Gov. Scott wants another boost in money for schools

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is calling for another increase in spending on public schools in the coming year, although his latest request is less than half of what he pushed for in 2013. Last year Scott wanted a $1.2 billion increase that included enough money to grant teachers a $2,500 pay raise. Teachers wound up getting raises, although not all of them got the exact amount promised by the governor. More at the AP and CBS Miami.

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Sales and Marketing Advice for Florida business
How to become the go-to expert in your industry

Your company has been in business for years. You’ve created a solid product that customers truly love. In fact, in head-to-head evaluations your offering always comes out on top. The expertise and reputation of your company is obvious. Yet, for some reason others are perceived as experts, but not you. Read Ron Stein's full column.

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Small businesses turn to social media marketing to build brands

Remembrance Patrick Smith Author and Florida Icon Patrick Smith, who penned one of America’s most enduring novels, “A Land Remembered,” passed away Sunday at the age of 86. » Read more from Florida Today » Read our Florida Icon conversation with Patrick Smith.

In 2014, say experts, digital marketing is no longer simply a way to bump up brand awareness: It has become essential. With 73 percent of U.S. internet users turning to social networking sites and 53 percent of American adults carrying a smart phone, businesses that don’t employ social network marketing may find themselves losing out to the competition. More at the Miami Herald.

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Small Business Advice
Courage is an essential business trait for entrepreneurs

Aristotle called courage the first virtue because it makes all other virtues possible, and Ben Horowitz, a founding partner of Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, said that great entrepreneurs have two key qualities: brilliance and courage. Read more from Jerry Osteryoung.

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Florida firm seeks to be “TurboTax” of immigration process

South Florida native Felice Gorordo is taking the lead of an online firm which wants to become the “TurboTax” of the immigration process. The company, Clearpath Inc., was founded by former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Chief Michael Petrucelli in 2009 as a private sector solution to simplify the United States’ complex visa application process. More at the AP.

International Trade Expanding Opportunities with Japan Florida’s links with Japan date back at least as far as the early 20th century, when Florida authorities and Henry Flagler recruited young Japanese men in an attempt to create a farming community in southeast Florida. The Yamato Colony never truly got off the ground, and World War II put an end to all efforts. Eventually, the land on which it sat became the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach. The 2010 Census showed about 13,224 people of Japanese descent still in the state. » Full story

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