Helping Businesses Grow & Succeed
The majority of small businesses in Florida have been greatly negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. That was one of the key findings of a new survey and report on the state’s small businesses conducted by the Florida Chamber Foundation, the Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, and the […]
Stimulus efforts for small business relief are stalled in Washington, and that does little to help America’s small business owners who remain in dire need of assistance to battle the COVID-19 economic crisis, according to new data from the National Federation of Small Business and from SCORE. Last week, the […]
“Opportunity Zones” — everybody seems to be talking about it these days. If you’ve been wondering what this investment tool is all about, you’ve come to the right place. What are Opportunity Zones? Created by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Opportunity Zones are an important economic development tool […]
Scenario 1: Many small businesses, particularly in the hard-hit restaurant, travel, event planning and retail sectors, had to lay off or furlough most of their workforces when the economy was largely shut down. Now they may need to hire a number of employees again – and the competition is tough […]
The java tastes unique and delicious in a shop that delivers an uplifting and welcoming experience. And all the while, the proprietors are successfully facing down the challenges of the pandemic economy. Gail Hamilton Azodo and her husband Uchendu Azodo opened SIPS, a coffee roasting company and eatery, in July 2019 […]
Michael Sellinger of Miami Bayside Foundation recalls the early days of the COVID-19 crisis checking in on small business clients and offering MBF’s help. Bayside is a nonprofit organization that mentors, holds training programs, and facilitates loans for small businesses in Miami’s underserved communities. His message: “There is nothing you can […]
Not a headline you want to see: Miami metro area in top 10 in U.S. for business closures. But here we are. In Yelp’s most recent economic impact report for September, which focuses on business closures caused by Covid-19 from March 1 through August, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro region had […]
At a time when small businesses across the country are struggling to stay afloat, some business owners are investing in business growth by expanding their facilities or buying equipment. In fact, a record number may be, according to some very recent loan data. With SBA 504 loans, businesses are able […]
With the growing realization that the COVID-19 impacts will continue to ripple through the economy well into the future, researchers at Florida International University’s Metropolitan Center dove into the need for economic development planning for a post-Covid environment. The challenge: “Making our core industries less vulnerable to economic shocks while […]
Small businesses are breaking up – with their banks In South Florida as well as around the nation, small business owners applying for the Paycheck Protection Program often struck out with big lenders like BofA or Wells-Fargo – even when they had been loyal customers. They had better luck with […]