Brevard Students Participate in SBDC Veterans Conference Students from Brevard’s Eau Gallie High School ROTC continued the tradition of posting colors for the SBDC at Brevard Community College's 8th Annual Veterans Conference. Students visited exhibits and joined the Veterans Conference attendees for breakfast.

Simpkins Series Inspires BCC Students, Faculty and Local Businesses
Entrepreneur John Herman, author of The Innkeeper Tales and Hermanisms: Axioms for Business & Life, inspired Brevard Community College (BCC) students, faculty and local businessmen and women by sharing why failures do not have to be a bad thing at the BW Simpkins Business Seminar for Entrepreneurial Development on October 28 and 29 at BCC in Cocoa and Melbourne. SBDC at BCC's Vicky Peake is vice-chair of the Simpkins Series. Both students and the community look forward to the opportunity to hear distinguished entrepreneurs twice yearly through the Simpkins forum.

University Students Gain Hands-On Experiences at SBDCs
Both the SBDC at UNF and the SBDC at FAU have provided students with opportunities to gain real world business experience by offering them employment at the SBDC and providing college classes with real case studies, SBDC clients, to examine.

For example, the SBDC at UNF employed two graduate students, Vijay Neppalli and Samad Subedar, at the SBDC during the fall semester. The students worked part-time, answering calls and fielding e-mails on the SBDC Help Desk and assisted the SBDC’s Certified Business Analysts with business plan reviews, financial analysis and market research for real business cases. The SBDC at UNF also provided seven real case studies for the Entrepreneurial Marketing class at UNF this fall.

Similarly the SBDC at FAU has provided students with opportunities to participate in the SBDC program. Reyna Jacques, a FAU student, worked for the SBDC at FAU for nearly two years and will be graduating in December. She plans to take the experience she has gained and pursue a career in entrepreneurship. She has been an absolute delight to work with and is a fine representative of the kind of graduates entering the workforce in the coming months. Her contributions have been greatly appreciated and fond memories of her will remain when the center moves on to new host institutions.

SBDC Staff Teach University Classes
To further the SBDC’s impact on its college campuses, some SBDC directors and CBAs volunteer to teach classes for their host.

The Tradition of Partnering is Evident at Veterans Conference
The SBDC at BCC’s tradition of partnering with small business advocates was evident at the 8th Annual Veterans Conference. The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, The Boeing Company, United Space Alliance and Northrop Grumman stepped up once again to sponsor the event. The FSBDCN's Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) was also a major sponsor. Among the partner organizations who exhibited and presented individually or on a panel were The Center for Veteran Enterprise, VBOC, the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Technological Research and Development Authority, the Internal Revenue Service, Patrick Air Force Base, NASA, the FSBDCN’s Mobile Assistance Center disaster team, SCORE and the Women’s Business Center. Major corporations exhibiting were Harris Corporation, The Boeing Company and United Space Alliance. Banks exhibiting were BankFIRST and Borrego Springs. Keynote speaker James Dicks, president/CEO of PremiereTrade, LLC., inspired vets and shared resources.  Dicks’ book, Operation Financial Freedom, served as the theme of the conference. Tyrone Brown, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, also provided outstanding resources and information. 

L-R: Maritza Rabinowitz, IRS; Mary Baker, TRDA; Tom Gallman, U.S. SBA; Tony Zacchio, VBOC

James Dicks shakes hands with Tony Espinosa, FSBDCN PTAC Specialist

L-R: Joellen Moore, United Space Alliance; James Dicks, Premier Trade, LLC; Deborah Melvin, The Boeing Company; Vicky Peake, SBDC at BCC

SBDC Provides Information for Virtual Entrepreneur Center
The SBDC at BCC collaborated with the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast to provide business resource information for Brevard County entrepreneurs through the Florida High Tech Corridor Council (FHTCC) Virtual Entrepreneur Center (VEC) www.flvec.com. The VEC catalogs local, regional, state and global resources for starting and growing a business. FHTCC and EDC representatives unveiled the Virtual Center in Brevard at the September Founders Forum Entrepreneur of the Year dinner. SBDC at BCC Operations Coordinator Sandy Pfrimmer was instrumental in collecting the Brevard data and was recognized for her outstanding efforts at a regional FHTCC meeting and at Founders Forum.

Teen Entrepreneurship Conference Brings Partners Together
The SBDC at UNF is planning its fourth Girls Going Places Teen Entrepreneurship Conference for February 27, 2009. The event brings together a number of partners including: Women Business Owners of North Florida, Guardian Life Insurance Company, Regions Bank, Girls Inc., Junior Achievement and others.

SBDC Participates in 3rd Annual Entrepreneur Fair in Orlando
The SBDC at UCF participated in the third annual Entrepreneur Fair hosted by the Disney Entrepreneur Center. The event featured small business workshops and a trade show for more than 400 Central Florida entrepreneurs. The fair is held annually at the Disney Entrepreneur Center to highlight the services and resources available at the Center. The SBDC at UCF hosted a display booth at the trade show, showcasing the programs, training and counseling services available at the SBDC.

Inaugural Small Business Summit Held in Orlando

L-R: Eunice Choi, Nicole Brin and Kellie Snaith at Small Business Summit

The SBDC at UCF participated in the Orlando Regional Chamber’s inaugural Small Business Summit on September 26. The Summit hosted over 700 small business owners, entrepreneurs and service providers and featured learning labs, panel discussions, a trade show and several nationally recognized speakers. Their aim was to educate Central Florida small businesses. SBDC at UCF Regional Director, Eunice Choi, participated as a panel member for one of the most popular learning labs, “Funding Sources for Small Business.” In addition, two SBDC at UCF clients, Rod Vargas and Sharad Mehta, participated as panel members for a learning lab entitled “Women and Minority-Owned Business Success Stories.” Vargas and Mehta are both former recipients of the U.S. SBA Small Business Person of the Year Award for Florida and represented the benefits of utilizing the SBDC to grow their businesses. The SBDC at UCF participated at the “community partner” level for the event which included participating on the steering committee. The committee met numerous times throughout 2007 and 2008 to ensure the event was a success.

SBDC Hosts Reception for Potential Advisory Board Council Clients
The SBDC at UCF and its Advisory Board Council program hosted a reception for small business owners on September 23. Over 80 small business owners, current clients and volunteers attended. The agenda for the event consisted of a program overview by Program Manager Jill Kaufman and a testimonial by client-company American Home Companion, a two-time client of the program. The SBDC at UCF hosts these quarterly receptions to attract potential new clients to the Advisory Board Council program.

SBDC at SCC Partners to Initiate New Economic Stimulus
The SBDC at Seminole Community College, in partnership with the Oviedo – Winter Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce, through its quarterly Business Roundtable Forum of small business owners and elected public officials, created public awareness and successfully prompted the Oviedo City Council to unanimously pass a new economic stimulus in the form of a city ordinance easing restrictions on commercial signage.

Staff Engage With Potential Resource Partners for New SBDC Host
Throughout the quarter, all members of the SBDC at FAU staff were engaged in discussions with potential resource partners interested in hosting the South Florida SBDC in 2009 and beyond. Meetings with educational institutions, economic development organizations, county and city governments, private sector companies and others were contacted and provided information on the program including services provided, results of services, administrative responsibilities, financial obligations and more.

SBDC Participates in Mentor-Protégé Program
The SBDC at FAU continued its partnership with Bell Helicopter in Texas by providing management and technical support to a small business in Lake Worth as part of their Mentor-Protégé program. The experience has been extremely valuable for opening up the possibility of participating in similar Mentor-Protégé programs sponsored by other federal agencies. The program has a third year of funding available; however, the SBDC at FAU will not be able to participate, since the SBDC program at FAU will be terminated as of December 31, 2008.

Representative Grimsley and Bill McKown

SBDC Staff Arranges Tour By Representative Grimsley Bill McKown, CBA at the SBDC at USF's Avon Park office located at South Florida Community College (SFCC), arranged for District 77 Florida House Representative Denise Grimsley to tour the SFCC's Corporate and Continuing Education building and the building which houses the nursing program. SFCC President Norm Stephens directed the tour.

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Business Education: Motivation, Inspiration & Creativity

SBDC’s Healthcare Center for Excellence Brings USF Closer to the Community
The SBDC at USF has been busy implementing an Individual Center of Excellence (I.C.E.) in Healthcare counseling. There has been a concerted effort amongst all SBDC business analysts and staff to assist healthcare entities by utilizing the experiences gained in working with small businesses and adjusting the knowledge in a manner that focuses on one specific industrial segment.  Dr. Francis Rankin heads the Doctorate in Clinical Nurse Practitioner program (DCLNP) at USF Health and has welcomed the SBDC with open arms. Ph.D. Nurse Practitioners will fill the shortage of Primary Family Doctors that looms in the future.

Mario Iezzoni CBA has been working closely with Dr. Rankin by proctoring the “Doctor Rankin Practice Management Class”, providing critical insight, and educating students who will eventually open a medical practice or take a major management role in existing practices. Several of those students have already begun working with SBDC business analysts outside of the classroom to develop their business plans. The SBDC, given its long reach and extensive network with the business community, has brought an impressive array of speakers to Dr. Rankin’s students. Certified Business Analysts, such as Daniel Scott and Kim Wagner, who have expertise in feasibility analysis, human resources and marketing, identified key issues that are unique to healthcare entities to discuss with Dr. Rankin’s students. Albert Lee, former SBDC analyst and now Vice President of Small Business Lending at Fifth-Third Bank, has also conducted presentations. Besides these speakers, Iezzoni has also recruited two other experts in the healthcare industry, Tom Nunn and Frank Cohen.  Nunn, who Iezzoni has counseled through the SBDC for the past two years, is an expert in healthcare patient processing management. Cohen is a respected, well-known healthcare consultant and a six sigma black belt. He has offered to teach two classes for free on topics that he is paid thousands to present nationwide. When Iezzoni asked Cohen why he would conduct the classes for free, Cohen said, “to give back to the community.” 

Small Business Owners Learn to Do Business with Local Government

Doing Business with Local Government, speakers and SBDC staff Kellie Snaith, Eunice Choi and Tony Espinosa

The SBDC at UCF hosted a one-day workshop entitled “Doing Business with Local Government” on September 11. The workshop was sponsored by Orange County Government and provided small business owners with the knowledge and tools to immediately begin creating opportunities with local government and other entities. The workshop featured the PTAC’s Tony Espinosa and several local government procurement experts including keynote speaker Judy Bradt, principal and CEO of Summit Insight.

SBDC Collaborates With FAU Centers on Ways to Expand Services
Representatives of the SBDC met several times with the Director of the FAU Adams Center for Entrepreneurship to learn more about the goals and objectives of the center and provide support where possible. Ideas were presented in terms of expanding the scope of the business plan competition and a business opportunity for the student run entrepreneurship club.

The SBDC presented an idea to the Director of the FAU Center for Excellence in writing to provide business plan writing services, focusing on the academic and research mission of the university. The idea was initially embraced by several colleges and has been expanded to include professional and technical writing. A feasibility study is being crafted to test the concept.
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Diversity Through Collaboration

SBDCs Form Partnerships to Assist Special Emphasis Groups
SBDCs throughout the state have partnered with their host institutions and other organizations to offer events and services to special emphasis groups this fall.  

The SBDC at UNF partnered with the U.S. Small Business Administration North Florida District Office to host the first annual 8(a) Contractors’ meeting, which included program updates, workshops and networking opportunities. The SBDC at UNF also partnered with the First Coast Business Alliance to host its annual Youth Entrepreneurship Summit for inner-city youth during Minority Enterprise Development Week and operated a trade show booth for the annual Women Business Owners’ Taste of Entrepreneurship event.

L-R: Charlene Bostic, Maria Yepes, Eileen Rodriguez and Desiree Hanson (USF Supplier Diversity Manager)	Charlene Bostic, Maria Yepes and Eileen Rodriguez, SBDC at the University of South Florida staff, shared a booth at the 2008 Florida Minority Supplier Development Council (FMSDC) trade show in August with USF’s Supplier Diversity Program.
		Walter (L) and Roy (R) DeCastro, SBDC clients participate in diversity program

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Community Awareness: SBDC Visibility

VBOC Director Featured as an Expert Panelist on National Television Show
On September 11, Tony Zacchio, Director of the FSBDCN's Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC), located at the SBDC at Gulf Coast Community College, was featured as a guest expert panelist on the business community's acclaimed national television show, The BIG IDEA starring Donny Deutsch. The topic of the segment was based around a couple in Alabama that is trying to launch a new innovative product in the sports training market. The husband is a veteran of the armed forces and, therefore, The BIG IDEA turned to Zacchio for assistance with local business counseling resources and mentoring for his budding enterprise. The BIG IDEA airs on CNBC nightly at 10pm ET and features the best and brightest in the arena of business.

FSBDCN Event Highlighted in National Community College Entrepreneurship Journal
Robert Goetz, Manager of the SBDC at Seminole Community College, discussed the May SBIR/STTR National Conference, coordinated by the FSBDCN, in the Community College Entrepreneurship quarterly journal, a publication of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship. View the article online at www.nacce.com/resources/journal/journal.pdf on page 13.

SBDC Client Provides Food Service at Veterans Conference and NASA/KSC Expo

Greg Jones, a veteran and SBDC at Brevard Community College client, opened Mr. J’s Ice Cream, a mobile ice cream vendor, in November 2007. Mr. J’s provided after conference food service at the SBDC's 8th Annual Veterans Conference. Mr. J’s was so enthusiastically accepted that the NASA/KSC planning team for the 2008 Small Business Expo invited Mr. J’s to participate as a vendor at the Expo in October. SBDC staff members, Heather Allen, Sandy Pfrimmer and Vicky Peake also exhibited and counseled at the NASA/KSC Small Business Expo.

Presentations, Quotes and Participation in Events to Create Awareness
The SBDCs at UNF and USF have been active in promoting awareness of SBDC services and small business issues during this quarter.

For example, SBDC at UNF CBA, Dominic Orsini, organized a luncheon with City of Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan and several SBDC clients to discuss ways the City could support the SBDC program and the area’s many small businesses.

	Daniel Scott CBA SBDC at the University of South Florida Tampa
	Wayne Brass CBA SBDC at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg
	Robert Goetz CBA SBDC at Seminole Community College / UCF Region Sanford
	Robert Myers CBA SBDC at the University of North Florida Jacksonville