April 16, 2024

Monday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 9/9/2013

Evaluating Governor Scott's Jobs Claims

Gov. Rick Scott is pulling out all the stops to lure companies to Florida. He convinced lawmakers to cut the sales tax cut on manufacturing equipment and do away with regulations that could hinder economic growth. Scott says his efforts are working and now he's more than halfway to fulfilling his promise to create 700,000 jobs in seven years. The Tampa Bay Times' PolitiFact team rated that claim mostly false. More at WGCU.


Sales and Marketing Advice for Florida business
How to turn bad news into good news and gain a customer for life

We all know that eventually something will go wrong with a promise made to a customer. It happens to the best of companies. And most prospects and customers know it happens too. The measure of a great company is how issues are handled and resolved. Read Ron Stein's full column.


Startup Quest launching in Broward, around the state

Business Profile

Sarasota's Laser Pegs does Lego one better

laser pegs
Jon Capriola is taking on a toy Goliath by making a run at Lego with his own line of buildable bricks and construction toys.

The Sarasota entrepreneur's Laser Pegs toys started as an idea in Capriola's garage and, a decade later, his company has become one of the fastest-growing toy brands on retail shelves.

» Full story from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Startup Quest is a free 10-week program created for college-educated unemployed or under-employed people who want to learn about starting a technology company. In sort of a reverse accelerator fashion, the ideas for the companies that will be created will not come from the class participants themselves — they will come from the mentors in the program, based on technology in the technology licensing programs at FIU, UF, NASA and other schools and agencies. More at the Miami Herald.


Small Business Advice
From a mule comes a leadership lesson

Forcing people to do your will might work sometimes, but there is a better, more effective alternative. You will get far better results if you lead by letting others feel empowered and capable of solving their own problems. Read Jerry Osteryoung's full column.


Recipe for failure? Restaurants open where others went belly up

There are many reasons behind the "cursed location," form bad parking to high rent to the difficulty of opening a new business in general. Hopeful entrepreneurs still take chances on these locales -- and sometimes, they turn them around. More at the Orlando Sentinel.

On the Air
New radio show is in tune with veterans

wsbrFor veterans, camaraderie usually happens in American Legion or VFW posts with dim, smoky bars and wood-paneled walls, bingo on weeknights and fish fry fundraisers. In South Florida, there's now a different kind of forum for the thousands of veterans who live here. It's called Military Mail Call with Sarge, a call-in show on the AM dial, which has a signal that carries from Miami to Stuart to Lake Okeechobee.

» Full story from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel


Tags: Daily Pulse

In case you missed it:

Florida Trend Video Pick

Endangered orangutan born at Busch Gardens, marking milestone
Endangered orangutan born at Busch Gardens, marking milestone

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is welcoming a new member to its family of primates – one who represents the success of orangutan conservation.

Video Picks | Viewpoints@FloridaTrend

Ballot Box

Do you think recreational marijuana should be legal in Florida?

  • Yes, I'm in favor of legalizing marijuana
  • Absolutely not
  • I'm on the fence
  • Other (share thoughts in the comment section below)

See Results

Florida Trend Media Company
490 1st Ave S
St Petersburg, FL 33701
727.821.5800

© Copyright 2024 Trend Magazines Inc. All rights reserved.