Employers face penalty if state rejects federal money

Florida businesses have more at stake in the Legislature’s decision on Medicaid expansion than they might realize, tax-policy experts say. Florida’s larger employers could face tax penalties of $146 million to $219 million a year if the state says no to federal funds and fails to cover low-income uninsured people via Medicaid. [Source: Health News Florida]

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Business Profile Student Maid Kristen Hadeed has spent the last five years molding her cleaning and concierge business, Student Maid, from a lean startup into a full-service industry leader. Now, the company is preparing to expand to Pensacola with its first remote office opening May 1. » Full story from the Gainesville Business Report » Student Maid official site

Bike shops, like drugstores and car dealers, now come in clusters

Competition among independently owned bicycle shops in Gainesville is gearing up as a number of new shops have recently opened and relocated. And several of the bike shops are now concentrated in two areas of town. [Source: Gainesville Sun]

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Three Palm Beach County companies to expand, add jobs

The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County announced that three area companies are expanding, creating 46 jobs and retaining 53. Read the details of the companies at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

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» FRIDAY PREVIEW: Coming next week to FloridaTrend.com:

• Early Spanish settlers saw Florida as 'a business opportunity': Two entrepreneurial Spaniards who chose to stay in Florida when the British took control in 1763 became wealthy -- and began family trees whose branches include present-day Floridians.
• Hispanic diversity in Florida: Depending on where you live in the state, the largest group of Hispanics may be Mexicans, Puerto Ricans or Cubans.
• An American Dream: A Latina-owned business: The largest Latina-owned business in the nation is Carmen Castillo's SDI International.
• The Mission Culture in Florida: North Florida was once the seat of Hispanic culture in Florida.

» You'll find all these stories first on the Daily and Afternoon Pulse e-mails.

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Travel Tips Road Trips USA: Seeking the best Florida travel tips On Monday 29 April, The Guardian will begin Road Trips USA, a series of reader-guided road trips across America. Guardian journalists will pitch up in a part of the country, with no plans, no accommodation and no firm route. The trip through Florida will be decided entirely by reader tips. » To see more and find out how you can tell The Guardian where to go, click here.