about Conyers' Fabulous Fourth Festival, please contact the Conyers Welcome Center at 770-602-2606 or visit www.conyersga.com.
Come celebrate our nation's independence, Horse-Park style, at the Georgia International Horse Park, only 25 miles east of Atlanta!
For an exhibitor application, please contact Rebecca Hill at 770-860-4188

Georgia International Horse Park
1996 Centennial Olympic Pkwy
Conyers, GA 30013
 
Dates: Fri, Jul 04
View all dates and times
Location Phone: 770.860.4190
Location Email: info@georgiahorsepark.com
Location URL:
georgiahorsepark.com
Event URL:
www.conyersga.com

 

Light Up The Lake Fireworks Independence Day Celebration
Lake Lanier Islands Resorts Beach & Waterpark will feature live entertainment, games, family fun and North Georgias largest fireworks display.

Lake Lanier Islands
6950 Holiday Rd
Lake Lanier Islands, GA 30518
Dates: Fri, Jul 04
View all dates and times
Location Phone: 770.932.7200
Location URL:
www.lakelanierislands.com

Six Flags

Celebration of Americana, including fireworks, patriotic displays and family fun.

Six Flags Over Georgia
7561 Six Flags Pkwy
Austell, GA 30168
Dates: Fri, Jul 04
View all dates and times
Location Phone: 770.948.9290
Location URL:
www.sixflags.com

COP logoFestivities planned rain or shine
Thanks to the thousands who came out to celebrate Independence Day at the Parks annual 4th of July Celebration. The highlight of the all-day event was the AirTran Airways Spectacular Fireworks Display broadcast live for the first time ever in high-definition television by 11Alive WXIA-TV as well as simulcast on Star 94FM.   The family-fun began early with childrens activities including arts and crafts, face painting, performances, inflatables, stilt walkers, Be Bo the Clown and more! Visitors relaxed on the Great Lawn and splashed in the world famous Fountain of Rings.

Centennial Olympic Park
265 Park Avenue West, NW
Atlanta, GA 30313
Dates: Fri, Jul 04
View all dates and times
Location Phone: 404.222.PARK
Location URL:
www.centennialpark.com
Event URL:
www.centennialpark.com/events/fjuly.html


For more events on July 4th holiday Click Here
For a good laugh Click Here   The Ball Will Drive You Crazy


Atlanta CityPass is your ticket to eight top attractions.

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50 Fun Things

Find 50 fun things to see and do in Atlanta


Think Twice Before You Leave Your Job
The prevailing employee attitudes towards their jobs.

Job dissatisfaction has reached an all time high for corporate employees.
Most employees have felt the sting of downsizing, out placement, and compensation cutbacks over the past two to five years. Employees that remained through all of this were given additional duties and responsibilities, (normally of those employees laid off by the company), without additional compensation. The prevailing corporate attitude was that employees should consider themselves lucky to have a paycheck. Corporate employee improvement services, like training, counseling or coaching were greatly reduced or even eliminated. Corporations no longer had the money to invest in their employees, nor did they know which employees to invest in.

Employees were almost considered a necessary burden. Benefit packages have been reduced or dismantled. Many corporations have converted employees to independent contract labor, to lower costs, commitments, and benefit obligations. There has also been a well-publicized movement towards outsourcing labor to countries like India with much lower labor costs, as an attempt to shed or reduce this burden. Being an employee under these circumstances has probably been less than enjoyable, and has certainly not created any loyalty by employees to the corporations who have treated them in this manner. Certainly, employees have discovered that achieving job security by working for a corporation is just a myth.

Employment times are changing


But like most other economic trends the pendulum is now swinging the other way. Corporations are beginning to grow and prosper. Corporations are looking to hire more employees to accommodate this new demand. This demand for additional employees presents an opportunity for existing employees to escape the unfavorable conditions they had to endure during recent years. I predict that there will be a very large exodus of employees who will seek employment with other companies to take advantage of the apparent grass is greener scenario. It appears that the migration has already started. "Newsweek" reports in their article entitled "Quitting Time" in their May 24, 2004 issue that Monster.com reports “a 44% increase from a year earlier in resume postings, and an increase of 13% of "confidential" postings (usually made by people trying to hide job hunting from their bosses.)”

If you are considering joining the exodus, there are some things you might want to consider, before you make a hasty exit, just because you can.

1. Try to avoid the flight-to-escape mentality.

Getting another job to escape the bad conditions and memories of your present job will not be positive for you. You can only escape the problems of your past employment by focusing on achieving a new positive career situation. When you focus on past negativity, it follows you, wherever you go. Sure the conditions might appear to be unbearable, but leaving only because of the bad will make it more difficult to focus on the improvements you want and need.

2. Consider seeking another career because it is a positive move for you.

You have the right and obligation to take advantage of the opportunity to improve your work status by seeking employment that will be a true improvement for you. You will want to concentrate on creating a new more positive career situation, rather than focusing on the bad things that happened to you. When you concentrate on the positive aspects of your new career that is what you will attain.

3. Take the time to discover what you really want to do.

The next few years will offer you a host of opportunities to improve your work situation, and you will want to make the right career choices while the time is right. You will want to discover your priorities; passions, talents and self imposed obstacles. This way you can determine the right career situation that will fit you. As opposed to having to adjust to fit the work situation as you have in the past. Once you are clearly aware of what career best suits you, you will have a much easier chance of attaining it.

4. Use this opportunity to take care of yourself and your loved ones.

You owe it to yourself and those who depend upon you to take the steps to improve your career whenever you can, especially when doing so allows you to improve your family and personal lives. Most likely the corporation you are working for only considered fulfilling their needs. Your loyalty to you and your family will undoubtedly outweigh any loyalty you might have to your company. Grant yourself permission to pursue your career improvements without guilt or hesitation.

5. Consider approaching your current employer to improve your conditions.

Your current employer might be very receptive to you staying under the new terms and conditions you present. There is a real good chance that your current employer is also experiencing successful growth and prosperity. If so, you now have considerable leverage to ask for and attain the improvements you want. Why? First, you were part of the reason they became successful. Second, they will be counting on you to achieve even bigger future success. Third, your departure will have serious negative consequences. It has been reported that the cost to replace an employee ranges from $10,000 to over $75,000 per employee. You will create a significant void in knowledge and continuity. They will have to train your replacement, which will take time, effort, and money, not to mention the break in productivity your departure creates. Your departure will also make it somewhat more difficult to entice new employees.

Smart employers will want to make adjustments to retain the employees that formed the core of the company during the bad times. Employers who continue to disregard your personal needs and priorities do not deserve you. By asking your present employers for the things you want, assuming they are capable of providing them to you, will present an excellent indicator of the intent of the company decision makers. Because you will most likely be afforded other opportunities outside your present employment, you will eventually have little to lose by asking.

6. Go after the career that fits you.

If your present employer cannot, or will not meet your required conditions, then search for those employment or income producing careers that will meet your conditions. Be sure to communicate to other employers who might meet your requirements what you want and why. But do not forget that you have an obligation to produce the results in your new position that will generate more profits to the company than their cost to compensate you. By knowing the value and profits you will provide new employers, you will be able to show them how meeting your requirements will be a real good deal for them. In addition, since you have chosen the new position to meet your personal passions, priorities and desires, you will have a natural enthusiasm for the position that will be hard to turn down.

7. Ask for help from the right person to assist you in your journey.

Your career choices will have an extremely powerful affect on your life, and you will want to make the next selections count the most for you. Getting help from someone you trust, who has your best interest at heart, who will be strong enough to tell you the truth and caring enough to not impose their agenda or opinions on you, will be priceless. The two of you can objectively search for, investigate, and evaluate career options to meet your true priorities, passions and needs. You two can develop plans to actually pursue your career choices and work together to actually implement your plan to completion.

A career coach will fill all of these desired requirements and more.

8. Connect with your ideal career coach.

Finding and connecting with the right career coach for you will create remarkable results in discovering and actually getting the next work position that truly suits you. You want to find the career coach whom you really like, and the two of you make an excellent equal partner team to discover and transition to your ideal income position.

Conclusion

Employment times are improving, and you can maximize the short and long term value of changing your work situation to meet your requirements, if you do it right. It is a very important part of your life, and making the most of these career opportunities will certainly be worth doing right.


Welcome to Gwinnett Network, Gwinnett County's on-line resource of networking and leads groups for salespeople and business owners.  If you want to meet people to share sales leads, get referrals, and grow your business, we believe you will find this web site invaluable.  Find local activities and volunteer opportunities in Gwinnett in our Community Event List, and Gwinnett Arts and Cultural Events at AtlantaPlanIt.com

Weekly Quote

Quote

Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations

End Quote

Steve Jobs

This Weeks Events Highlights

Tuesday
Duluth Merchants Association Meets at 6:00 PM at Printing Trade Company, 2790 Simpson Circle in Duluth.  Contact: Dennis Keller (678) 473-4643.Joy of Connecting - Peachtree Corners Chapter

The Joy of Connecting is a relaxed dinner networking gathering for women business owners and entrepreneurs. Meets at 7 PM at a location in the Peachtree Corners area. To learn more or make reservations, contact Andi Dunlop at (770) 656-9719 or by email at
AndiDunlop@ReMax.net
.

Wednesday  
American Business Women's Association - Gwinnett Charter Chapter 6:00-8:30 PM at Berkeley Hills Country Club on Pond Drive in Duluth. Reservations are required. To make a reservation, call 770-378-0910.

Thursday
Athens Chamber Young Professionals Network 5:15 to 7:15 PM, Location TBA. For information, call Thomas Wyatt at (706) 549-6800.

Creative Entrepreneur Network 11:30 AM at a downtown Lawrenceville restaurant. Contact Leigh Ann Rodgers at (404) 964-8306 to RSVP, and for exact location.

Jefferson Area Business Association Noon at various locations in Jackson County. For information, visit the Assciation's website at
www.jabaga.org/
.

Joy of Connecting - Johns Creek Chapter Monthly woman's dinner and networking group meets at 7:00 PM at a location in the John's Creek area. To learn more or make reservations, contact Dawn Rowley at (770) 418-9919 or by email at
dawn@flexible-fitness.com
.

Relationship Networking
by S. Housley

What is Relationship Networking?

Relationship networking is simply the art of meeting people and benefiting from those relationships. Often the benefit of these relationships is to obtain information and leads to further grow your business. Any successful relationship, whether a personal or a business relationship, is unique to every pair of individuals, and it evolves over time.

Effective relationship networking is all about building those relationships and maintaining long lasting connections with other professionals. The Internet is an excellent vehicle for networking. Relationships can develop in newsgroups, forums, and via email. Though nothing really beats good old-fashioned face-to-face networking to start the process of building a relationship and trust, which is why industry conferences can be so important.

Not all contacts will be useful or worth pursuing. There will be leads that don't provide much information. Use your judgment on whether the information and relationship is worth spending more time on.

Relationship networking opens new doors, often it's "who you know, not necessarily what you know".

Tip to Build Network Relationships:

  1. Provide genuine assistance to others.
  2. Be open-minded.
  3. Remember personal details.
  4. Respect cultural differences.
  5. Research people and companies. Know their goals and interests.
  6. Reciprocate.
  7. Introductions.

Where to Network:

So many people wear multiple hats; everyone and anyone could possibly be a networking opportunity. However, just like targeted search engine traffic, the more targeted the networking the higher the chance of success. 'Targeted' networking offers the most potential.

  1. Trade associations or industry specific organization.
  2. Trade shows.
  3. Friends.
  4. Schools.
  5. Focused newsgroups and topic specific forums.
  6. Customers.
  7. Suppliers.
  8. User groups.

Constantly refine and grow your network of relationships, as they are valuable and need cultivating. If you are perceived as someone who is only trying to get something your network will likely not increase. Networking is about building relationships and mutual interaction benefiting both parties. Share information and help others grow their businesses.

In many ways relationship networking and partnering overlap, and on some occasion's relationship networking will lead to synergistic partnering.

Partnering

Partnering is an attractive flexible way for companies to develop new markets and additional revenue. Working together, partners can combine strengths in critical areas. Often a larger well-known vendor provides small vendors with credibility, while the smaller vendor contributes specific industry knowledge unknown to the larger vendor. Synergistic relationships come in all shapes and sizes, but the best relationships and partnerships are the ones that benefit everyone. Partnering is a good way of tapping into related customer bases. Often the partners complement each other in such a way that they can provide a combined solution that neither partner could deliver alone.

Expectations

In order for a relationship to work you must have a clear understanding of both your companies and product(s) strengths and weaknesses. By being aware of any deficiencies, you will find partners with strengths in the areas of your weaknesses.

  1. Know what you have to offer.
  2. Know what you are looking for.
  3. Don't waste yours and your potential partner's time.

Different relationships/partnering that works:

  1. Product bundling.
  2. Newsletter exchanges.
  3. Integrations.
  4. Link exchanges.
  5. Technology or knowledge exchange.
  6. Revenue share.
  7. Ad exchange.

Win/Win

Only when each partner is successful can the partnership itself claim success. Partnerships are genuinely a win-win. Developers, who master the art of strategic partnering and relationship networking, will obtain long-term profitability and success.

Final Tips

  1. Qualify sources.
  2. Adage - you are who you hang with.
  3. Not every relationship is a good one.
  4. Evaluate potential partners.
  5. Make it personal by taking the time to say thank you.
  6. Results are not always immediate.
  7. Carry business cards everywhere you go.

Being proactive and following up, you can have a network of contacts that you will be able to access quickly when you need them. Whether by more traditional means, such as in person or over the Internet, personal networks are essential for furthering your business. Relationship networking is give and take, be sure to help others in your quest for help.

NETWORKING BOOKS
Find it on the "Wendy Kinney Approved"

Job Seekers Information
Links for Job Seekers are grouped into the following categories:

Job Hunting Advice
Job Listing Sites
Searching for Information Tools
Career Assessment Tools
PowerPoint Presentations
www.GwinnettNetwork.com

The Gwinnett Network Weekly Update is a service of www.gwinnettnetwork.com.  In the spirit of networking, feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone else who you think might benefit from the information it provides.


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