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Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Marriott to buy Starwood to create world's biggest hotel chain
Marriott International will buy Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide for $12.2 billion to create the world's largest hotel chain with top brands including Sheraton, Ritz Carlton and the Autograph Collection. Marriott has at least 305 hotels in Florida; Starwood has 56. The combined company will have over 5,500 hotels internationally with 1.1 million rooms worldwide, giving Marriott greater presence in markets such as Europe, Latin America and Asia and allowing it to better compete with apartment-sharing startups such as Airbnb. Read the full story here.
» What Marriott’s purchase of Starwood means for your hotel reward points
» Must Starwood elites give up the high life under Marriott?
Sales and Marketing Advice for Florida Business
Why you need to analyze business wins - as well as losses
Whether the win is big or small, we rarely sit down to discuss what went wrong and what went well. Do you? Improve your competitiveness and boost revenue by taking the time to conduct win/loss assessments. Find out how in the latest column from Ron Stein.
Small businesses often shortchanged in economic incentive programs
Economic incentive programs in Florida and 13 other states are heavily tilted against the small businesses that generate most new job growth in the private sector, a study by a subsidies watchdog found. Read more at the Washington Post. The full study is here (PDF).
5 industries with strongest entrepreneurial growth potential
Technology, healthcare, education services, creative industries and food/beverage are entrepreneurial industries that play to Miami’s strengths and appear to have the strongest growth potential in the local innovation economy, a new report by Endeavor Miami finds. More at the Miami Herald.
Small Business Advice
Clear clutter and streamline your business
So many of us -- businesses too -- carry so much stuff with us, just in case it is needed someday. While that practice may seem sensible, the only thing it really does is load us down and inhibit our ability to just be. Read more from Jerry Osteryoung.
Florida Small Business
Corporate filings at-a-glance
A chart that explains what information is required on documents to be registered with the Division of Corporations can be found here at Florida Small Business .
Out of the Box
A gas station of a former day
Rocking chairs and full service are era touches of a seeming bygone era at the BP station in St. Petersburg owned by Dave Percival. The station is one of only a few that still offers full service. Attendants pump gas for customers, check tire pressure and check oil for no extra charge. Read more from the Tampa Bay Times and see a video below:
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