Community Outreach: Initiatives for Expanding,
Supporting and Partnering

The University of South Florida was selected to participate in a documentation pilot project to qualify for recognition by the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching as an "engaged" university. The new elective classification is determined by the university’s engagement in the community. Irene Hurst, Director of SBDC at USF, was requested to serve as the liaison for the College of Business Administration to complete the survey for the college because of her and the SBDC's involvement in the community and because of their relationship with several academic programs. The USF College of Business Administration supports the SBDC program and its engagements of the community. The SBDC serves as a connector between the small business community and the academic programs at the College of Business Administration and the Center for Entrepreneurship. Each semester SBDC business analysts assist with identifying clients and non-clients who are interested in applying for in-depth strategic marketing and financial plans, business plans, and product and market development projects provided by graduate students.

Since the Mobile Business Assistance (MAC) Program kickoff in May, the FSBDCs have been hosting events and partnering with other economic development organizations throughout the state to highlight the new MACs, demonstrate their capabilities, provide a hands-on experience and plan rural strategies for the units statewide. Below are some of the events:

• SBDC at FGCU - Chamber of Commerce Membership Luncheon, Cape Coral
• SBDC at FGCU - Collier County Immokalee Day, Immokalee
• SBDC at CFDC/Polk County - Central Florida Development Council's Partnership Program for Economic Developers, Bartow
• SBDC at UCF - Advisory Board Council Power Networking Reception, Orlando
• SBDC at UCF - Disney/SBA Entrepreneur's 3 Year Celebration, Orlando
• SBDC at Seminole Community College and SBDC at UCF - "Disaster Plan in 90 Minutes" seminars, Sanford and Orlando
• SBDC at USF - Highlands County Economic Development Council's Disaster Training, Sebring
• SBDC at UNF - Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach, Jacksonville Beach and St. Augustine for media events, TV taping at the University of North Florida campus, chamber activities, SBA event and various disaster recovery workshops
• SBDC at Gulf Coast Community College - Allen Boyd Small Business Conference, Panama City
• Upcoming events: SBDC at FAU - Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce Meeting, Palm Beach County Business Development Board Meeting, St. Lucie County Commission Meeting and Martin County Chamber of Commerce Luncheon in Stuart; SBDC at Brevard Community College - Veterans' Conference hosted by the SBDC/DETA Program, Melbourne.

Sponsors of the MAC Program have allowed the purchase of needed supplies, technology, satellite air time and have helped with the on-going operational and maintenance expenses. The premier sponsors' logos, Business Loan Express (BLX) and the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, are proudly displayed on the back of each MAC. We wish to also acknowledge the support and donations of T-Mobile, Wal-Mart and Sun Trust.

Members, FSBDC Directors and supporters of the Small Business Resource Network (SBRN) program celebrated its statewide expansion in February with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the program's new brand.

SBDC at UNF Director Janice Donaldson received the “Outstanding Advocate Award” from the Beaver Street Enterprise Center (BSEC) for her contributions to the empowerment incubator at its third anniversary celebration. Ms. Donaldson was recognized for her service on the BSEC Board of Directors, serving as chair of the Tenant Selection and Recruitment Committee, and providing staff expertise in business plan review and technical assistance to tenants.

In partnership with the Hillsborough County Small Business Information Center, the SBDC at the University of South Florida offered a "Credit Score and Your Business" seminar at the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) area within the City of Tampa. The funding came from a CDBG grant. The SBDC was invited by Pasco County EDC to participate in their Business Disaster Planning session for bridge loans that involved the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, Enterprise Florida and bankers. A briefing on the SBDC's role in disaster situations and in support of the bridge loan process was provided.

The SBDC at the University of Central Florida recently sponsored a Small Business Town Forum in partnership with the Disney/National Entrepreneur Center (NEC) to discuss the many challenges facing small businesses today. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez of New York spoke at the well-attended event held at the NEC on May 5. The Forum provided a rare opportunity for local entrepreneurs to give feedback to a senior Congressional leader on topics of concern to small business owners. As the ranking Democratic member of the House Small Business Committee, Representative Velázquez has been an extremely vocal advocate of American small business and entrepreneurship. The Congresswoman presented local business leaders with an overview of the Small Business Committee’s agenda and discussed her current legislative priorities.

Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez addresses issues raised by small business owners

• Assist with the Chamber’s organizational workflow to determine ways to increase efficiency of the Chamber staff.
• Identify new outlets and methods through which the Chamber could reach new members and develop strategies for the Chamber to follow to increase its membership.
• Identify ways for the Chamber to improve communication with and among current members and to new and prospective members.
• Examine the Chamber Board’s governance structure and practices and make recommendations for improving its performance.

The student team worked on the Chamber project throughout the spring semester pouring 400 hours into the consulting engagement. On April 27, the UWF team, comprised of Adam Bowen, Ben Fenhoff, Sarah Neumann and Winnifred Bourne, presented their findings and recommendations to the Board of Directors. Donna Tucker, executive director of the Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce said, "The presentation was superb and the published report was thorough and insightful." Board Chairman Bob Asmus praised the team saying, "These young men and women are wonderful representatives of the University of West Florida and have provided the Chamber a wonderful opportunity to make great strides across the board. We owe a debt of gratitude to UWF, the SBDC at UWF, Larry Strain and our consultants."

UWF Students and Santa Rosa Chamber Board of Directors

UWF Students, Santa Rosa Chamber Chairman Bob Asmus, and Larry Strain

Students of Dr. Kenneth Gray’s Business Policy & Strategic Management class at Florida A&M University recently completed strategic management audits on four SBDC clients. Written reports of findings and recommendations were completed by eight teams after meeting with the SBDC clients and reviewing business materials. Prior to meeting with their clients, each of the 36 students was required to study the SBDC ethical standards and pass the same test required of SBDC personnel.

Seven SBDC at USF client companies with sales in excess of $3M and their respective student teams partnered during the summer semester MBA Capstone Program. The MBA students developed in-depth marketing and financial analyses and provided strategic recommendations to the companies. This is the final two-semester project for the MBA program.
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Inspiration & Creativity Through Business Education

The FSBDCN conducted the 2006 Florida SBIR/STTR Advanced Technology and Life Sciences Conference Series and Proposal Development Workshops with funds from the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development. Three events were coordinated by the FSBDCN Business Technology Commercialization Program, in cooperation with the Regional SBDCs at the University of South Florida in Tampa, University of Central Florida in Orlando and Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter, between March and June 2006. The proposal development workshops were conducted by Greenwood Associates on day one of each event. Representatives from federal SBIR and STTR agencies provided overviews of their program requirements and examples of funded projects on day two. SBIR Program Managers provided one-on-one consultations for entrepreneurs interested in securing an assessment of their viability. The events attracted nearly 200 attendees. Sponsors included Enterprise Florida, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council and the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Program.

Tampa Conference

Orlando Conference

Jupiter Conference

Cathy Hagan and Robert Myers from the SBDC at UNF participated in two outreach programs designed to assist small businesses in preparing their companies for a possible disaster. They staffed a trade show booth at the Clay County Disaster Preparedness event in Clay County and conducted a seminar for clients of CenterBank in Jacksonville.

Chris Workman, CBA from the SBDC at Florida A&M University, was a guest speaker for Dr. Susan Fiorito’s "Family Owned Businesses: Issues and Trends" class at Florida State University. Chris spoke to business start-up issues and SBDC services to an audience of approximately 80 students. As most of the students are involved in the study of fashion and design, they were very interested in Chris’ experience as a former owner of a design firm.
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Diversity Through Collaboration

Dominic Orsini continued to facilitate Hispanic Councils in Ocala and Gainesville, and continued translating SBDC materials to Spanish. Janice Donaldson spoke to the American Business Women’s Association, Jacksonville Chapter.

The SBDC at UWF teamed with the Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce at the end of the first quarter and into the second quarter to conduct a pilot program called the Excellence in Entrepreneurship Certificate Program. The SBDC developed a nine-week seminar series led by SBDC Director Larry Strain. The target audience was aspiring or nascent minority entrepreneurs. The design of the course provided classroom instruction, outside guest speakers, out-of-class exercises and hands-on mentoring by SBDC staff. The desired outcome was a completed business plan and several new minority-owned businesses. Twenty-three entrepreneurs began the program and 10 successfully completed the course and their business plans. Four new businesses have already begun and four more are in the start-up phase. The Chamber and the entrepreneurs who completed the course rated it successful. Incorporating some of the "lessons" that were learned from the initial course, plans are now being made to offer the program again in the fall of 2006.

The SBDC at the University of South Florida joined forces with the USF Purchasing Department to sponsor a booth at the Florida Minority Supplier Development Council annual trade fair the first week of August.
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Community Awareness: SBDC Visibility

Chris Workman, CBA from the SBDC at Florida A&M University, addressed Leads Group 7 of the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce on small business issues and SBDC services. Since the meeting, members of this group of approximately 60 have requested assistance from the SBDC.

The quarterly SBDC at UCF's Advisory Board Council Power Networking Reception was held July 18 to promote the Council and SBDC services. Successful networking was conducted between close to 200 participants. The keynote speaker was Mary Recchia Brow, Chairperson of the Small Business Board of Directors for the Orlando Chamber of Commerce and the owner of the Recchia Group, an Orlando-based marketing and communications firm. From personal experience, she spoke about the challenges in starting and growing a small business. She also included tips for getting connected within the community. Prior to Mary’s comments, SBDC and NEC events were highlighted, including the upcoming Disaster Preparedness Course and the E-Commerce Seminar. Event sponsors include the local SCORE chapter, PRISM Group, Sales Growth Group, nPerspective, Society Benefits and funding partners: Orange County Government and the University of Central Florida. The event included a complimentary beverage bar and light appetizers. The reception hosted representatives from the offices of several elected officials an the new Mobile Assistance Center (MAC) was displayed at the entrance of the building. Tours were given.

Participants at the SBDC at UCF's Advisory Board Council Power Networking Reception
(R) Advisory Board Council Director Carrie Duvall	Networking at Reception	Networking at Reception

Nancy Boyle continued to travel around Florida assisting SBDCs in Tampa, Orlando, Pensacola, Ocala/Gainesville, and Fort Myers with launching their own Small Business Resource Networks as part of the statewide expansion. The SBRN helps small businesses achieve greater success by expanding their awareness of available business and professional resources and by referring them to qualified, experienced service providers.

Janice Donaldson attended the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C. to hear legislative updates and discuss the needs of small businesses nationwide.

Through the SBDC at USF's partnership with the Hillsborough County Small Business Information Center, CBA Kim Wagner represented the SBDC at two major business expos: the Carrollwood Area Business Association and Brandon Business Expos. The SBDC at the Central Florida Development Council of Polk County, a satellite center of the regional SBDC at USF in Tampa, met with their partners on July 18. SBDC Director Doretha Brooks provided a briefing about SBDC programs and services. During the day-long event, the partners had the opportunity to tour the FSBDCN's new Mobile Business Assistance Center (MAC).
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Global Relations: Developments

Dr. Ilan Alon Petters, Chair of International Business and Executive Director of Rollins China Center, Rollins College in Winter Park, presented an outstanding and well-attende workshop on Doing Business in China as part of the SBDC/DETA at Brevard Community College's summer programming. The event was co-sponsored by the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast and attendees included EDC directors, clients and Florida/NASA business incubator representatives. Dr. Alon is a recent recipient of the Chinese Marketing Award, a dual award from the Tripod Marketing Association in China and the Society for Marketing Advances in the U.S. He has taught courses in top Chinese MBA programs including Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Fudan University and China Europe International Business School.

L-R: Gussie Reichel, Sandy Pfrimmer, Dr. Petters, Robin Braswell and Vicky Peake

Dr. Petters presents Doing Business in China

Eileen Rodríguez from the SBDC at USF has been proactive on a Department of Education grant through the USF College of Business Administration. She is traveling to Cape Town, South Africa to monitor students involved in an internship with the Department of Commerce Foreign Commercial Service. She is also preparing to teach a class, as part of the grant, to graduating undergraduates on the Strategic Implementations of Free Trade Agreements next semester. Through this collaboration, the SBDC was able to send a student to help the Merida Institute of Technology SBDC in Mexico.

SBDC at USF Director Irene Hurst was invited to serve on the Operational Committee of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Tampa Bay’s effort to bring a trade delegation from Shanghai, China in October. Invitations have been extended to 80 businesses and government officials from the greater Shanghai area. Locally, the effort has garnered support from various partners including the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, the Port of Tampa, Hillsborough County, City of Tampa and the Hillsborough Convention and Visitors' Bureau.
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Excellence in Quality Improvement

SBDC at UNF staff including Cathy Hagan, Robert Myers and Dr. Philip Geist attended the Florida Governor’s Hurricane Conference to enhance disaster preparedness and recovery skills. Tanya Douglas attended the Association for Enterprise Opportunity Conference to enhance micro enterprise development skills.
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FSBDCN Recognizes Excellence

Florida First Capital Finance Corporation (FFCFC), the state’s largest non-profit Certified Development Company, has named Larry Strain as the recipient of its Community Builder Award for 2006. As executive director of the SBDC at the University of West Florida, Strain was honored for his efforts with FFCFC in assisting small business victims of hurricanes Ivan and Dennis with state of Florida hurricane bridge loans. He received the award during FFCFC’s annual meeting June 16 in Jacksonville. After hurricanes Ivan in 2004 and Dennis in 2005, many small businesses in the Florida Panhandle needed the assistance of bridge loans to meet their financial obligations and get back to work after the storms. Businesses that had experienced damage from the storms and were at least one-year-old were able to take advantage of interest-free loans that ranged from $1,000 to $25,000 for 90- to 180-day terms. "Larry has been a strong advocate for small businesses in the Panhandle for many years, and it was no surprise that he stepped up to the plate when the community needed it most," said Todd Kocourek, president and CEO of Florida First Capital. "His accomplishments and that of the SBDC cannot be applauded enough."

Diane Denslow presented a referreed paper she co-authored with Dr. Larry Giunipero (FSU) entitled "The Business Plan: A Key to MWBE Supplier Development" at the International Supply Management Conference in Minneapolis. The paper was published in the 91st ISM Conference Proceedings.

One hundred and thirty-five FSBDCN staff members and conference attendees gathered on June 28 to recognize staff, volunteers and lenders for performance excellence in support of entrepreneurs growing small businesses in Florida. The Performance Excellence, Network Service and Lenders' Hall of Fame Awards were presented by FSBDCN State Director Jerry Cartwright and the SBDC Directors at the Recognition Luncheon held during the Annual FSBDCN Professional Development Conference: Celebrating 30 Years and 30 Centers Strengthening Florida's Economy, in Orlando.
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The SBDC at Brevard Community College was nominated for the Cocoa Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year in the Non-Profit category.

As a part of the national salute to small businesses, the Small Business Week Committee, spearheaded by the SBDC at Florida A&M University, celebrated the 23rd Annual Small Business Week Celebration in Tallahassee, May 2006. The events were held to pay special recognition to local entrepreneurs for their contributions to the community.
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