March 29, 2024

Monday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 12/9/2013

Taking advantage of tax breaks for small business

Tax planning may not be on your radar as year-end approaches, but it should be. Some key provisions are set to expire Dec. 31, and the dollar limit for the popular Section 179 deduction on new or used equipment is scheduled to drop dramatically. So before you ring in the new year, re-evaluate your tax strategy to optimize your deductions for the coming year. More From Newsday, the Tampa Bay Times and USA Today.


Sales and Marketing Advice for Florida business
Make your buyer the hero of their story

Everyone loves a hero. Like Superman they swoop in and save the day. Seems natural then that your business would try to position itself as a champion in the prospect’s mind. And it feels good too. After all, you’re helping others solve their problems with your product or service. Well, if this is what your business does, stop doing that! Read Ron Stein's full column.


New social media community aims for baby boomers

Food Business

The next breakout food product is just waiting to be discovered

philly pretzel haven
In Florida, people can take a chance and start a food business without making a hefty investment. The law allows anyone to make cottage food products such as breads, cakes, cookies, candies, jams, jellies and fruit pies in an unlicensed home kitchen as long as sales don’t exceed $15,000 annually. The products must be sold directly to the consumer and cannot be sold over the Internet or wholesale.

» Full story from the Miami Herald

Step aside spring chickens — social media is going to the baby boomers. Boomeon, expected to launch Jan. 1, is a social media community for baby boomers and beyond. It will have content and interactions created specifically for this generation, and it’s based right here in Bonita Springs. More at the Fort Myers News-Press.


Small Business Advice
Firms should weigh carefully the advice they receive

Managers and entrepreneurs receive so much advice, it is often hard to know which to follow. I have seen some entrepreneurs get conflicting advice and keep on asking the same questions in hopes of finding a clean solution to their problem. The trouble here is that we cannot discern good advice from bad if we have not established criteria to evaluate its validity. Read more from Dr. Jerry Osteryoung.


UF Offers Further Education to Florida Businesses

Every business can be better, whether they’re run by seasoned veterans or novice entrepreneurs. Maybe you need help with retention, business development or brainstorming to find solutions in order to drive results. More at the North Central Florida Business Report.

Employment Trends
Temp Training

temporary workersStaffing agencies say temp workers have been a steadily increasing part of the employment mix in South Florida, with a recent surge in demand for temporary retail workers before the holiday sales rush. Temp or contract jobs are popular because they help employers contain costs, allow a company to complete a project without adding permanent staff, and see how an individual performs in a job before extending an offer, the agencies said.

» More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel


Tags: Daily Pulse

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Florida Trend Video Pick

Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices
Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices

Central Floirda chocolate shops are left with a bitter taste as cocoa prices hit an all-time high earlier this week.

Video Picks | Viewpoints@FloridaTrend

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