Spring/Summer 2005


The FSBDCN is one of eight original SBDC pilot programs funded in 1976 by the US SBA to successfully link the state's education system to community outreach, utilizing both faculty and students to aid in the development and education of the state’s entrepreneurs and small business community. Today, the FSBDC is a statewide network of 33 centers involving seven universities and eight community colleges, with additional outreach provided at resource partner locations.
Engaging Students in "Real-World" Business Experiences		Spring/Summer 2005 In This Issue Engaging Students in "Real-World" Business Experiences Partners Promote Economic Development Educational Programs that Inspire Creative Learning Expertise and Strengths Enhance Community Outreach The Development of Global Relations Opportunities for Diversity through Collaboration Visibility and Awareness in the Community Support to Expand Outreach to the Community Knowledge Exchange for a Better Community Recognize and Reward Excellence Commitment to Continuous Quality Improvement Excellence

John Diaz, owner of Impact Industrial Supplies, participated in a recent IBA course and says he really enjoyed his experience with the USF students. He commented that "the interaction with the students helped me to think in different terms about the issues I have been facing with declining margins." The SBDC at USF partners with the College of Business MBA program to provide local businesses and graduate students an opportunity to create strategic plans. The USF MBA program culminates in a two-semester capstone referred to as the Integrated Business Applications (IBA) course. The goal of this program is to address the call by industry for more cross-functional training of MBA students. This program allows the graduate students to apply knowledge developed over the course of their education. Students are required to develop a strategic plan for existing businesses with gross revenues over $3 million and five or more employees. The students spend two semesters with the company working on an industry wide situation analysis, a marketing analysis and sales forecasting. Each semester, the students present a report to the company which addresses action plans to attain their goals. Click to Read More Hadrienne Flahaux, an exchange student from Universite Catholique de Louvain (UCL) in Brussels in the UNF MBA program, served as an intern in the SBDC at UNF during the Spring 2005 semester. She reviewed business plans and assisted Certified Business Analysts with client cases. During the first six months of 2005, the SBDC at FAU's Boynton Beach retail training program, led by Program Director Susan Day, provided services to the students involved in the program. They were provided with instruction on retail training, career development, business management, time management, job training, job readiness, etc. Youth participate in community service projects to help develop job training, i.e. project planning and management, etc. One of the projects they assist with is the weekly "Parenting Grandparents" program. They also worked on a fund-raising event at Wal-Mart in Boynton Beach. SBDC Certified Business Analyst Ted Kramer made presentations to the group during the second quarter. The SBDC at UNF assisted the Coggin College of Business with planning several Entrepreneurship Panels during the Spring 2005 semester to encourage UNF students to consider business and entrepreneurship as possible courses of study. The SBDC at UNF also staffed a booth at the annual Explore a Major Day.
Victoria Peake, Director of the SBDC at Brevard Community College, is Vice Chair of the Bernard W. Simpkins Business Seminar for Entrepreneurial Development. The Simpkins Series highlighted Chairman of the Board, Joe R. Lee, of Darden Restaurants, Inc. Joe R. Lee is shown at the BCC Melbourne Campus Lecture Auditorium sharing motivation and insight with BCC students and community members.	Joe R. Lee, of Darden Restaurants, Inc.
Rod Vargas (Right) with business partner, Chris Parent	Carrie Duvall of the SBDC at UCF sent a call out to her clients that Dr. Lloyd Fernald at the UCF College of Business was looking for established businesses that wanted to work on a specific business need with graduate student teams. Several clients worked with student teams, but the success at Apex Environmental is notable. Graduate students Meg O’Meara and Kelley Ford, under the guidance of Dr. Fernald, were instrumental in developing a Human Resources and Employee Handbook for Apex Environmental, a client of the Advisory Board Council at the SBDC at UCF. Click to Read More
Staff members in the SBDC at UNF have developed two new classes in entrepreneurship for the Coggin College of Business to be offered in the Fall 2005 semester: "Entrepreneurial Marketing" and "Family Business Management". Additionally, classes will be offered in "Planning a New Business" and "Advanced Small Business Counseling" (graduate level). Partners Promote Economic Development SBDC at UNF Regional Director Janice Donaldson was named to the WorkSource Career Services Advisory Council to assist with operational direction of the Career Service System. Orange County has approved funding for the continuation of the SBDC at UCF's Advisory Board Council program and the three six-part series of Strategic Planning seminars that have been done for the past three years. The Advisory Board program utilizes the services of more than 300 community volunteers to provide advisory boards for approximately fifty companies per year. The seminar series includes a six-part series on Strategic Planning, Marketing Strategy, and International Strategy. The sessions are all taught by UCF College of Business faculty and have a goal of reaching 190 companies per year in the central Florida area. The SBDC at Brevard Community College partnered with the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast and State Farm to bring a well-attended and received 4th Annual Women’s Conference. Deborah Owens, author of Nickel and Dime Your Way to Wealth and a National Public Radio personality, was the keynote speaker. SBDC at FAU Regional Director Nancy Young and Systems Analyst Yasser Khan were invited to attend the annual Small Business Award Luncheon of the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce on May 17, 2005. They were guests of Accris, a leading web developer based in Boca Raton. The luncheon provided an opportunity to network with Senator Atwater, the leader of the Internet Coast, Technology Forum, Division President of U.S. Trust, and others. The SBDC was promoted throughout the event in conversations with fellow participants. Certified Business Analyst Ted Kramer, of the SBDC at FAU, was an invited guest of State Senator Larcenia Bullard to the Tri-City Mayors’ Economic Development Meeting on June 13, 2005. He spoke before an audience of civic officials and private business owners from Pahokee, South Bay and Belle Glade, discussing SBDC services and how the community could avail themselves of both counseling and workshop programs. The SBDC at USF has developed successful partnerships with the Highlands County Economic Development Council, South Florida Community College, Highlands County Board of County Commissioners, Florida Rural Economic Development Initiatives and Heartland Workforce Investment Board. The partnership has resulted in an addition of one full-time business analyst to serve the three-county area of Hardee, DeSoto and Highlands, hard hit by the 2004 hurricanes. Highlands County is also pursuing the possibility of opening an incubator. Robert Raymond, hired in April as an SBDC business analyst, has 10 years experience as owner of a travel franchise and more than 20 years of managerial experience with a global company. Currently, his office is housed at the One-Stop Center in Sebring. In addition to counseling duties and developing relationships with area organizations and agencies, he will be involved with the Incubator as it is developed. Educational Programs that Inspire Creative Learning
Leigh Ann Horton	In June 2005, the clients and advisors of the SBDC at UCF's Advisory Board Council were invited to participate in a special seminar. The seminar entitled "Five Pillars of Financial Dominance" was hosted and presented by Leigh Ann Horton of CFO Strategic Partners, a sponsor of the Advisory Board Council program. Click to Read More
On June 20-23, eleven Florida SBDC Network professional staff participated in the "Disaster Resistant Jobs: Strategies for Community Emergency & Economic Risk (CEER) Management" course. Held at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland, the course prepared front line responders in a train-the-trainer format. Developed by the Economic Development Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help small and medium size communities protect their economy from the effects of catastrophic events, the course provided participants with the tools to respond more effectively. Click to Read More SBDC at UNF Regional Director Janice Donaldson was featured in a video, "Career Track: Great Jobs Without a College Degree", where she discussed starting a business as a career option. Two new accounting topics provided by the SBDC at FAU that inspired creative learning were "QuickBooks Part I & II" and "Payroll Taxes: How to Do them Correctly". These programs were created by Certified Business Analyst (CBA) Lilian Urbandt of the SBDC Miami-Dade Festival Plaza office and CBA Phil Scruton of the Boca Raton FAU Main Campus center. These courses were created as a response to our attendees' requests and have helped them learn about complex accounting subjects in a relaxed setting. Public Relations/Training Coordinator Maggie Gunther began offering "Creating Business Cards, Brochures and More for Your Business", which teaches the basics of creating small business marketing materials. The seminar includes a creative activity in which business owners draft a sample business card or brochure on paper. The SBDC at USF's annual Government Trade Show allowed small business owners to take seminars, meet with defense and government contractors and network in an informal setting. With more than 200 attendees in a two-day conference that inspires information exchange and networking, the SBDC and PTAC continue to expand their reach to educate small business owners about lucrative government contracts. Expertise and Strengths Enhance Community Outreach SBDC at Brevard Community College Volunteer Business Analyst Bill Cunningham led "In Scouting and Business the Advice Is The Same: BE PREPARED". This all-county business continuity workshop given by the SBDC at BCC was promoted by all Brevard County Chambers. Since April, SBDC at FAU Regional Director Nancy Young has been a member of the FAU Strategic Plan Community Needs Committee. She met with the Vice President for FAU Broward campuses to discuss Goal #4 of the FAU Strategic Plan process. As a key member of the committee, Nancy and the Chair discussed the status of the proceedings and an action plan for accelerated progress.