Monday's Afternoon Update
Loans now available to Florida small businesses hurt by Hurricane Dorian
Hurricane Dorian didn’t pack the wallop expected in South Florida, but some small businesses may have not been able to meet payroll or other ordinary expenses after closing for the stormi in September. Those businesses are now eligible for low-interest, long-term government loans up to $2 million. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Sales and Marketing Advice
Is your business predictable?
Starting and leading a business is an adventure. It’s like hiking up a jagged and remote mountain top with many possible trails. You face challenges and uncertainty along the journey, and the path you choose determines the speed and ease of the trek. The best way to prepare and avoid the unexpected is to blaze a predictable route. Creating sustainable, predictable revenue growth for your business is no different. Read Ron Stein's full column here.
Commentary: Florida lags on Fortune 500 companies ... quite badly
Florida is America’s third-largest state. But it ranks ninth in the number of Fortune 500 companies. And when you factor in population, things look even worse for Florida. With just 19, the Sunshine State has the fewest Fortune 500 companies for every million residents among the top 20 states. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
$542 million LNG plant would give Jacksonville a ‘first’ in gas exports
A $542 million manufacturing facility for exporting liquefied gas is on the verge of being built in Jacksonville after years of efforts by local leaders to capture a piece of the booming natural gas market. Once up and running, the facility will create 12 new jobs at an average salary of $85,000. In addition, shipping companies that operate LNG carriers expect their side of the exporting business will create more than 50 jobs. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Sugar field burning plagues poor Florida towns with soot
For residents of the Glades, a string of poor, predominantly African American rural towns dotting the southern shore of Florida’s Lake Okeechobee, the beginning of the annual sugar cane harvest in October means the arrival of “black snow.” The “snow” is an airborne by-product of the disputed practice of burning sugar fields before harvests. More from the AP.
Out of the Box
Tampa Bay's shop pets
They’re all around Tampa Bay: Dogs that snooze in the middle of the floor while you pick up flowers, browse at a boutique or get a haircut. Cats sprawled underfoot as you taste a new IPA at a brewery. A scaly reptile that watches you insert your MasterCard into the chip reader. What’s the deal with all these animals in businesses?
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Business Profile
Leesburg dance business moves into massive new space to do the waltz
Chris McCain and his bevy of instructors at Dancin’ Ballroom have a lot more wiggle room to teach students the cha-cha, East Coast swing, tango and the highly popular waltz now that the dance studio has moved to bigger digs. The Leesburg studio’s new location features 8,200 square feet of space, including a massive 6,500-square-foot dance floor perfect for both young and old dancers alike. It’s in a spot that used to house a Goodwill store.
» Read more from the Orlando Sentinel.