Helping Businesses Grow & Succeed
Last year, Florida SBDC at FIU, the small business development center within the university’s College of Businesses, helped close to 1,400 small businesses with business planning, growth strategy, marketing and communications, access to capital, government contracting, and much more. The center’s business consultants provided over 13,000 hours of no-cost consulting […]
As 2025 comes to a close, small businesses can set themselves up for even more success in 2026 by pursuing key educational opportunities. Right now, your small business can apply for exceptional grant-funded small business programs taking place next year. Don’t delay: For two of the programs, applications close in […]
When Augusto “Tony” Lizarraga reflects on the nearly 25-year journey of his Miami-based company, Novak Technologies, one theme stands out clearly: adaptability. Founded in 2000, Novak Technologies began as a supplier for major petroleum companies such as Shell, Mobil, Texaco and others by providing the equipment and solutions needed to […]
By Michelle Lopez / FIU Florida Small Business Development Center at FIU teamed up with OpenAI recently to host a hands-on workshop in Wynwood to help 200+ small business leaders learn practical ways to use ChatGPT and related tools in their day-to-day work, from writing marketing copy and organizing schedules to […]
When MRI technologists Tony Martinelli and Lucas Wheeler looked around their workplace three years ago, they saw more than patients. They saw a problem that desperately needed solving. Working at Lower Keys Medical Center, the only hospital south of Marathon, the two men were on the front lines of imaging […]
When Danielle Wuensche walks into Zahntechnique’s Miami Lakes office each morning, sunlight streams in from the surrounding glass windows, filling the boutique dental lab with natural light. For this small business owner, her space represents more than just a modern workplace: It’s a symbol of resilience, vision, and a decade-long […]
When Isabel Garcia Nevett talks about chocolate, it isn’t just about flavor: It’s about history, family, and the immigrant journey. Together with her sister Susanna, she has spent more than a decade transforming this passion into an award-winning Miami chocolate shop now recognized among the best in the United States. […]
On many Miami mornings, Olivia Gonzalez is packing a cooler with small-batch pints and heading out to meet customers where they are — gyms, neighborhood markets, and small retailers. Gonzalez is the founder of Guudy, a healthy ice cream company built for people who want dessert without the sugar crash […]
More than 500 small business owners, Florida SBDC consultants and small business resource providers gathered at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay last week for the sold-out Small Business Success Summit. There, experts – including consultants representing Florida SBDC at FIU – shared valuable information to help small business owners take […]
When John Bowen founded Maintenance Services 360 in 2017, he didn’t have corporate experience or a background in government contracting but what he did have was grit, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. That’s the combination that helped him create a business that today supplies Miami-Dade County with everything […]