Tuesday's Daily Pulse
What's ahead for small business this year
Every year brings change for small businesses: new laws and taxes, new challenges, opportunities, and concerns. So what does 2013 have in store for small businesses and entrepreneurs? Rhonda Abrams outlines this year's small business climate.
 Universal, which has added 500 employees, will open its Transformers ride this summer. » STORY |
Heads in beds: Theme park tourism surge
Tourism continued its statewide surge in 2012, nowhere more strongly than at theme parks in the Orlando area, which added thousands of jobs and pumped millions of dollars into the local economy with ongoing expansions. Full story...
Gov. Scott wants to give state workers performance bonuses
Gov. Rick Scott wants to provide performance pay for state workers and he is confident the Legislature will go along. But what remained unclear is if the funding would be there to give the plan any value. More from the Tallahassee Democrat and the News Service of Florida.
From students to start-ups: College grads open businesses
A brave cadre of recent college graduates are starting their own businesses. Despite the slow economy, grads and teachers say they are motivated not so much by want of jobs but by a desire to work for themselves or build their dreams. [Source: Miami Herald]
COLUMN: Commercial short sale benefits for buyers
I have written that it is better to buy an existing small business than it is to start a new one. It is less risky, because of the positive cash flow and historical track record on which to base your buying decision. You are also getting an existing customer list and experienced employees to take the company to its next level. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Florida food historian Andy Huse dives into Cuban sandwich debate [Tampa Bay Times]
Forget the fiscal cliff. The year just past may be remembered for another heated deadlock: Tampa and Miami's Great Cuban Sandwich challenge.
› Agency consolidation could slow need for toll hikes [Orlando Sentinel]
No one is sure how many jobs might be eliminated or how much money could be saved, but the state's four main toll-road agencies are moving to consolidate their backroom operations.
› Florida Heart Group sells to Florida Hospital [Orlando Sentinel]
Adding to the growing trend toward hospitals acquiring physician practices, Florida Hospital announced Monday that its medical group has purchased one of the region's largest cardiology practices.
› Instant revival for Polaroid? [Miami Herald]
Polaroid plans to open a chain of retail stores where customers can print pictures from mobile devices. First test: Next month in Delray Beach.
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› Lottery turns 25 with new logo [Orlando Sentinel]
The Florida Lottery turned 25 years old Monday — and celebrated by adopting a new logo. The silhouette of a flamingo that dominated the old logo has been replaced by a close-up of the pink bird's head, beak and upper torso.
› What's in a name? Ask 'South Miami' church in the Gables [Miami Herald]
If the church is located in Coral Gables city limits, why is it named the First United Methodist Church of South Miami?
› Foreclosure mill head faces Florida Bar discipline [Palm Beach Post]
The owner of the Fort Lauderdale-based Law Offices of Marshall C. Watson has agreed to plead guilty to offenses found during a Florida Bar investigation in what is believed to be the first disciplinary action taken by the regulatory group against a so-called foreclosure mill.
› Disney reveals NextGen details with "MyMagic+" [Orlando Sentinel]
After more than three years in development and $1 billion in spending, the Walt Disney Co. on Monday unveiled the central elements of "Next Generation Experience," the sweeping, vacation-planning project aimed at getting travelers to spend more time and money at Walt Disney World.