Florida scores big during Small Business Week

The U.S. Small Business Administration has deemed this week National Small Business Week, and thus far, Florida has been well-represented. Two South Florida organizations have won prestigious awards:

» In the 2012 Entrepreneurial Development Awards, South Palm Beach SCORE chapter was named National SCORE Chapter of the Year. The chapter, headed by Chapter Chair Hal Finkelstein and District Director Wolfgang H. Kurpiers, earned this distinction for its tremendous growth in clients served and for its success in public outreach.

» This year’s Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award winner was the Women’s Business Center at Florida Tech, Melbourne, Fla. The WBC built a solid reputation for its innovation and high quality training services to women entrepreneurs. At the helm is Director Donn Miller-Kermani, under whose leadership more than 5,000 individuals received educational and networking opportunities during the last four fiscal years. Miller-Kermani, former Director of the WBC and current Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Florida Tech, accepted the award on behalf of the Center (photo below).

Photo taken earlier today (Monday, May 21, 2012) at the Entrepreneurial Development Awards. From left to right: Ann Bradbury (SBA's Office of Small Business Development Centers); Marie Johns, SBA Deputy Administrator; Dr. Donn Miller-Kermani, Karen Mills, SBA Administrator; Ana Harvey (SBA Office of Women's Business Ownership), Ellen Thrasher (SCORE)

Most of the National Small Business events will be webcast. Click for schedule.

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Column from Business CoacH Ron Stein How to tell if your marketing works or not Does your marketing stink? Don’t brush this off too quickly. More than likely you know deep down that your marketing isn’t as effective at growing sales as you’d like. The beautiful thing about marketing is that when done correctly it leads to a sale. But that’s the end result. Before laying out the warning signs of a stinky marketing effort, let’s define what marketing is... » Continued Florida Trend's Business Coach Ron Stein

Battle of the theme parks

Universal Studios, the theme park chain controlled by Comcast, has thrown down the gauntlet in the battle of the theme parks. Universal will be replicating their Harry Potter attraction at parks in California and Japan while expanding the boy wizard’s presence in Orlando. At Universal Orlando, new draws include a refurbished Spider-Man ride, a lavish parade, a high-tech fountain and pyrotechnics show and a ride based on "Despicable Me." Disney will soon beef up a previously planned expansion to its Magic Kingdom park in Orlando and spend an estimated $500 million on an “Avatar”-themed addition to its nearby Animal Kingdom park. More at the New York Times.

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To get a voice in Tallahassee, local governments pay lobbyists

Although the economic downturn has caused local government agencies to make tough budget decisions, many are still carving out room for Tallahassee lobbyists. A Times/Herald analysis of lobbyist compensation reports for the first three months of 2012 shows that spending by local agencies will fall somewhere between $3.1 million and $9.2 million. Numerous city and county governments have long-standing relationships with firms while others, like the city of Lealman in Pinellas County, hire lobbyists as needed. More at the Tampa Bay Times.

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Jerry Osteryoung's small biz advice
Questions from staff are an opportunity to teach

There is no question in my mind that the primary job of a manager or entrepreneur is to help their staff progress and support each employee’s efforts. Your job as the leader of the team is not just to provide a fountain of answers, but to enable your staff to become the best they can be. So many times when I am consulting with organizations, I see managers who are so busy that all they have time to do is quickly answer questions. Of course, answering questions is important, but if this is the only way you are interacting with your staff, you are not empowering them or using your time efficiently... Continued....

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Raymond James independent broker CEO hands over duties to Scott Curtis

Raymond James Financial longtime independent brokerage unit Chief Executive Officer Dick Averitt said on Monday that he was handing over his duties to Scott Curtis, completing a management transition set in motion in November. Averitt, who turned 67 in January, first joined Raymond James in 1978 and had run its network of independent brokers since 2002. More at Reuters.

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Sports business
Women GMs mean business in minors

From ESPN comes a look at women General Managers in minor-league baseball. Two Florida teams are on the list: Lisa Fegley is GM of the Palm Beach Cardinals and Melissa Kuper is GM of the Jupiter Hammerheads. Both were installed as GMs earlier this year by Jupiter Stadium Ltd., which operates the two Florida State League franchises. More about women GMs in the minor leagues at ESPN.