Monday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 12/29/2014

Small businesses back in hiring mode as customers splurge

If you're looking for signs that the U.S. economy is growing and that the job market is improving, just talk to small-business owners. After cutting back on spending for years, people are splurging again. More at the AP.

Restaurants and shops following condos to downtown Sarasota

Downtown Sarasota is in transition. Businesses opened and closed there this year, but local retail and restaurant boosters say they have high hopes for 2015, especially with new tenants due to open in the area in the coming months. More at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Time-shares becoming bigger part of Disney's lodging portfolio

Research
Unconventional weapon in war on cancer: math

By mathematically modeling cancer, researchers think they could predict how to outmaneuver the disease's ability to become resistant to medications. Patients could one day get personalized models — sort of like their own hurricane track models — that predict how their cancer might react to a particular dosage or sequence of existing drugs.

» More from the Tampa Bay Times

The resort's number of hotel rooms has shrunk as its Polynesian Village Resort converts rooms in three of its buildings into 360 new time-share villas. It's the resort's largest-ever conversion of hotel rooms into units for its growing Disney Vacation Club. More at the Orlando Sentinel.

Florida to increase minimum wage Thursday

On New Year's Day, Florida's minimum wage will increase by 12 cents to $8.05 per hour, benefiting an estimated 364,000 low-wage workers in the state. The minimum wage for tipped workers in Florida will rise by 12 cents to $5.03 per hour. More at PNJ.com.

How to build and maintain a successful customer relationship

Doing business of any kind obligates you to establish and maintain relationships with your customers. The deeper your relationships, the better off you are because they become much harder to break. More from Jerry Osteryoung.

Newsmakers of the Year
Gov. Rick Scott - Outside In

As the 2014 campaign session began, Florida Gov. Rick Scott appeared in grave danger of losing his job. Now, the former hospital executive is just the second two-term Republican governor in Florida history. How'd he do it?