Community Outreach: Initiatives for Expanding,
Supporting and Partnering

Mobile Business Assistance Program
The FSBDCN State Director's Office hosted a media conference on May 30 to announce the beginning of its new Mobile Business Assistance Center Program—just in time for the 2006 hurricane season. University of West Florida President John Cavanaugh, UWF College of Business Dean Ed Ranelli, FSBDCN State Director Jerry Cartwright and SBDC Certified Business Analyst Dan Cavanaugh each addressed the media and discussed the importance of the new initiative. It will focus on two underserved markets: (1) post-hurricane small businesses and (2) rural clients who need help and don’t or can’t visit our locations in urban and campus areas. WEAR-TV and the Pensacola News Journal are two media outlets that provided coverage of the Program.
Click to hear excerpt from UWF President John Cavanaugh; Click for more details

L-R: SBDC at UWF CBA Dan Cavanaugh, Jerry Cartwright, UWF President John Cavanaugh, UWF COB Dean Ed Ranelli
UWF President John Cavanaugh	WEAR-TV interviews Jerry Cartwright
FSBDCN Mobile Business Assistance Center Program Media Conference, Pensacola

The SBDC at UNF received a grant from the FSBDCN, through the Florida Governor's OTTED office, to deploy its successful Small Business Resource Network statewide. The SBRN is a recognized program introduced by the SBDC more than 14 years ago at UNF. SBRN is a public-private partnership of the SBDC at UNF, the City of Jacksonville, and member firms that serve small business; assists as an information resource to help connect small businesses with the professional expertise they need to achieve greater success; includes experienced private-sector professionals in the fields of law, accounting, insurance, financing and management, as well as non-profit organizations providing small business assistance and corporations serving small business. "Over the past decade, SBRN members have counseled nearly 23,000 small businesses, made nearly 30,000 referrals to business resources, assisted in closing approximately $100 million in small business loans, and have facilitated in the creation of more than 2,500 jobs," said Jerry Cartwright, FSBDCN State Director. "Expanding this successful program statewide will have a major impact on growing small businesses."

Irene Hurst, Director of the SBDC at USF has been appointed Chair of the Judging Subcommittee for the Small Business of the Year Award for the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and of Community Outreach for the STAR Technology Enterprise Center, a technology incubator located in Young-Rainer STAR Center, Largo.

The SBDC at USF hosted the first two-day event of the Florida SBIR Conference Series at the USF College of Business Administration's new wing. The conference attracted 60 attendees, some who were from as far away as Seattle, Washington and New Jersey. The event allowed the SBDC program to attract the attention of faculties from the Medical and Public Health Colleges. The SBDC at UCF hosted the second conference of the Series on May 8-9 in Orlando, and the SBDC at FAU will host the third and final conference of the SBIR Series June 8-9 at the FAU Jupiter Campus. The event is designed to connect high-tech businesses with the information and contacts needed to seek SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer funding from the federal government.

The SBDC at USF hosted the 20th Annual Government Small Business Conference May 3-4 which attracted over 250 attendees. The conference provided nine seminar sessions on doing business with the government and an opportunity to meet and network with government agencies and small businesses. Two of the sessions were roundtables of small businesses discussing their issues and a joint session with major corporations. One SBDC client, Card Quest, Inc., received an order because she attended the conference and met a representative of a major corporation who had been looking for a small business in her industry. Card Quest provided the name badges for the conference. During the conference the U.S. SBA SF District conducted an award ceremony for the 2006 Florida Small Business Person of The Year, January Dennison, CEO/President of Technology Research Consultants, Inc. The SBA also gave an Award of Appreciation to Irene Hurst for her long-time commitment and excellent work in the SBDC program.

Card Quest Exhibit Booth
Irene Hurst Receives SBA Award	January Dennison Receives SBA Award

Ben Dobson, Certified Business Analyst with the SBDC at UCF in Kissimmee, was named to the First Osceola County Enterprise Zone Development Agency Board of directors and appointed Vice Chairperson of the Board. By request of Osceola County and the City of Kissimmee, Ben was selected to partner with Linda Goodwin-Nichols, Mayor of the City of Kissimmee, for an interview by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Advisory Panel, in conjunction with ULI study and pending recommendations for Osceola County Growth Management. The Saint Cloud Chamber of Commerce asked Ben to serve as advisor to the newly formed Business Development Task Force. Its mission is to create a central location for organizations that serve the community and support successful business development from initiation through growth and enhanced performance.

The SBDC at FAU expanded its services through new funding and locations in the first quarter of 2006. Four new offices on two Fort Lauderdale FAU campuses were provided to SBDC CBAs and FAU PTAC Program Specialists. Two of the offices are located in the FAU Graduate School of Business downtown. A new office at the FAU Treasure Coast campus was also provided to the SBDC. They obtained funding and counseling began in partnership with the Lauderhill Chamber of Commerce and the Miramar/Pembroke Pines Chamber. These new locations allow the SBDC to serve more of the SBDC's South Florida service area.

The SBDC at Brevard Community College and its DETA Program hosted the 5th Annual Women’s Conference on May 12. Community sponsors were Florida Today, EDC of Florida’s Space Coast, Brevard Small Business Assistance Council and Courtyard by Marriott in Cocoa Beach. Elizabeth Jarosz, president of Pulse40, Inc., and a competitor chosen from over 1 million applicants to compete on NBC’s The Apprentice, was the keynote speaker. Jarosz also presented an afternoon session. She is known for giving inspiring and moving talks to notable companies and organizations such as Yahoo!, The American Management Association and NASA. Dr. Sally Sange, Brevard ob/gyn physician and Florida Today columnist, addressed the general session. Connie Chiles-Cooke of State Farm and Dr. Carolyn Fausnaugh, professor of entrepreneurship at Florida Tech, continued their campaign for women’s financial literacy in a break-out presentation on Building Financial Security. Robin Braswell, DETA Specialist, led a dynamic presentation on Preferential Programs for Women with Debbie Melvin, The Boeing Company; Larry Third, NASA Central Industry Office; Tom Gallman, US SBA; and Linda Sherod, 45th Space Wing Patrick AFB Small Business Office. Well-known Brevard business women and columnists led a panel discussion on How To Keep Your Sanity Through Life and Business Transition. The panel included Dr. Wanda Bethea, executive coach and licensed psychologist; Linda Cobb, executive and retirement coach; and Kathleen Rich-New, executive coach.

Women's Conference Keynote Speaker Elizabeth Jarosz
Elizabeth Jarosz, Jason Breitfeller (SBDC Business Plan presenter) and Vicky Peake	Susan Evander – Central Florida Volunteer Business Analyst 2005, Vicky Peake and Dee Gordon of Florida Today	Darlene Hardister-Heumann of Southern Sass, LLC, SBDC Client who will be appearing in the Nov Issue of Southern Living

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Student Participation in Reality Labs

Joint partnerships between the SBDC and USF College of Business Administration have been continued and/or expanded. The first set of programs placed approximately two dozen SBDC clients with student-based tangible projects, including full strategic business plans through the MBA capstone two-semester class; business plans for financing through the USF Center for Entrepreneurship’s graduate business planning class; and valuations and private placement memoranda through the Center’s graduate venture financing class. In another program, SBDC staff have contributed to the USF Kauffman Alumni Society’s Advisory Board program, partnering with approximately 100 post-graduate alumni to aid local growing businesses as they strive to create more jobs and value in the community. Finally, the SBDC staff partnered with the USF Incubator on multiple occasions to assist business owners with planning, financing, and managing the strategic growth of their businesses.

The SBDC at FAU utilized two students from FAU to assist in the Boca Raton office during the spring semester. One student assisted in the reformatting of all SBDC PowerPoints with the new Network marketing look, and the other assisted with impact data entry.

UNF students in Cathy Hagan’s Entrepreneurial Marketing class prepared marketing plans for eight SBDC clients during the spring semester.

SBDC at UNF's Diane Denslow, Cathy Hagan, Robert Myers, Kevin Monahan and Tanya Douglas worked with the Students in Free Enterprise and the Entrepreneurial Society at UNF making several panel presentations throughout the semester.

Inspiration & Creativity Through Business Education

SBDC at UNF's Diane Denslow spearheaded efforts to encourage UNF student participation in the inaugural First Coast Regional Business Plan Competition. The event drew entries from UNF, Jacksonville University, Flagler College and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the undergraduate division and from UNF and JU in the graduate division. Denslow coordinated UNF’s involvement, assisting students with their plans and their presentations. UNF students won the competition at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Robert Myers and Kevin Monahan served as preliminary judges at UNF, and Cathy Hagan and Monahan assisted the students with their oral presentations.

During the Spring 2006 semester, SBDC at USF's Eileen Rodríguez taught a class at USF in the Management Department entitled Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management. The class allowed 40 senior-level undergraduates to experience the difficulties faced by entrepreneurs. They were divided into seven teams and each team chose a small business to start. The students prepared an in-depth feasibility analyses on the business, and each week they would add one more piece to the puzzle–market research and demographics; marketing and advertising; legal entity selection; SWOT analysis; competition; accounting; and pro-forma financial projections. At the conclusion of the 16 weeks, they determined whether their business idea was feasible. Four of the teams decided their venture would not succeed. Three teams speculated that the business would work, but only one said they would actually consider opening the business. The other two decided it would be too much work!

SBDC at FAU's Ted Kramer was a guest lecturer for an FAU undergraduate marketing class taught by Professor Barbara Conte, FAU College of Business. Kramer discussed real world small business applications of marketing and customer service. It was held on the main campus of FAU in Boca Raton early in the Spring semester.
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Diversity Through Collaboration

The SBDC at FAU coordinated and held a special Asian-American business event on May 19, co-sponsored by the Asian-American Chamber of South Florida, Enterprise Florida and TAITRA (Taiwan Trade). The event was attended by several Asian-Americans who are current and prospective business owners. The day featured sessions by CBAs on marketing, accounting, business planning and government procurement. Guest speakers included Ilene Rubio Marketing Manager for the SBA in the South Florida region, discussing finance and SBA services; John Diep, Asia-Pacific Director for Enterprise Florida, discussing Enterprise Florida’s services and exporting; and L. George Yap, President and CEO of LEASA foods, a Miami-based multi-million dollar company that began as a small business. Yap gave an excellent keynote address covering perseverance in business and overcoming challenges.


L-R: Mike Bell (PTAC at FAU), John Diep (EFlorida), Winnie Tang (President of the Asian-American
Chamber of South Florida), L. George Yap (LEASA) and Maggie Gunther (SBDC at FAU)

The SBDC at USF in partnership with Asian Chambers of Commerce of Tampa Bay hosted the second annual Asian American Small Business Workshop. The event involved four Asian ethnic chambers of commerce and was attended by over 250 people including the White House Initiatives on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Commissioners from Virginia, New York, California, Illinois and Florida. Irene Hurst continues to serve as the President of the Asian Chambers of Commerce of Tampa Bay.

Ben Dobson, CBA with the SBDC at UCF Kissimmee, was an invited delegate to participate in the first Internal Revenue Service Advocacy Group Sponsored Orlando Hispanic Small Business Liaison Forum. The Forum assembled to address the issues that affect Hispanic Small Business Success in the Metro Orlando area. The Forum was held at the Ana G. Mendez University System in Orlando, Florida.

The SBDC at UNF hosted the general membership meeting of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce in Jacksonville and continued to facilitate the development of the Hispanic Business Council in Ocala. Tanya Douglas addressed the JEA’s Black History Month Celebration, and Diane Denslow addressed the National Association of Minority Contractors.

The SBDC and DETA Program collaborate with Brevard advocates to bring resources and programs to clients. Linda Sherod of Patrick Air Force Base meets clients at the SBDC and shares information on Doing Business with Patrick’s 45th Space Wing. SBDC Operations Coordinator serves as current president of Brevard Small Business Assistance Council. DETA Specialist Robin Braswell led a prominent panel at the 5th Annual Women’s Conference. The panel included: Debbie Melvin of the Boeing Company; Larry Third, NASA Central Industry Office; Tom Gallman, Senior Area Manager for SBA Miami District; and Linda Sherod, 45th Space Wing Patrick Air Force Small Business Office.

Linda Sherod, Patrick AFB Small Business Office

Tom Gallman, US SBA, Ft. Pierce office

Joellen Moore, Small Business Liaison, United Space Alliance, current Chair NMSDC

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Community Awareness: SBDC Visibility