SBDC and Special Program Excellence

In September, Julio Estremera, Certified Business Analyst for the SBDC at Flordia Gulf Coast University, was recognized as one of the awardees at the 2005 Hispanic Men and Women of Distinction Awards Gala. He was recognized for his success in business, support of charitable causes, outstanding leadership, and positive impact on their communities. The Inaugural Awards Gala benefitted the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and took place in Bonita Springs.

SBDC at UNF provided live small business cases for two classes in the Coggin College of Business at UNF: Advanced Small Business Consulting (graduate level) and Entrepreneurial Marketing (undergraduate). Students apply what they have learned to assisting the businesses with business plans, marketing plans, etc.

SBDC at FAU Certified Business Analysts Rafael Cruz and Ted Kramer guest lectured to Florida Atlantic University business classes on the topic of entrepreneurship during the fall semester.
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Inspirational & Creative Learning
Through Business Education

SBDC at UNF made use of a number of entrepreneurial guest speakers in the three undergraduate classes taught by SBDC staff members: Planning a New Business, Entrepreneurial Marketing and Family Business Management. More than 10 entrepreneurs participated in one or more of the classes as a guest speaker.

The SBDC at UNF partnered with the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce to offer area entrepreneurs access to SmallBizU eLearning courses online. This distance learning will supplement the “live” training currently offered by the SBDC. SmallBizU will provide small business owners with a menu of more than 20 online courses in marketing, finance and management that users can work through at their own pace.

Kevin Monahan continued to develop specialized programs in the community for non-profit organizations. Under contract with the City of Jacksonville, the SBDC at UNF offered strategic business plan training to recipients of city grants through the City’s Faith-Based Initiatives Program. In addition, the SBDC also offered this same training to a large non-profit organization and its board. These innovative training programs are in response to a growing need from the non-profit community to operate their organizations more like entrepreneurs.

Ken Stephanz, Certified Business Analyst at the SBDC at Indian River Community College, was invited by the IRCC Business College to make a presentation to its accredited Entrepreneurship class. His presentation on the SBDC and an abridged version of How to Start a Small Business was so interactive and successful with the students that he was invited back for a second session the following week.

The SBDC at Brevard Community College and the SBDC's Defense Economic Transition Assistance Center Program (DETA) held the 5th Annual Veterans' Conference at the King Center for Performing Arts in late September. Scott Denniston, Director of the Office of Small Business and Center for Veterans' Enterprise in Washington, was the keynote speaker. Denniston holds the distinction of being the first SBDC at BCC Veterans' Conference keynoter. Also speaking were Colonel Gregory Billman, Vice Commander 45th Space Wing at Patrick Air Force Base; Dave Gibson, General Services Administration; Linda Sherod, Patrick Air Force Base; David Wansley, NASA Kennedy Space Center; Neil Mullinss, Northrop Grumman; and Deborah Melvin, The Boeing Company. The Boeing Company was the breakfast sponsor of the event.
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Scott Denniston speaks to participants at SBDC at BCC Veterans' Conference

Diversity Through Collaboration

SBDC at UNF's Janice Donaldson and Tanya Douglas participated in the Blueprint for Prosperity Task Force attending community meetings and four task force meetings to assist in developing strategies to raise Jacksonville’s per capita income. Improving education, economic development, racial opportunity and harmony, infrastructure, quality of life, and leadership were isolated criteria.

Dominic Orsini, from the SBDC at UNF's Ocala Office, continued to play a leading role in the Ocala/Marion County Chamber of Commerce’s Hispanic Business Council.

Janice Donaldson, SBDC at UNF Director, was elected to the Board of the Jacksonville Women’s Network.

SBDC at USF Director Irene Hurst continues to serve as the President of the Asian Chambers of Commerce of Tampa Bay. The organization is planning its second annual small business workshop that will take place in March 2006. Potential seminar topics and speakers have been identified for the event. The 2005 inaugural event attracted over 200 people.
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Community Awareness: Where is the Visibility?

The SBDC at UCF's Advisory Board Council was featured heavily in Entrepreneur Magazine's special edition entitled Small Business Success. One of the articles: Reach New Heights-What exactly can an SBDC do for your business? Take it from 4 companies that took SBDC advice and ran with it-far, profiled Madelaine Lock of SmartWatch Security and Sound LLC, client of the SBDC at UCF's Advisory Board Council (see page 28). The magazine also highlighted the national SBDC program for its 25 Years of Helping Entrepreneurs Grow. The magazine was released nationally to over 500,000 Entrepreneur subscribers.
Click to Read Magazine Excerpts

Irene Hurst was invited by JP Morgan Chase Women Interactive Network to speak about Life–Work Balance Issues. She was invited because she was visible in the community, and they found her through the SBDC at USF website. She shared her personal experience with trying to have balance in her life to over 30 people at the JP Morgan Chase campus near Tampa. Based on the presentation, she was asked to speak about cultural issues for Asians climbing the career ladder.

Cathy Hagan is serving on the UNF Coggin College of Business Strategic Planning Committee and Janice Donaldson is serving on the College’s Marketing Committee.

The SBDC at UNF hosted a visit in September from the SBA District Office and the Mayor of the City of Jacksonville. As part of a tour of women-owned businesses, the Mayor met several SBDC clients at the SBDC office and then traveled to meet with several other clients at their locations.

Janice Donaldson traveled to Boston with more than 140 city leaders as part of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual leadership trip.

Director Victoria Peake joined current and former SBDC DETA staff at the 20th Anniversary Celebration for the Brevard Small Business Assistance Council (BSBAC) on October 27, 2005. SBDC at BCC Operations Coordinator Sandy Pfrimmer is the current chair of BSBAC. DETA Specialist Robin Braswell serves as president of the Council, as did former DETA Specialist Gary Beckert. DETA assistant Gussie Reichel also attended the festivities.
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Community Outreach: How Are We Expanding, Supporting and Partnering?

The SBDC at FAU expanded its outreach by securing new grants from the Lauderhill Chamber of Commerce and the Miramar-Pembroke Pines Chamber of Commerce through the work of SBDC Broward County Manager Rafael Cruz. Palm Beach County Manager Ted Kramer worked to ensure the SBDC will receive a larger grant from the Palm Beach County Office of Small Business Assistance. Miami-Dade County Manager Nancy Orozco received an increased grant from Miami-Dade County. The increases in the grants will allow the SBDC at FAU to bring more services to those areas.

Ken Stephanz, CBA at the SBDC at Indian River Community College, established an ongoing outreach program with the Okeechobee One Stop Career Center and Florida’s Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative (FHREDI). Through the program, Ken provides SBDC services to referred clients in the Okeechobee County area.

SBDC at USF is expanding its relationship with Hillsborough County Economic Development Department to include two graduate students from the USF College of Business Administration. Specialized counseling for business retention is provided by the students. In addition, one full-time business analyst provides services to small businesses in the county through its Small Business Information Center.

Two Certified Business Analysts from the SBDC at UNF volunteered to assist our sister SBDCs in the Gulf Coast states recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Robert Myers and Cathy Hagan traveled to New Orleans to assist the Louisiana SBDC. They counseled small business owners and assisted them in evaluating their options for reopening their businesses.

The SBDC at UNF partnered with the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce to offer entrepreneurial training under a Workforce Florida, Inc. contract. Eligible individuals attend business start-up training at no charge. Classes are planned in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Fernandina Beach and Palatka.

The SBDC at UNF worked with the First Coast Business Alliance to organize the annual Minority Enterprise Development Week Celebration. Nancy Boyle and Tanya Douglas participated on the planning committee and assisted with the matchmaker trade fair, the awards luncheon and the Youth Entrepreneurship Summit.

The SBDC at UNF met with SCORE chapters in Gainesville and Jacksonville to discuss ways to work more closely together. In addition, Janice Donaldson serves on the board of advisors for the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center.
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Global Relations: What is Developing?


Back (L-R): Dominic Orsini, CBA, SBDC at UNF; Julio Estremera, CBA, SBDC at FGCU; Mario Gonzalez, Director, MIT's Outreach Programs; Jorge Solis, Director, Mérida SBDC; and Jerry Cartwright, State Director, FSBDCN. Front (L-R): Bertha Vidal, CBA, Mérida SBDC; Irene Hurst, Director, SBDC at USF; and Eileen Rodriguez, Associate Director/CBA, SBDC at USF.

The SBDC at USF in Tampa hosted a delegation from the Mérida, Mexico SBDC in November. The purpose of the visit was to conduct the third training module for the Mérida SBDC that included on-site instruction and practical training on how the SBDC at USF operates. The delegation participated in live training and counseling sessions with SBDC Hispanic clients. Mario Gonzalez, Director of the Mérida Institute of Technology's (MIT) Outreach Programs, stated that "the training was invaluable... We couldn't have gotten that type of knowledge just through instruction." The first two modules were conducted at the MIT in Mexico in May and June of 2005. Eileen Rodríguez, SBDC at USF Associate Director and FSBDCN International Training Coordinator, and several other FSBDCN Certified Business Analysts conducted the training for the Mérida SBDC. State Director Jerry Cartwright and the FSBDCN Trainers will return to the Mérida SBDC for the completion of the training in February. In turn, the Mérida SBDC will facilitate the development of 33 SBDCs in the Mexican Federal Technological Institute system.

Diane Denslow, Cathy Hagan and Janice Donaldson continue to work with the UNF Coggin College of Business on an international consortium of three European and three U.S. universities. Diane will travel to Germany in December as part of the grant. The primary focus is international entrepreneurship. The SBDC at UNF provides internships for exchange students from the European universities each semester.

Janice Donaldson attended The International Alliance Worldwide Conference held in Jacksonville. She moderated a panel presentation on the growing global influence on women entrepreneurs worldwide.

The SBDC at FAU continues to work with John Diep of Enterprise Florida, who volunteered his time to teach the Basics of Importing and Exporting seminar. A former SBDC staff member, he keeps SBDC clients informed of trade missions to Asia and works closely with the SBDC’s Import/Export Specialist, Parbatee Chang.
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Quality Improvement Excellence

The SBDC at FAU revised its ISO documentation-the operations manual for the center. All staff members had a say in the revisions of the policies and procedures, which were carefully examined and streamlined to achieve total customer satisfaction.
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