Lola Wilburn's grandfather knew what he was doing when he nicknamed her, "Sugar Pie." Wilburn, principal of incorporated Sugar Pie Bakery, is the sole worker in her ministry to provide high quality baked goods at a fair price. Coconut, sweet potato, and pecan pies are Wilburn's specialties and notes that anything can be baked to order and considers her business a personal baker service. Delivery is free within a five mile radius of ZIP Code 30066. For research purposes, a piece of coconut pie was consumed. Lots of coconut, baked in a melt-in-your-mouth filling was found to be a happy and …

The world headquarters of Unicycle.com is an unpretentious, multifunction space in an industrial park off of Shallowford Road in Northeast Cobb. A retail storefront welcomes shoppers to acquaint themselves with a variety of unicycles falling into three broad categories: street; free style; and ultimate wheel, a ride-able wheel without a seat or frame. Yes, there is video of an ultimate wheel in action. Unicycle.com has ten franchises, each in a different country and a sister site in the United Kingdom. Unicycle.com CEO Amy Drummond said the principal partner in Britain is a computer assisted …

The word "crossroads" brings to mind a rural Mississippi intersection where mythical dirt roads present opportunity to anyone looking to make a life-changing deal. Crossroads Landscape Supply owner and founder, Bill Whitlock, chose the name because of the transitional connotation. It also fits that dirt, in a number of varieties, is part of what Whitlock retails to Northeast Cobb landscapers and homeowners. Against the idea of intersecting crossroads, the business is not located on a corner. The yard, piled with mounds of fill dirt, top soil, mulches, stones and firewood, is located in the …

Wednesday is Independence Day. British Academy of Performing Arts founders Marsha and Gerry Newton, London transplants, keep a stiff upper lip when asked about how they will celebrate the 236th anniversary of the American signing of the Declaration of Independence from British rule. "Great Britian granted the U.S. their independence," Gerry states. Marsha grins, "We're going to Florida and will be sitting in a British pub on July 4. We'll probably be having fish and chips and watching football." The BAPA schedule of summer youth camps and youth classes takes a hiatus this week, allowing the …

Headaches, tingling and numbness in the extremities, organ dysfunctions, runny noses, and ear aches may be traced to specific nerves that are in line with specific vertebrae. Chiropractor Dale E. Callaway is able to share, in layman's language, a thorough knowledge of the human body. An initial health consultation is free at the Lakeside Chiropractic Wellness Center, located on Palladian Village Drive in Northeast Cobb.  Callaway, owner and founder of the center, has a degree in business administration and is a certified chiropractic extremity practitioner and certified in other therapy …

Ben Needle, a.k.a. DJ Neezy, admits, "I just love music and I love dancing. Being a DJ brings revenue and good times together for me." When Needle is not at a birthday party encouraging small children to wiggle their hands in the air he may be at Kell High School teaching social studies or at Congregation Etz Chaim teaching Hebrew or Judaic studies to 6th graders. Needle's alias, DJ Neezy, is derived from a name Kell students gave him when the class produced a rap video as part of their studies. "I asked my students what I could do to help them learn better and one young man suggested we make…

Walk into Chocolate Jewels Candy on Sandy Plains Road and get a serotonin uplift just by looking at the 28 feet of candy cases filled with truffles, caramel-oozing fudge and chocolate-covered everything. A purchase of chocolate can be a loving expression of the golden rule: Treat yourself as you would have others treat you. You get $3 and coins back from a $10 bill when buying two Julia's Signature pecan toffee bars and two chocolate-covered orange rinds. The bars are gorgeous with an edible gold drizzle on top of smooth chocolate layers separated by buttery crunch middles. The overall flavor…

Backyard birding is the second-most-popular hobby in the United States, according to East Cobb Wild Birds Unlimited franchise owner/operator Joe Ranney. "Gardening is the most popular hobby," Ranney says. "Bird feeding is the biggest part of backyard birdwatching." Ranney and his wife, Kyle, are hands-on owners who sing the praises of the corporate office staff who provide core products, human resource services and educational support. Store brands are found for feed and products, including the Eliminator line of squirrel-proof bird feeders. Joe has an engineering background and talks proudly…

The Burger family brings a north Georgia mountain heritage of quality without pretense to the Northeast Cobb produce and grocery store Burger's Market.   Sisters Sharilyn Burger-Turner and Tina Burger-Berry own the market. "My dad and brother go to the State Farmers Market in Forest Park every morning and buy what's best that day," Burger-Turner said. Brother Jay Burger operates a Burger's Market in Dallas that predates the Marietta-area location. It's where father Junior Burger met his bride, Sharon, many years ago. It's a story of young love. Sharon was 16. Junior was 26. The couple started…

Have you seen the current TV ad that features a character named Dave? He's a small business man who wears many 'hair styles' simultaneously. He's the accounting department, sales team, receptionist and copier repairman. Fringe Benefits owner Connie Olliff shares that 'Dave' is her middle name. "I do everything here. Except, make the drapery and upholstery. My fabricators do that and they're great, they've been with me for 17 years."Olliff does have two other sales professionals to help customers navigate through the rows of decorative fabrics and variety of trims. Q. What's the best thing …

Back By Popular Demand Consignment store owner Melissa Baxter knows how to make money. And she does it in a win-win, fun way.Consigners turn their old clothes into cash and shoppers pay a fraction of retail prices for designer and everyday brands.Scheduled monthly events bring in new business as well as private parties where shoppers have the store to themselves and buy at a discount.In addition to her Merchant's Walk store, Baxter's consignment holdings include 8,000 square feet of retail space in Lilburn.At 30, Baxter owns a mall that is divided into two women's clothing stores. The stores …

Patch arrived at Georgia Solar Power Co.'s office near the 120 Loop and found workers installing a grid-tie solar system on the roof. Company owner Ben Browning told Patch, "This system will generate almost enough power for the building. We'll run a little surplus except in summer." The 4.9kW (kilowatt hours) system is designed to generate 575kW per month. According to Browning, electric usage in the office last summer was between 800kW to 900kW per month. Browning said the system cost is between $19,000 and $25,000.  Excess electricity will be sold to Cobb EMC. Federal law requires electric …

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday, the day Catholics, and more than a few non-Catholics, celebrate Mardi Gras. It’s a final party before Ash Wednesday launches Lent, 40 days of penance in preparation for Easter. Chad Treadaway, co-owner of East Cobb’s Cajun Meat Co., comes from a large Catholic family with deep roots in Empire, LA, a small fishing community about 60 miles south of New Orleans. "The Catholic Church is all I knew before moving here," Treadaway said. "In New Orleans, Catholic churches are everywhere." Treadaway, 38, remembers celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans. "My father would get a …

Becca Nichols is the primary buyer of Knick Knack Shack, a family owned and operated business that sells home furnishings and accessories.Nichols, an entrepreneur, was working as chief financial officer for Findlay Roofing before shopping became her vocation.Findlay Roofing owner, Steve Findlay, is Nichols' fiancé and business partner. The two also own Pizza 3.14 in Woodstock. Their newest venture is buying a Marietta sports bar named The Stadium on Sandy Plains Rd."I've learned about business from life experience. It teaches you a little more than college does," said Nichols.  Q. What's the …

In 1988, Ken Cook was working in marketing and sales in the car stereo industry when he first saw the potential role of computers in commerce. At the time, the internet was a budding network connecting educational institutions and AOL was doing business as Control Video Corporation, providing a foundational form of online service, according to Hobbs Internet Timeline and WebHosting.com. Cook focused his interest in the digital world into pioneering a career as online marketing consultant and search engine optimzation (SEO) architect.Cook founded SocialMediaEdge.com in 2008 where he continues …

The Life Cafe side of the business started in 1993, and a classically trained chef prepares vegan, gluten-free and raw foods.The vegan carrot cake will make any cream cheese lover swear the frosting has dairy products in it.Ronnie Hudson, operations lead and co-manager, knows the prepared foods sold at the Cafe are genuine."Everything is made fresh. We don't use artificial colors or sweeteners. When we invite health experts to speak here, they're thrilled that we have the ability to feed them."Recent past speakers include authors Dr. Dean Ornish, founder/president of Preventative Medicine …

John Miller is a certified public accountant and hands-on president of his corporation. He takes responsibility for managing the cash flow of the business, and keeping employees and Cobb EMC paid. Miller plus eight full-time and two part-time staff service an estimated 2,000 clients. "We'll file about 3,000-5,000 tax returns this year," Miller said. "We help people solve their tax problems, like catching up with unfiled returns, arranging for installment payments for monies owed the I.R.S. and answering letters the I.R.S. has sent them." The firm also helps set up small businesses and …

Daryl Sundberg is owner and project manager for Sundberg Construction. During the past building boom in Cobb, Sundberg put up three to five custom homes a year as well as contracting large restoration projects. He employed two project managers. In 2008, Sundberg built zero homes and had to lay off both of his employees. "Laying off people was the worst thing I've ever had to do," he said. "I'm cautiously optimistic about the housing market in Cobb. I think that it's going to pick back up after one more rough year." Sundberg now has two custom homes and other smaller projects in progress. He …

Apple Taxi owner, manager and day-time dispatcher Yaser Ali pays forward charity and opportunity to earn a living."It makes sense to help the community, that supports your business, to be strong. You get what you give."The East Cobb-based Apple Taxi is hiring drivers and Ali has plans to relocate and expand the business to include Apple Auto Repair in 2012.There are 29 full-time drivers who are fully licensed with Cobb County. Ali said that his drivers have legal permits to carry guns and that Apple hasn't had any criminal problems. As for charity, Ali donates money to the NorthStar Church in…

East Cobb native Stefanie Roberts does more than talk about well-trained dogs. She walks the walk by having four, happy, respectful dogs in her household.Roberts uses positive reinforcement to train dogs in group obedience classes held at Montrose Animal Hospital and during one-on-one problem solving sessions in her training venture, The Dog Duchess. "Dogs are happy when they know what their status in the family is and when they are confident in the leadership of the pack.""Pack leaders should be authoritative without being aggressive. Dogs need set boundaries just like small children do." …