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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Airbnb added $1.2 billion to Florida’s economy in 2019
Airbnb hosts have surpassed the $1 billion mark in the Sunshine State. According to the tech hospitality company, its Florida host community earned a combined $1.2 million in short-term rental income last year. In addition, 6.6 million people rented homes in Florida for vacation stays via Airbnb in 2019. More from Forbes, Florida Daily, and Florida Politics.
As tech hiring slows, CEOs discuss ways to boost opportunities
Florida CEOs were asked: A recent tech hiring survey showed demand plummeting for tech-oriented jobs in the area. Do you believe there are enough high-tech opportunities in the region? If not, what can be done to boost them? [Source: Miami Herald]
Latinas are getting into business with help from Wimauma nonprofit
Funded by private contributions and government grants, Enterprising Latinas provides training and services from a converted restaurant in Wimauma. In 2019, its tenth year of operation, Enterprising Latinas provided the help needed to open half a dozen new businesses. The nonprofit has set a goal of expanding its impact by helping develop a business plan for at least a dozen budding entrepreneurs during the first 100 days of 2020. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Gov. DeSantis called on to block another Everglades oil drilling plan
Environmentalists called on Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday to step in to stop another oil drilling plan in the Everglades, one potentially much bigger than the one he halted last week with the announcement of a land buyout in western Broward County. A letter to the governor urged him to stop a Texas company’s oil exploration activities at Big Cypress National Preserve, a land of forest and swamp on the northwest border of Everglades National Park. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Who will claim Lucky's Florida stores?
Florida has been one of the fastest-growing grocery markets in the U.S. over the past few years. So surely the sudden availability of 20 Lucky’s Market stores and more than half as many under development in key locations across the state would draw significant interest from competitors? Don’t bet on it, experts say. [Source: Grocery Dive]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Tampa marketing company shines in an age of disruption
Shifts in how consumers view advertising led a Tampa video production firm to move away from products and toward purpose. The pivot has proven prescient — and profitable. ‘The problem with traditional advertising is that the younger generation, if you show them anything that's too shiny or sales-y, they just won't look at it,’ says Tim Moore, founder and CEO of Diamond View.
› SpaceX reschedules Starlink satellite launch for the second time due to bad weather in recovery zone
Persistant bad weather in the Atlantic Ocean area where SpaceX hopes to recover its rocket is again postponing the fourth launch of its Starlink internet satellites. SpaceX said Thursday that it will move its planned Friday launch to Monday, pending availability at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Earlier this week, SpaceX also postponed the launch because of “extreme weather” in the recovery zone.
› 2019 home sales break record for Jacksonville area
There were more homes sold on the First Coast in one year than ever before in 2019, according to a new report from the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors. The 31,881 home sales were up by 5.4 percent over 2018 and the highest figure on record, the association said said. The average price was $276,586, a 4 percent jump over 2018′s average of $266,055.
› St. Petersburg's Kahwa Coffee has no plans to slow down, with four new shops in the works
Raphael Perrier and his wife, Sarah Perrier, founded Kahwa when Starbucks was firming itself up as the world’s dominate coffee chain. By 2005, the Seattle chain had more than 10,000 locations. That same year, the Perriers began their own scrappy operation. Fifteen years later, the couple is still riding on caffeine, tweaking their blends and growing as a leading roaster in Florida.
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