Winter 2007 Chaldean Commerce Newsletter

CHALDEAN COMMERCECHALDEAN COMMERCEjan

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The newsletter of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce

INSIDEMESSAGE FROM NEW CHAIRMAN ANNUAL REPORTCASH FLOW TIPS MARKETING UNDER $10

YEAR IN REVIEWYEAR IN REVIEW

ChaldeanCommerce0107 1/2/07 12:26 PM

2 C H A L D E A N C O M M E R C E

N E W C H A M B E R R E B A T E P R O G R A M C O M I N G S O O N


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MESSAGE 4 From the Chairman

CALENDAR 4 Mark the Dates

BRIEFINGS 6 Dave Nona Is New Chamber ChairDemographic Study UnderwayNominations NeededChamber Master LaunchedMembers In The News

2006 ANNUAL REPORT 8 Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce Chaldean Chamber Foundation

ADVICE 10 7 Tips For Improving Your Cash Flow 11 10 Marketing Tactics Under $10

TAX TALK 12 Last-Minute Legislation Is A Boon For taxpayers

FROM THE DETROIT REGIONAL CHAMBER 13 2006 Legislation Wrap-upNew To Town?Member Savings

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 14 Clearview Digital SurveillanceNew Sahara

SOCIALS 15 Holiday Party

CHALDEAN COMMERCECHALDEAN COMMERCEThe newsletter of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce

january + february 2007

8 14 15


Greetings and best wishes for prosperity, peace and God’s bless-ings to all for the New Year. More than anything else, weespecially need true peace in our world, our communities and

lives. We can only begin to experience true peace if we work for jus-tice in the world, fairness and equity in our business and community,and gratitude and simplicity in our lives.

I am truly grateful and privileged to be the chairman of the CACCfor this year. Within only a few years, the Chaldean Chamber hasgrown to be an accomplished and recognized organization in ourcommunity and the larger community as a whole. This is due to thetrust and commitment of our members, support of the corporate andbusiness community, dedication of the board members and the profes-sionalism and hard work of the executive director and his staff.

For the new year, we plan to continue enhancing the events and programs thathave served us well in the past. These include the Annual Dinner, Golf Outing,Chaldean Festival and Real Estate Conference. In addition, we will continue ourquarterly networking meetings with the first meeting on February 15 hosting thehonorable Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

We have many discount business programs and services for members that are notbeing utilized. We intend to emphasize and publicize these programs to our mem-bers through better direct communications, telephone calls, e-mails, etc. by our staff.We are also partnering with Gleaners Food Bank to help our members in the super-market and food business to be involved in community food drives. Also, we intendto give back to the less fortunate a small share of the abundance we have beenblessed with.

We also plan to continue our involvement and participation with the ChaldeanFederation of America on the issue of helping our refugees who have left Iraq because ofthe war. We are also working closely with the Assyrian community in Chicago andCalifornia to forge a stronger coalition to advocate for the security, assistance and rights ofour people in Iraq. As a result of these working relationships, we have started exploringthe possibility of starting similar Chaldean/Assyrian Chambers of Commerce in Chicagoand San Diego to help serve our extended community members in these regions.

To accomplish our plans, we need more members, active participation and involve-ment of our members in our committees, events and programs. If you need more infor-mation about the chamber, call our staff at (248) 538-3700.

Dave Nona Chairman

from the chairman

Chaldean Commerce is published sixtimes a year by the Chaldean AmericanChamber of Commerce

Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce30095 Northwestern Highway, Suite 102Farmington Hills, MI 48334Phone: (248) 538-3700Fax: (248) 932-9161www.chaldeanchamber.com

PublisherChaldean American Chamber of Commerce

EditorsBrenda KozaJoyce Wiswell

Art DirectorAlex Lumelsky

Graphic DesignSKY Creative, Inc.

MESSAGECALENDAR

mark the dates

FEBRUARY 15Quarterly Networking Meeting6 p.m., Shenandoah Country Club

APRIL 13Annual Awards Dinner

MAY 17Quarterly Networking Meeting

JUNE 21Annual Golf Outing

AUGUST 4-5 Annual Chaldean Festival

AUGUST 23Quarterly Networking Meeting

SEPTEMBER 20Annual Real Estate Conference

NOVEMBER 15Board Elections and QuarterlyNetworking Meeting

SUPPORTCHALDEANCOMMERCE

Call thechamber at

248-538-3700for promotion

and sponsorship

rates.

Dave Nona


Board of Directors/Executive CommitteeCHAIRMANDave NonaPresident, Triangle Development

EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMANFrank JonnaCEO, Jonna Construction

SECOND VICE CHAIRMANRocky HusaynuPresident, Professional Insurance Planners

TREASURERArvin AyarPartner, Bahoura, Ayar, Barringer & Bahoura

SECRETARYWendy AchoVice President of Targeted Business Development, LaSalle Bank

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR & EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERSaad HajjarPresident, Advanced Technology Systems

COUNSELRon AchoCummings, McClorey, Davis & Acho

Board Members

Paul AskerPartner, Asker, Clos & Perlmuter

Sandra Hanna Chemist, NSF International

Sharon HannawaMortgage Consultant, The Prime Financial Group

Tony KonjaPresident, Artistic Outdoor Services

Majid (Mike) Koza President, Group 10 Management

Anthony Mona Vice President, Investments, Smith Barney

Jason Najor President, Super Fair Cellular

Bassam SalmanCEO, Apollo Development

Stephen YatoomaManaging Partner, Audere Group

Chamber StaffExecutive Director Martin Manna

Director, Operations and EventsLisa Kalou

ControllerPaul Alraihani

AdministratorBrenda Koza

2007 Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce Partners

The Chaldean

American Chamber

of Commerce is

a partnership of

Chaldean businesses

and professionals

working together

to strengthen

members’ business,

increase job

opportunities,

encourage expansion

and promote

Chaldean business

and culture. The

Chamber seeks to

service and represent

Aramaic-speaking

people, including

Assyrians, Chaldeans

and Syriacs.

CHALDEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

mission statement




Demographic StudyUnderwayThe Chaldean Demographic andEconomic Profile Survey isunderway. The project, whichwill give an accurate count ofSoutheast Michigan’s Chaldeancommunity and its buying power,is being conducted by the UnitedWay and Walsh College.

The study, commissioned bythe Chaldean American Chamberof Commerce’s ChaldeanFoundation - a 501 (C3) organi-zation — will include:

Household Survey: Providingcounts of the Chaldean commu-nity, demographic characteristicssuch as age, income, etc., andinformation on household spend-ing patterns and buying habits.

Business Survey: Providing adetailed list of Chaldean-ownedbusinesses by sector, includinginformation on employment,payroll and sales data.

All responses will be keptstrictly confidential. Please be

sure to complete your survey in atimely manner. We all benefitfrom having concrete data avail-able on the Chaldean community.The study’s results will beannounced at the Annual AwardsDinner on April 13.

NominationsNeededOnce again, we turn to our mem-bers to help select the 2006Business Person and 2006Humanitarian of the Year. The win-ners will be honored at the AnnualAwards Dinner on April 13 atShenandoah Country Club.

Nomination forms have beensent to each member, and are alsoposted on our website,www.chaldeanchamber.com.Nominations forms are due back tothe Chaldean Chamber office by 5p.m. on January 29. You can mailit, fax it (248-932-9161), drop itoff at our office or email it to [email protected].

BRIEFINGS

The City of AuburnHills has grantedapproval for a new hotelfrom Great LakesHospitality Investment.Basil Bakal is a partnerin the CommerceTownship company.Construction shouldbegin this month on theproperty, which will be athree-story, 90-roomHoliday Inn ExpressHotel & Suites.Amenities will includean indoor pool, exercisefacility and shuttle serv-ice to Great LakesCrossing.

Gary Jonna, presi-dent of Whitehall RealEstate Interests inFarmington Hills, isdeveloping StaybridgeSuites in Novi. The 108-unit hotel is part of theProvidence ParkHospital campus project,which will open in2008.

Keego Harbor-basedKalabat Companies hassold a 20-acre site inNovi at 12 Mile Roadand M-5. President andCEP Jamal Kalabat hadalready gained siteapproval for a mixed-use

development, includinga Hilton Hotel, on thesite. Kalabat told Crain’sDetroit Business he willlook at other possiblesites nearby for the proj-ect. Kalabat Companies,which includes Jamal’sbrothers, Salam, Saadand George, was fea-tured in a November 2article in OaklandBusiness Review.

Sherwood Foodswas ranked No. 7 onCrain’s Detroit Business’Largest Family-OwnedBusineses list. Thewholesale food distribu-

tor was established in1969 by Earl Ishbia andAlex Karp and todayincludes Earl’s sons,Howard, Jason and Joel.Sherwood Foods wasalso ranked No. 15 onCrain’s list of the 200largest privately heldcompanies.

New to the Crain’sLargest Family-OwnedBusinesses list this yearis RKA PetroleumCompanies, Inc. Thepetroleum wholesalerwas founded in 1954 byHilmer WestphalLeemon. RKA also

ranked No. 65 onCrain’s list of the 200largest privately heldcompanies.

Victor Saroki hasdesigned The DistrictLofts, an upscale, two-building project beingconstructed inBirmingham. The proj-ect includes 47 unitspriced from $400,000 tothe high $600,000s fortwo-bedroom, two-bathunits.

Rob Naudi hasjoined Fifth Third Bankin Southfield.

James Y. Rayis has

Members in the News

Dave Nona Is New Chamber ChairDhafir (Dave) Nona hasbeen elected the new chairof the Chaldean AmericanChamber of Commerce.Dave is a founding memberof the chamber and worksat his family’s business,Triangle Development.

Thirteen people steppedup to run for seven openseats on the ChaldeanAmerican Chamber ofCommerce’s Board ofDirectors. Elections wereheld at ShenandoahCountry Club onNovember 8.

Elected to two-yearterms, effective January 1,2007, were: Wendy Acho,

Sandra Hanna, RockyHusaynu, Mike Koza,Anthony Mona, Jason Najorand Bassam Salman.

The new Board ofDirectors met on November29 and elected its newExecutive Board, whichserves a one-year term start-ing on January 1, 2007:

Frank Jonna: ExecutiveVice Chairman; RockyHusaynu: Second ViceChairman; Arvin Ayar:Treasurer; Wendy Acho:Secretary; Saad Hajjar:Immediate Past Chair &Executive Board Member.


DEREK GEORGE ASSOCIATES P.C.

DICKOW & TRIVAX, P.C., Michael Romaya

GLEANERS COMMUNITY FOOD BANK, Gerald Brisson

JANEY GOLANI

GOLDEN THIMBLE, Samir Maroki

GUARDIAN ANGEL HOME CARE, Sam Kassab

ROMAYA ENTERPRISES, Maher Romaya

SAVE-A-LOT FOOD STORES, Ed Bahoura

RITA SOMO

STEVEN SQUILLACE

TRAVELING TEAMS, Carlo Tato

ABRO & COMPANY, CPA, PC., Joe Abro

ALLIED INSURANCE MANAGERS, INC., Paul Murad

BASIL E. NONA, DDS, Basil Nona

BIRMINGHAM DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT, Tommy Haji

CITIZENS BANK, Dan Montes Corporate Member!

EVANS & LUPTAK, Andrew Ayar

GREENFIELD SUPERMARKET, INC., Rick Farida

HUSAYNU & PLEZIA, P.C, Ryan Husaynu

INNOVATIVE CELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Joseph Kassab

JONNA MANAGEMENT, Laith Jonna

KANSMACKER, Nick Yono

NSF, Sandra Hanna

PEOPLE’S STATE BANK, Avis Karim Corporate Member!

PREMIER EXPRESS MARKET, Vinnie Shokrie

RANDAL TOMA & ASSOCIATES, PC, Randal Toma

UNITED WHOLESALE, Neb Mekani

Chamber MasterLaunchedHave you checked out the cham-ber’s website lately? It has beenredesigned to serve you better.One notable feature is the additionof ChamberMaster, which allowsmembers an easy way to keep theirinformation updated.

With ChamberMaster, you can:• Update your own contact

information right on the website,including your e-mail address,company website address, address,phone number, etc.

• Post job openings, which havethe potential of being viewed by morethan 800 fellow members, 25,000visitors to the website each month.

• Post hot deals - discounts,specials, coupons - to help pro-mote your business.

To access ChamberMaster, visitwww.chamberlogin.com. Once youaccess the website, you can changeboth your username and password,if you desire. If you don’t have ausername or password please directany questions to Paul Alraihani at(248) 538-3700, or e-mail [email protected].

joined the law firmDickinson Wright inDetroit. He handlesinternational, corporate,information technology,and Internet and E-com-merce law.

Wireless Toyz wasincluded on Crain’s listof the 200 largest pri-vately held companiesfor the first time thisyear. The mobile phoneand TV satellite compa-

ny ranked No. 143. JoeBarbat is president, CEOand chairman. WirelessToyz was also named tothe Pacemakers list bythe Detroit RegionalChamber. That list fea-tured what the chambercalls the “Future 50 ofGreater Detroit.”

Peoples State Bank’snewest banking office,located at the corner ofEast Long Lake Roadand Livernois in Troy,will open for business inJanuary. The office willbe managed by a staffexperienced at meeting

the financial servicesneeds of the community,including making busi-ness loans for amountsup to $6 million.

The business side ofthe office will be man-aged by Avis Karim -vice president, seniorcommercial loan officer& market executive,who will be assisted byGina Isho - commerciallending assistant, both ofwhom are relocatingfrom the bank’s 12 Mile& Dequindre office inMadison Heights. Avis,an experienced commer-

cial lender, specializes inserving the uniquefinancing needs of con-venience stores.

The consumer side ofthe office will be managedby Scott Whitford - busi-ness relationship manag-er, who is also beingtransferred from theMadison Heights office.

Peoples State Bankopened its first branch in1992. The 1998 mergerwith Madison NationalBank doubled the bank’ssize to 12 offices, provid-ing services across threecounties.

New

Mem

bers

Rene

wed

Mem

bers


Two thousand and sixwas another banneryear for the Chaldean

American Chamber ofCommerce. In just threeyears, membership hasrisen to more than 700,with some 200 new mem-bers signing on in 2006.

It was a year of firstsfor the chamber. Two newevents proved to be so suc-cessful, they are also on thecalendar for 2007. TheChaldean Festival, held onthe Civic Center Lawn inSouthfield, drew as manyas 15,000 people despiteunseasonably cool weather.

Held on September 9-10, the festival raised$25,000 for the Chaldean

Chamber Foundation. Nextyear’s festival is slated forAugust 4-5 and will be aneven bigger event, withmore food, merchants andattractions.

Also launched this yearwas the Annual Real EstateConference on September21 at Shenandoah CountryClub. Nearly 200 profes-sionals came to learn allabout “Investing in aChallenging Economy.”Experts spoke on markettrends and a variety ofcompanies showed off theirgoods and services. We’llhost the Real EstateConference again onSeptember 20.

Our Meet the CEO

series was very busy thisyear. We hosted Dan Loeppof Blue Cross Blue Shield,Gerald van Grinsven ofHenry Ford WestBloomfield Hospital, GailTorreano of AT&TMichigan, David Hunkeand Paul Anger of theDetroit Free Press, CindyGoodaker of Crain’s DetroitBusiness, Mike Duggan ofthe Detroit Medical Center,Bob Buckler of DTE Energyand Sandra Pierce ofCharter One Bank. Theseevents are an excellentopportunity for key deci-sion makers to learn moreabout the ChaldeanAmerican business com-munity, and vice versa.

• Finance andGovernance:Paul Asker, Chair

• Awards Dinner:Majid Koza, Chair

• Chaldean Festival:Wally Jadan, Ed Babbie and Carl Dallo, Co-Chairs

• Business Conference:Frank Jonna and Tony Konja, Co-Chairs

• Golf Outing:Frank Jonna and Tony Konja, Co-Chairs

• Membership:Rocky Husaynu, Chair

• Iraq Task Force:Ismat Karmo and Majid Koza, Co-Chairs

• Political Action:Wendy Acho, Chair

• Women’s Business and Professional:Sandra Hanna andSharon Hannawa, Co-Chairs

Join a Committee!Your involvement is welcome on any or all of the following committees

To learn more about or sign up for thesecommittees, contact the chamber office:(248) 538-3700.

Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce

Annual Report 2006


ANNUAL REPORT


The Annual AwardsDinner in April and the GolfOuting in June were, asalways, sell-out events. Wehonored James Jonna asBusiness Person of the Year,the Chaldean AmericanLadies of Charity asHumanitarians of the Year;and paid special tribute toCongressman Joe Knollenbergfor his work and dedicationto the Chaldean community.

We also held severalevents concerning the IraqWar and the status of thatcountry’s minorities: AConversation with BrigadierGeneral Mark T. Kimmitt,and a visit with SamirSumaidaie, the Iraq ambassa-dor to the United States.

Membership Growth

The Chaldean Chamber Foundation is a 501 (3C)organization devoted to helping the less fortunateboth in the United States and Iraq. It includes the

Waad Murad Advocacy Fund, which supplies rewardmoney to help bring the perpetrators of workplace violenceof justice. The Foundation was established in 2005.

A number of organizations received funds from thefoundation in 2006:

Associated Food and Petroleum $1,000Dealers Turkey Drive

Arab & Chaldean Festival $1,000

Chaldean Catholic Diocese $1,000

Chaldean Federation of $5,000America Refugee Program

Chaldean Voice $1,000

Neighborhood Service Gun $2,000Buy Back Program (Detroit Police)

St. George Chaldean Catholic Church$25,000(Proceeds from the Chaldean Festival)

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

Chaldean Chamber Foundation

Annual Report 2006

20042005

2006

2003J A N U A R Y + F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 7 9


There’s a golden rule in businessyou’d be smart to learn now: Nomatter how much you sell, if youdon’t collect the money, you’regoing to go out of business. Asbusiness owners, we often get sowrapped up in selling our prod-ucts and services that we forget totake the time to ensure we’remanaging our cash flow andreceiving the money for thosesales. But when it comes to yourbottom line, you’d be wrong tosimply focus on total sales dollars:You also need to focus on thecash collection of those sales.

To help get that money in thedoor, here are seven tips forimproving your cash flow:

1. Require a down paymenton projects so that your cus-tomers fund the project, not you.

2. Set your terms to be payment infull upon completion. Don’t extend out30 or 60 days after you’ve completedyour work. You don’t get to use yourhard-earned cash until payment isreceived from your clients, so get it assoon as you can.

3. Negotiate terms with your ven-dors for 30 days or more so you have anopportunity to complete the work, bill

your customers and receive paymentsprior to paying your vendor.

4. Have a collection process in place,and follow through. When your customersdelay payments, they’re using your cash.You need to ensure that you’re being dili-gent in collecting from your customers.

5. Set up a line of credit at your bank

that you can use in case of emergency.Often, lenders rates will be less than thelate fees your vendors will charge. Thisline of credit will help you cover a lapsein cash flow for short periods of time.

6. Factoring of your receivablesallows you to sell your receivables andget cash now instead of waiting 30 or 60days. There’s a fee for using a factoringservice, so you need to ensure that thebenefits of getting cash today exceeds

the cost you’ll pay for that expedience.7. Minimize the amount of draws

you take personally from your business.Each dollar you take from your companyreduces the amount of cash flow you’llhave available for the business to grow.

Not all these options will work forevery business — you have to consider

which of these will work foryour specific needs.

Here’s one last tip: Don’t everthink you’re too busy makingsales and working in your busi-ness to worry about your cashflow. This mindset is the verything that can put a business outof business when there’s no cashto pay the bills. So take the timeto analyze your business’s cashflow to locate — and make —some small changes that will havea big impact on your cash flow.

Remember, your cash flow isnot the same as your profits. Youcan have a profitable business, buta negative cash flow. Prepare amonthly cash flow statement toensure that you don’t get caughtunexpectedly without enough cash

to handle your day-to-day operations.Pam Newman is Entrepreneur.com’s

“Financial Management” columnist andpresident of RPPC Inc., which helpsentrepreneurs succeed in their business-es through small-business training andconsulting services in the areas ofaccounting and management.

Copyright © 2006 Entrepreneur.com; allrights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

ADVICE

1 0 C H A L D E A N C O M M E R C E

For Improving Your Cash Flow

They say cash isking - give yoursthe royal treatment

By Pam Newman

7 TIPS


Sometimes it only takes a few dollars tomake a marketing idea go a long way. Ifyou’re looking for some new ideas, hereare a few to consider. If one of theseworks, do it again. If it works a little, fixit or adjust it, and then do it again. If itdoesn’t work, just try another one ofthese low-cost ideas. What do you haveto lose when your tactic costs just $10?

1. Instead of putting a 39-centstamp on an envelope, put 39 1-centstamps on the front of an envelope. Oneof the principles of direct mail is tostand out to get the attention of thereceiver so your mail isn’t thrown awayor ignored. And anything you can do toget attention increases the probability ofaction being taken. Best of all, in thiscase, you won’t even rack up any addi-tional costs.

2. Every month, give customers achance to win a free lunch, complimentsof your business. Everyone likes achance to win things. An incentive like a$10 gift card for lunch at a local restau-rant might be enough to influence a cus-tomer to order from you now, ratherthan later, or choose your businessinstead of your competition .You could

also consider other offers, like aStarbucks or gas card.

3. Make a donation to charity forevery purchase made during a particularmonth. If your orders average more than$100 each, donate $10 per order. If thatdoesn’t make sense for your prices, findanother dollar amount that’s a good fit.Your donations will be well worth it ifthey accelerate orders or increase volume.

4. Use lottery tickets as incentives forreferrals. You could market your giveawayas a chance to win a million dollars (orwhatever the grand prize is for the lotteryin your area) for all referrals received dur-ing a particular period of time.

5. Hold a contest for prospects andcustomers. How about “Guess the serialnumber on a $10 bill and it’s yours”? It’snot a lot of money, but people who stopby your place of business will have funand will remember the contest. And ifthey win, they’ll tell people about it—even for just $10.

6. If there’s still penny candy avail-able, $10 will buy 1,000 pieces. If not,you can still get quite a bit for a smallinvestment. Including candy in yourinvoices makes companies rememberyou. Typically, the people who handleaccounts payable don’t get the attentionbuyers get, so even the least little bit ofattention could go a long way in a com-pany. Include two pieces—one for thereceiver and one for the receiver to giveaway. This isn’t huge materially, but it’sthe thought that counts.

7. For $10, you can hire a student, aniece or nephew, or a friend’s teen topicket your business with a sign protest-

ing something positive. It may soundsilly, but having a picketer outside yourplace of business with a sign that readssomething like, “We’re protesting goodcustomer service at this location!” or“This place is full of nice people,” willget you noticed. You may even get cov-erage from the local media.

8. On a toll road, pay the toll for thecar behind you, and ask the toll collectorto give your business card to the car’s driv-er and tell him or her you paid the toll.Sure, it’s a crapshoot, but you never knowwho might be on the road. And it’s a low-cost tactic that has imagination written allover it. If the toll is $0.50, you can do this20 times for your $10 marketing budget.Chances are good that at least one or twoof those 20 people will contact you.

9. Show up in person with a cookiefor the receptionist at a client orprospect’s office. The thing is, customersand prospects love attention. Drop in andvisit a few of your customers and just sayyou’re stopping by to brighten their day.

10. Advertise using fliers. At an aver-age cost of 2 cents each, $10 will buy500 printed fliers. You can use them tocanvass a targeted area, include them inpackaging and delivered orders, handthem to walk-in customers or mail themto a targeted list. Better yet, get yourfliers to 100 people, five times each, andthe power of frequency will increase theprobability of a response.

There you go — 10 true guerrillamarketing examples that use time, ener-gy and imagination instead of a lot ofmoney. They work. And they can beused to build revenue to the pointwhere your marketing efforts can beexpanded in scale and scope to reallyramp up your business.

Al Lautenslager is the “GuerrillaMarketing” coach at Entrepreneur.comand is an award-winning marketing andPR consultant and direct-mail promo-tion specialist. He’s also the principle ofMarket For Profits, a Chicago-basedmarketing consulting firm.

Copyright © 2006 Entrepreneur.com; allrights reserved. Reprinted with permission.


No budget?

No problem, with

these creative

techniques

By Al Lautenslager

10 MARKETING TACTICS

Under $10



TAX TALK

s one of its last official acts, the109th Congress recently passed theTax Relief and Health Care Act of

2006, which is essentially a wide-rangingseries of “extenders” that preserve a varietyof popular tax breaks for families and busi-nesses, and includes new tax breaks as well.The new law is almost overwhelming “goodnews” for taxpayers, particularly because itretroactively restores and extends key taxbreaks that went off the books at the end of2005. These include the election to deductstate and local general sales tax, the deduc-tions for higher education expenses and forschoolteachers’ books and supplies, and theresearch credit.

However, the new law also will prove tobe a challenge when the time comes to file2006 returns. That’s because the IRS had tosend key forms and schedules for the 2006year off to the printer before the new lawextended these tax breaks. The IRS has saidit will not reprint forms and schedules toreflect the new law, but will, instead, issuesupplementary instructions. In other words,filing 2006 returns could be a real challengefor the uninformed, and refunds could bedelayed because the IRS will have to retoolits computers and procedures to reflect thenew law’s changes.

New Law Changes Affecting BusinessesHere’s a summary of the most widely appli-cable business-related tax provisions thathave been restored and/or modified andextended, and for how long:

• The research and development (R&D)credit is restored for 2006 and extended for2007. In addition, for tax years ending after2006, the new law enhances the credit by:(1) increasing the rates of the alternativeincremental credit and (2) creating a newalternative simplified credit that does not usegross receipts as a factor (so that newer busi-nesses can access the credit).

• The election to expense (currentlydeduct) environmental remediation costsassociated with cleaning up certain haz-ardous sites is restored for 2006 and extend-ed for 2007, and for post-2005 expenses, thedefinition of an eligible contaminated site isexpanded to include sites contaminated bypetroleum products.

• The accelerated write-off for certainleasehold improvements and restaurantproperty (depreciation over 15 years insteadof 39 years) is restored for 2006 and extend-ed through 2007.

• The tax credit for builders of new ener-gy efficient homes is extended through 2008.

The credit applies to manufacturedhomes meeting a 30 percent energy reduc-tion standard and other homes meeting a 50percent standard.

• The deduction for energy efficientcommercial buildings meeting a 50 percentenergy reduction standard is extendedthrough Dec. 31, 2008.

New Law Changes Affecting IndividualsHere’s a summary of the most widely applica-ble tax breaks for individuals that have beenrestored and/or extended, and for how long:

• The tax deduction for qualified highereducation expenses is restored for 2006 andextended through 2007. It allows individualsto deduct up to $4,000 (depending on theirincome) of higher education expensesinstead of claiming the Hope or LifetimeLearning tax credits. The deduction is taken“above-the-line” (that is, it is subtracted

to arrive at adjusted gross income), so itmay be claimed by all individuals regardlessof whether they itemize their deductions.

• The tax break allowing individual tax-payers to elect to take an itemized deductionfor state and local general sales taxes insteadof the itemized deduction permitted for stateand local income taxes is restored for 2006and extended through 2007. You have two

options for determining deductible sales tax:(1) actual sales tax paid if receipts are main-tained for IRS verification; or (2) approxi-mate sales tax paid as estimated in tablesprovided by the IRS plus sales tax on certainadditional items (such as a boat or car) thatmay be added to the table amount. The IRSsaid it will be issuing a separate publicationcarrying optional sales tax tables for the2006 tax year; these tables will not be in theForm 1040 instructions.

• The 30 percent tax credit for the pur-chase of residential solar water heating, solarelectric equipment and fuel cell property isextended through Dec. 31, 2008. The maxi-mum credit depends on the type of energyefficient property that you buy.

The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of2006 also includes these new tax breaks forindividuals:

• For the 2007 tax year only, there’s anew itemized deduction for the cost of pre-miums for mortgage insurance on a qualifiedresidence. The deduction is phased-out fortaxpayers whose adjusted gross incomeexceeds $100,000.

• After 2006, a limited relief provisionhelps individuals who wound up with AMT(alternative minimum tax) problems becauseof their exercise of incentive stock options.The relief provision, which is complex,allows individuals to take advantage of arefundable credit with respect to certainlong-term unused alternative minimum tax(AMT) credits existing before Jan. 1, 2013.

• The new law includes many changes forhealth savings accounts (HSAs), including:allowing one-time rollovers from health flexiblespending accounts (FSAs) and health reimburse-ment arrangements (HRAs) into HSAs (after theenactment date of the new law and before2012); repeal of the annual plan deductible limiton HAS contributions (after 2006); expandedcontributions limit for part year coverage (after2006); and allowing one-time rollovers fromIRAs into HSAs (after 2006).

Please keep in mind that this article onlyhighlights the most important aspects of theTax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006. Ifyou feel that you may benefit from any of theabove mentioned deductions, please contactArvin Ayar at (248) 539-7799 to obtaindetailed advice and further explanation.

Last-Minute legislation is a boon for taxpayers By Arvin Ayar

A


2006 Legislation Wrap-upCable Franchise Regulations: The legisla-ture sent House Bill 6456 to the Governor’sdesk for final approval. Introduced by StateRepresentative Mike Nofs (R-Battle Creek),the legislation will rewrite Michigan’s cablefranchise laws to provide greater access, morestreamlined regulation and allow for quickerroll-out of new services and providers. TheDetroit Regional Chamber worked closelywith our members to ensure a final bill wouldmove Michigan and the region forward.

Single Business Tax Elimination: TheMichigan Chamber of Commerce and GrandRapids Area Chamber of Commerce have bothentered the SBT debate with plans of their own.Each chamber plan includes some form of aGross Receipts Tax and some level of an overalltax cut for businesses. The SBT sunset onDecember 31, 2007 will require the legislatureand governor to find resolution to this issue bythe middle of 2007 in order to prepare for thenew tax and notify taxpayers of new regulations.

We continue to work with members of

the business community in support of theDRC proposed Michigan Business License,which is a form of a Michigan sales-basedGross Receipts Tax. This approach would beeasy to understand and simple to administer.

Item Pricing: After stalling for a while incommittee, legislation to eliminateMichigan’s outdated method of retail pricing,communication and consumer protectionhas picked up speed. House Bill 4636,which will eliminate Michigan’s requirementfor stores to individually price every retailitem, has gone through committee in theSenate and now awaits action on the floor.This bill will bring retailing into the informa-tion age by requiring scanners as opposed tostickers to communicate in-store prices toconsumers. The governor has shown mod-est support for passing the bill, if otherissues are resolved before the end of the leg-islative year. Michigan is the last state in thenation to update its pricing regulation.

New to Town?Do you know of anyone who is new to theDetroit Region within the last two years andis a senior level executive? If so, please referthem to the Detroit Regional Chamber’sExecutive Orientation Program. This pro-gram is designed to quickly and positivelyintroduce these new senior level executivesand their spouses or significant others to theDetroit region. For more information contactCarol Mastroianni, executive director,Leadership Programs at (313) 596-0482 [email protected]. You can alsovisit www.detroitchamber.com/executiveori-entationprogram.

Member SavingsOffice Depot offers chamber members moreways to save. In addition to savings onoffice supplies, members have access to sav-ings on print and copy services as well asTech Depot products. Office Depot alsohandles furniture needs including architec-tural solutions, move management, flooring,artworks and much more. If you are onlyusing Office Depot for office supplies, youcould be missing out on big savings. LetOffice Depot take care of all your business

needs from floor to ceiling and everything inbetween. Contact Celeste Blanch at (313)596-0411 for more information.

Did you know that the Chamber andDHL have joined forces to make the DHLPartner Savings Program better than ever for2007? These member benefits are just aphone call away:

* Members only pricing will save yourbusiness up to 25 percent over DHL’s stan-dard rates on Express, Ground andInternational shipping services.

* Free program enrollment with nomonthly fees or minimum spending require-ments — exclusive discount levels apply aslong as you remain a member.

* For a limited time, receive a freeovernight express shipment when you enrollin the program.

To learn more about how your businesscan save up to 25 percent on your expressand ground shipments, just call your sourcefor member savings at (800) MEMBERS andbe sure to mention you are a chamber mem-ber. Start saving today!


FROM THE DETROIT REGIONAL CHAMBER

For IndividualsJANUARY 30, 3-6 P.M.NEW Centers, Ann Arbor

FEBRUARY 1, 1-4 P.M.Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit

MARCH 6, 4-7 P.M.NEW Headquarters, Ann Arbor

For NonprofitsJANUARY 17, 9-NOON City Connect Detroit, Detroit

FEBRUARY 20, 9-NOONNEW Center, Ann Arbor

You can also schedule an on-siteBoardConnect Southeast training! For moreinformation call (734) 998-1060 or visit www.boardconnect.org.

Attention Board MembersBoardConnect Southeast is the afford-able and effective board training andmatching program that strengthensnonprofit performance by enhancinggovernance. Training for candidatesfocuses on board roles, fiduciaryduties and effective board building,along with instruction on how to uti-lize BoardnetUSA.org to match candi-dates with board openings. Training fornonprofits focuses on board basics andrecruiting strategies. BoardConnectSoutheast aims to diversify the pool ofpotential board members, enhanceskills/knowledge of participating non-profits, and encourage stronger relation-ships between nonprofits and business.

Each chamber plan includes someform of a Gross Receipts Tax andsome level of an overall tax cut for businesses.


Clearview DigitalSurveillance: You’ll See Clearly“To serve and protect” does not just apply tolaw enforcement, but also to ClearviewDigital Surveillance. The company, formedin 2003 by Jason Yousif, sells and installssecurity cameras in businesses and homes.

While attending Wayne State University,Jason decided to create a business where hecan help prevent and protect crimes againstthe Chaldean community. He graduated in2004 with a background in information sys-tems and technology.

At Clearview Digital Surveillance, theyoffer the right products for your job andneeds, including brand-name equipmentsuch as Sony, Panasonic and Samsung. Thecompany guarantees installation, service andmaintenance with affordable prices.

With CDS, you can have the comfort ofwatching your business from anywhere.When you are at home, from your phone oron vacation, you can be at ease that yourbusiness will be protected.

CDS security cameras have helped policecatch and capture thieves who have robbedChaldean businesses. About a year ago, theyhelped catch a robber who shot a Chaldeanstore owner by editing the pictures from thesurveillance system in the store. That crimi-nal is now behind bars for 27 years.

CDS also offers low-voltage installationsuch as phone systems, the Internet and officenetworking. They offer a one-year warrantywith parts and labor, and will come to yourlocation for a free estimate. There is also a sup-port system that will handle all your concerns.

Jason credits his growing success to“word of mouth.” All of the networking andsurveillance of Wireless Toyz stores, in andout of state, have been installed by CDS. Thecompany, which has five employees, is locat-ed on 15 and Mound in Sterling Heights.

Clearview Digital Surveillance 15 Mile & MoundSterling Heights, MI (248) [email protected]

New Sahara restaurant is aperfect neighborhood get-away where deliciousMiddle Eastern/Chaldeancuisine is served in a com-fortable room that almostfeels like an extension ofyour mother’s kitchen. Afamily-owned business,New Sahara gives an excusefor Chaldean mothers tonever feel the need to cook.

Saad Attisha and hisfamily immigrated to theUnited States in 1977. Afterworking at a friend’s storefor a few years, Saad, whowas always interested incooking, felt the need tobring traditional MiddleEastern/Chaldean food tothe masses. He opened arestaurant in Ferndale in1981, which eventuallymoved to its famous loca-tion in Oak Park.

An array of traditionalMiddle Eastern/Chaldeandishes such as shawarma,

shish kabob and kafta areoffered on the extensivemenu of dishes. The mostpopular dish on the menu isthe chicken cream chop,sliced chicken breast that isbatter dipped and deepfried to a golden brown.Another favorite is thefamous Sahara dressing. Thefamily’s secret recipe isserved with salad, but mostpatrons enjoy dippingeverything on their plateinto the dressing.

What sets New Saharaapart from all other MiddleEastern/Chaldean restau-rants is that they offer pachaon Saturdays and Sundays.This delicacy of sheep stom-ach stuffed with rice andmeat is something mostfamilies serve only duringthe holidays. Those wholack the time to make thelabor-intensive pacha canbring their own pots to therestaurant to be filled.

Attisha prides himselfon the quality of food heserves at his restaurant. Heonly buys the “best-qualitymeat” for his customers andhis kitchen is “so clean thatyou can eat off the floor.”The restaurant is also usedfor celebrations such asbaptisms, birthdays andgraduations, and NewSahara caters for parties andfunerals. This has helpedNew Sahara prosper andexpand. There are nowrestaurants in Oak Park andSterling Heights, and a newone in Farmington Hills.

New Sahara Restaurant 29222 Orchard Lake Road Farmington Hills, MI 48334(248) 851-1122

23133 Coolidge Road Oak Park, MI 48237(248) 399-7744

3625 15 Mile RoadSterling Heights, MI(586) 264-0400

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS


New Sahara: Bring Traditions to the Masses


SOCIALS

Holiday PartyNearly 100 Chamber members attended the annual Christmas partyat Copper Canyon in Southfield onDecember 14, 2006. An array of food and drinks made it a festive night for all who attended!


Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce

2007 Calendar of EventsJ A N U A R Y

F E B R U A R Y

M A R C H

A P R I L

M A Y

J U N E

J U L Y

A U G U S T

S E P T E M B E R

O C T O B E R

N O V E M B E R

D E C E M B E R

Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce30095 Northwestern Highway, Suite 102Farmington Hills, MI 48334

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 83

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI

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mark your calendartoday!

FEBRUARY 15Quarterly Networking

Meeting

APRIL 13Chaldean American

Chamber of CommerceAnnual Dinner

MAY 17Quarterly Networking

Meeting

JUNE 21Annual Golf Outing

AUGUST 4 - 5Annual Chaldean

Festival

AUGUST 23Quarterly Networking

Meeting

SEPTEMBER 20Annual Real Estate

Conference

NOVEMBER 15Annual Board Elections

and QuarterlyNetworking Meeting


Winter 2007 Chaldean Commerce Newsletter

Documents

Transcript of Winter 2007 Chaldean Commerce Newsletter