Monday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 3/12/2018

Florida unemployment holds below 4 percent as state adds 10,500 jobs

Florida’s unemployment rate was 3.9 percent in January, lower than the national rate of 4.1 percent. The state added a solid 10,500 jobs in January. Florida’s annual job growth rate of 1.9 percent continues to exceed the national rate of 1.7 percent. See the statement from Gov. Rick Scott, read full employment numbers from Florida's Department of Economic Opportunity, and find more analysis at the Ocala Star-Banner.

Sales and Marketing Advice
Have a love affair with your customers and love the results

Do your customers love your products as much as you do? Do you love your customers the way you would love your best friend? These are not meant to be "gotcha" questions. But it does require some soul searching. Read Ron Stein's full column.

The Rocket Lounge business incubator and accelerator has a new Naples headquarters

The Rocket Lounge has launched in Naples. The new headquarters for the business incubator and accelerator — on the fourth floor of the Bank of America financial center in Park Shore — is nearly twice as big as its original spot in downtown Fort Myers, which lifted off in 2016. More from the Naples Daily News.

Pensacola entrepreneur dreams of teaching AI, robotics and innovation

Many of today's most influential businesses were new or non-existent 20 years ago. Still, these solutions will be old hat 20 years from now, replaced by a new crop of startup businesses. And Pensacola entrepreneur Lloyd Reshard wants to increase the odds that those businesses will be started in Florida. More from the Pensacola News Journal.

South Florida CEOs have a list of issues they hope new mayors will tackle

This week’s question to South Florida CEOs who are on the Miami Herald CEO Roundtable: Two major cities in Miami-Dade have new mayors: Miami Beach and Miami. What issues would you like to see Mayors Dan Gelber and Francis Suarez address this year? More from the Miami Herald.

Manufacturing
Sarasota-Manatee's biggest manufacturing operations

Big companies like Sun, PGT Innovations, Tropicana Products and Tervis are major employers in Sarasota and Manatee counties, but there are plenty of smaller manufacturers here that play important roles in driving and diversifying the economy.

» More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Profile
Black Bee Honey

At the first Parramore Farmer’s Market, Christopher Thornton,17, couldn’t believe how many customers were buying up jars of honey sold under a business he helped create. By day’s end, Black Bee Honey, run by teenagers at the city’s Parramore Kidz Zone, had sold out of all four varieties of its sweet stuff and banked more than $2,000.