The FSBDCN is one of eight original national 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 FSBDCN is a statewide network of 35 centers, involving universities, colleges and other economic development organizations, with additional outreach provided at 60 resource partner locations.

L-R: Dr. Dennis Gallon, The College President; Jacie Keeley, SBDC Director; Sondra Goldstein, Registered Investment Advisor National Planning Corporation	Girls Going Places Participants	L-R: Jackie Rule, Procurement Specialist; Jacie Keeley; Mike Bell, Procurement Specialist
The SBDC and Procurement Technical Assistance Center at Palm Beach State College (The College) hosted Girls Going Places Entrepreneurship Conference along with the Guardian Group and the National Planning Corporation. The event was held on November 13 at The College, Boca campus and was attended by 86 girls, 12 to 18, from Palm Beach and northern Broward County area schools. They were mentored by Palm Beach County women business leaders in the field of entrepreneurship. Since 1999 Girls Going Places has hosted 80 of these events around the country. This was the first of what will be an annual event for The College. Dr. Dennis Gallon, President of The College addressed the group about their future roles as community leaders and SBDC Director Jacie Keeley concluded the event with a pep talk.

The SBDC at UCF and its Advisory Board Council program hosted a reception for small business owners in November 2009. Held at the Disney Entrepreneur Center for over 80 small business owners, current clients and volunteers, the event included welcome remarks by John Lewis, Orange County Economic Development Administrator; an overview of the Advisory Board Council by Jill Kaufman, Program Manager; and a client testimonial by Rhonda Copley, Praxis Software.

Representative Eisnaugle Hosts Small Business Summit
The SBDC at UCF's Kellie Snaith attended the Small Business Summit hosted by State Representative Eric Eisnaugle November 16, at UCF's Executive Development Center. Snaith served on a panel of various small business service providers including the SBA, SCORE, BBIF and UCF's newly formed Economic Gardening Institute. She presented an overview of the services available at the SBDC and fielded questions.

Economic Gardening Takes Root in Orlando
The State’s Economic Gardening Program, featuring both a loan program and a technical program, was unveiled during the fourth quarter of 2009. SBDC at UCF Regional Director Eunice Choi was invited to the Florida Economic Gardening Program internal orientation for partners.

SBDC at UCF and SBRN Central Florida Teams with Toys for Tots
For the third year, the Central Florida Small Business Resource Network and the SBDC at UCF collected toys at the SBRN’s December holiday luncheon. Four U.S. Marines attended and accepted the donation on behalf of the Toys for Tots program.

VET NET/TECH NET Highlights Author Allen H. Kupetz The SBDC at BCC proudly highlighted Allen H. Kupetz, author of The Future of Less, at the December 2009 combined VET NET/TECH NET holiday gathering. Brevard County’s Workforce and Mike Hogan, SBDC veteran-owned business client, stepped up to sponsor.

L-R: Brevard Workforce Veteran Representative; Allen Kupetz; Tony Espinosa, PTAC Specialist at UCF; Victoria Peake, SBDC at BCC Director; and Gary Beckert, GA Beckert and Associates and TECH NET facilitator

SBDC at Indian River State College Serves on College's 50th Anniversary Committee and ARRA Funding Task Force
Donna Rivert, Director of the SBDC at Indian River State College (IRSC), served on the college's 50th Anniversary Committee, consisting of 25 college members, and the ARRA Funding Task Force. The anniversary is expected to be a huge event for the campus and the 4-county service district. It will include special events and presentations throughout the year. Activities began in January 2010 and each month will have a focus: students, alumni, Board of Trustees, faculty, Staff, etc. Signature events include the SBDC at IRSC's co-sponsored Entrepreneurship Week that was held in February and the 2010 Business Women's Conference that will take place in October.

The ARRA Funding Task Force is made up of representatives from different divisions across IRSC. Its mission is to be watchful for funding opportunities from ARRA initiatives. SBDC Director Donna Rivett is responsible for Economic Development and Workforce Opportunities. The task force began meeting seven months ago, and has already secured over $700,000 in Workforce Funds.

SBDC at UNF Partners With Legislators to Hold Events
Florida House of Representatives members Debbie Boyd and Leonard Bembry hosted a Small Business Resource Fair in Lake City on September 1 at Lake City Community College.  The half-day event attracted close to 100 attendees. The SBDC at UNF organized the event which included panel presentations on Selling to the Government, Tapping into the Stimulus and Other Federal and State Opportunities, and Managing for Small Business Success. It also included a resource fair featuring 13 agencies and organizations that provide assistance to small business.

The SBDC at UNF, Ocala office, participated in Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite’s event, “Business Success in Difficult Economic Times.” SBDC Area Director Philip Geist made a presentation.

SBDC at UNF Partners With St. Johns County to Open Center
The SBDC at UNF partnered with the St. Johns County Commission and opened a full-service SBDC office in St. Augustine on October 1, 2009.  The office is located in the County Administration Permitting office and is staffed by Certified Business Analyst Marge Cirillo.  A reception was hosted at Regions Bank to introduce Cirillo and the new services.

SBDC at UNF Facilitates Research Contract Between St. Johns County and Coggin COB
Cathy Hagan, from the SBDC at UNF, facilitated a meeting between the St. Johns County Manager and a faculty member in the Coggin College of Business resulting in a research contract to explore the role of economic development in the county.

SBDC at UNF Rejoins PTAC Program
The SBDC at UNF rejoined the Procurement Technical Assistance Center program this quarter. PTAC offers counseling and training in how to sell to the government to business owners in the 18-county service area. Lisa Haggerty is the new PTAC specialist.

SBDC at UWF Participates in Resources Meeting Called By Emergency Management
Larry Strain represented the SBDC at UWF at a meeting of resources who are likely to have a role in carrying out ESF-18 in the event of a disaster. The meeting was called by the Director of Emergency Management and the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is designated as the responsible party. Each organization that attended gave an overview of what they could be called upon to do following a disaster. Each was allowed to present a brief overview of their resources and expertise. Strain highlighted the SBDC's experience from the storms of 2004, 2005 and told the group about the FSBDCN's Mobile Business Assistance Centers (MACs). He also discussed the role the SBDC would play in executing the Bridge Loan program when needed.

L-R: Ed Gray, Past Chairman; Larry Strain; Cindy Anderson; Ferd Saloman

SBDC at UWF Presents Regional Resource Partner Award to TEAM Santa Rosa At the October meeting of the Board of Directors of TEAM Santa Rosa EDC, SBDC at UWF Executive Director Larry Strain presented Cindy Anderson, TEAM Executive Director, and Ferd Soloman, Board Chair, with the SBDC at UWF Regional Resource Partner of the Year award.  The award was presented to TEAM in recognition of their strong partnership with the SBDC throughout the past 10 years and for their advocacy on behalf of the SBDC.

Trade Resources Expo Held at Disney Entrepreneur Center
The SBDC at UCF participated with a display booth in the “Global Economic Forecast & Trade Resources Expo” sponsored by Enterprise Florida and the Florida District Export Council. The event attracted 80 participants.

SBDC’s Eunice Choi Participates in Small Business Trade Resources Event
Regional Director Eunice Choi represented the SBDC at UCF at the “Broadening Your Horizons with Small Business Trade Resources” event sponsored by the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in August. The event was held at the UCF campus and provided businesses with an overview of the local, state and federal resources available in the community. It also focused on the importance of the Florida-Panama relationship and opportunities for trade with Panama.

Carol Craig, CEO Craig Technologies

L-R: Bonnie O'Regan, Technological Research Development Authority; Loretta Kish, Sea-Watch Technologies, Inc.; and Vicky Peake, Director, SBDC at BCC

Elizabeth Huy, Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast and Brent Peacock, FSBDCN's VBOC

The SBDC at UCF presented a workshop entitled “Doing Business with Local/State Governments” September 23-24. The two-day event, sponsored by Orange County Government, featured a workshop covering such topics as selling to the government, Orange County’s green initiative, ARRA and more. The second day featured a business matchmaking session with 18 local and state purchasing agents. The 113 participants met one-one-one with three agents to learn their expectations.

Seminar Attendees Network With Exhibitors

Kristen Marks, Esq Addresses Conference Attendees

On November 6, the SBDC at UWF held the Gulf Coast Women in Business Get Connected for Success conference targeting women business owners. The conference was attended by nearly 75 people who were entertained and edified by an all-star line up. Topics and presenters included "Fear to Faith: Consciously Create Your Own Economy" by Carol Carlan, CEO Carlan Consulting; "Ten Disasterous Planning Mistakes Women Should Avoid" by Kristen Marks, Esq, My Pink Lawyer; "New Media: Non-Traditional Marketing Tools" by Caron Sjoberg, President, Ideaworks; "Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life" by Wyette Donovan, MSW, LCSW; "Mind Your Business Manners" by Kolleen Edwards, Empower Women's Success; "Meet Your BFF & Score a Federal Contract" by Laura Subel, Manager, Florida PTAC; and "Surviving and Thriving in Difficult Times" by Larry Strain, Executive Director, SBDC at UWF. The luncheon Keynote Speaker was Sue Straughn, Public Affairs Director and News Anchor for WEAR TV3. The conference also offered nearly 20 exhibitors with products and services geared to small businesses, and attendees spent time networking with them.

SBDC at BCC Collaborates With Businesses and Organizations for Differentiation Strategies
The SBDC at BCC collaborated with "We Help" Brevard’s Executive Director Richard Rossell and David Foley, owner of Home Solutions Specialists and Brevard Contractor’s Association and Founders Forum Board member, to assist SBDC client businesses to differentiate their businesses by offering information on senior-friendly, green initiatives and certifications.

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Excellence in Achievements, Improvements and Contributions

SBDC at UCF Inducted Into UCF Millionaires Club for Second Time
For the second year in a row, the SBDC at UCF was inducted into the “UCF Millionaires Club” by UCF’s Office of Research and Commercialization. The UCF Millionaires Club includes faculty/researchers ranging from education to simulation. The sole criteria for the club is sponsored research funding of $1 million or more for the year. Regional Director Eunice Choi was recognized for bringing in $1,114,316 in external funding in 2009.

SBDC Staff Support University Committees and Activities
Kim Wagner participated in the interviewing process and reviewing the business plans for JumpStart. The JumpStart contest brought some notoriety to the USF COB. The SBDC at USF followed up with continued counseling for the winner.

SBDC Director Janice Donaldson served on two important University of North Florida committees, the Coggin College of Business Dean’s Search Committee and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Advisory Committee.
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Diversity Through Collaboration

SBDC at UCF Participates in UCF Supplier Diversity Day
The SBDC at UCF participated in UCF’s Fall Supplier Diversity Day in October. The event was developed to connect businesses to UCF departments and provide them with an understanding of how to do business with the University, and it encourages individual university departments/units to consider buying from small, minority-owned, woman-owned, and service-disabled veteran-owned (SMWBE) business enterprises.

SBDC at UCF Recognized at Fourth Annual Beacon Awards
Eunice Choi represented the SBDC at UCF at the Fourth Annual Beacon Awards event in September. The event recognizes organizations and individuals for celebrating the diversity of Greater Orlando’s workforce by promoting inclusion in areas of race, ethnicity, gender, age, physical and mental ability, religion, socio-economic status and family status. The Disney Entrepreneur Center (DEC) received an award in the non-profit private foundation category.

SBDC at UCF Participates in “Go for the Greens”
The National Association of Women Business Owners held their second annual “Go for the Greens” Business Development Conference on September 11 at the Disney Boardwalk Resort. The conference was developed for women entrepreneurs and included procurement, matchmaking and educational sessions. The SBDC at UCF’s procurement expert, Tony Espinosa, represented the Center and participated in the conference’s “Procurement Hall” which allowed women business owners to speak to experts for guidance.

SBDC at UNF Facilitates Meetings and Serves on Boards
The SBDC at UNF continued to facilitate quarterly meetings of the Small Business Assistance Providers, a group of over 20 nonprofit and government organizations who provide assistance to small business. Marice Hague developed a web site for the group (jaxsmallbizhelp.org) to assist small businesses in accessing the many assistance resources. Kevin Monahan continued to serve on the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center board; and Janice Donaldson continued to serve on the Women Business Owners of North Florida board.
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Community Awareness: SBDC Visibility

Former Florida State Speaker of the House J. Hyatt Brown, Dr Kent Sharples and Ned Harper

SBDC and Daytona State College President Co-Host Living Legends TV Series Daytona State College (DSC) launched the Living Legends series during the third quarter of 2009. Co-hosts Dr. Kent Sharples, DSC President and Ned Harper, SBDC at DSC Director, interview business leaders in the community to uncover their guiding principles and events critical in the development of the greater Daytona Beach area. The mission of Living Legends is to capture the insight and experience of senior leaders in the community in a way that can be broadcast on their local television station and utilized in curriculum throughout the college.

In October 2009, FSBDCN professionals and UWF President Judy Bense participated in the Mexican SBDC’s 10th Annual Conference of AMCDPE in Merida, Mexico. The FSBDCN and Mexican SBDC relationship began in 1995 with the signing of an MOU between the FSBDCN, UWF and the Instituto Tecnologico de Merida (ITM) to establish the Merida-based SBDC. Through the years, ties have strengthened and the Merida program has benefitted from intensive training, in-depth discussions and resource sharing. Because of the Network's long-time relationship, the Mexican Association of SBDCs (AMCDPE) invited FSBDCN professionals to present “Sharing Experiences of the SBDC Network in Florida” to provide a “best practice” overview of various FSBDCN special programs that would benefit the Mexican SBDC. UWF President Judy Bense spoke about the university's role in community disaster recovery. FSBDCN State Director Jerry Cartwright provided an introduction to the FSBDCN and UWF historic relationship with Mexico and Merida TEC; former Assistant State Director Kate Hoelscher spoke on the SBDC at UCF’s Advisory Board Council; Regional Director Eileen Rodriguez provided valuable information about the SBDC at USF’s International Trade Certificate Program; CBA Julio Estremero discussed the details of the SBDC at FGCU’s Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning program; CBA Dominic Orsini provided an overview of the Small Business Resource Network, which began at the SBDC at UNF and later expanded statewide, and he represented five clients seeking to pursue international trade opportunities in Mexico and South America; and SBDC at UWF Regional Director Larry Strain, along with Cindy Anderson, Executive Director of TEAM Santa Rosa (a key resource partner of the SBDC at UWF) spoke about the Panhandle Fresh Marketing program. The panel discussion was presented to a group of over 70 individuals from the Mexican SBDCs. A booklet containing descriptions, in English and Spanish, of each of the programs was provided to participants.

The SBDC at UCF was asked by the national Association of SBDCs to host a group of 26 Brazilian small business advocates following the ASBDC Conference on September 18. The purpose of the group’s visit was to gather information and data to support the possibility of hosting a SBDC network in Brazil. The SBDC at UCF’s Eunice Choi, Jill Kaufman and Kellie Snaith provided a presentation to the group, giving an overview of the SBDC at UCF, the Advisory Board Council and the Small Business Resource Network programs, followed by a tour of the facility.

SBDC at BCC Participates in International-Related Events
SBDC at BCC Director Victoria Peake participated on the US Chamber of Commerce and Congressman Bill Posey’s Business Opportunities for Central Florida: Growing in a Global Economy. Other opportunities and resources for the community panelists were: Bill Ellis, VP for Government and Industry Relations for Health First, moderator; Mike Schiffhauer, Enterprise Florida; Lynda Weatherman, Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast; Chester Straub Jr., Technological Research and Development Authority; and Lisa Rice, Brevard Workforce.