Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Friday's Afternoon Update

National housing outlook dims

A spate of new economic reports shows that a speedier recovery of the national housing market does not appear in the cards this year. Housing experts are dialing back rosier projections in favor of another ho-hum year, where home sales are flat and prices climb to make ownership less affordable. More at McClatchy and Bloomberg.


Gainesville-created app packs a lot of musical punch

A musical app created by Gainesville-based company Psicada was named one of Apple's best new apps after its launch in March. The Earhoof app is meant to be played as a standalone, virtual instrument on an iPad. More at the Gainesville Sun.


Retailers get creative with Pinterest

Healthy Business

How Getting Fit Can Get You Promoted

fitness
Being physically fit and prioritizing healthy living can have a direct link to one's ability to perform well in the workplace.

NASA conducted a study showing that people who make exercise a habit are consistently more productive after seven hours of work than those that don't.

» Full story from Inc.

Retailers increasingly are using Pinterest, a social media site that allows users to create collections of photos, articles, recipes, videos and other images that are called "pins," to draw business to their own sites. More at the AP.


Collier County wants oil company's permit revoked

Collier County wants the state to revoke a permit for a Texas oil company recently fined for an unauthorized operation. County commissioners voted to ask the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to revoke the permit allowing the Dan A. Hughes Co. to drill on an island surrounded by a sanctuary. More at the AP.


A real-life version of Kickstarter is drawing crowds and cash to Jacksonville

Part fundraiser, part pitch contest, and part real-life Kickstarter campaign, the One Spark festival is picking up steam. Earlier this month, the company hosted its second ever crowdfunding extravaganza, which drew a crowd of 260,000 attendees who funneled $363,000 into more than 600 projects. More at Fortune.

Business Profile
Brown's Interiors

interiors  Steve Brown, co-founder and chief executive of Brown's Interiors in Boca Raton, left his family the greatest gift he could: a well-run business that would prosper after he's gone. Brown, 58, died the morning of April 9. No family expects such a tragedy, but one in business together needs to plan for one, experts say. The Browns' nearly 40-year-old interior design business will go on, the family says.

» Full story from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel