Small business owner Melissa Guzman offers the beloved foods of her Caribbean homeland – but she veganizes them for healthier living. She should know – it’s helped her, too. Now she wants to expand The Caribe Vegan brand into retail. Darren Mendoza’s Lutong Pinoy restaurants are wildly popular with the […]
Success Stories
After the pandemic’s punch, Amazon Printers is thriving. Owner’s advice? Never stop learning
No matter how long you have run your small business, there is always something to learn about entrepreneurship. And in times of crisis, such as during the COVID pandemic, those lessons become even more important. Cristina Serralta is a believer in the never-stop-learning ethos. In recent years, she has gone […]
Florida SBDC at FIU wins statewide award
By FIU News The Florida Small Business Development Center at FIU Business has been recognized as the Florida SBDC Network Center of the Year for 2022. In 2021, the FSBDC assisted 2,050 clients, providing over 20,660 consulting hours. FSBDC at FIU consultants also led the state network in access to […]
IV Hydration Station in Key West grows in healthy ‘leaps and bounds,’ with help of Florida SBDC at FIU
Over lunch one day, Suzyjo Moore and Bobbie Vurro, both emergency room nurses, started talking about joining forces to open a new health and wellness small business. As they envisioned it, the IV therapy company would offer IV hydration, hangover relief, energizing vitamins, minerals, athletic performance and immune boosting infusions. […]
Grandson successfully takes the helm of Key West Marine Hardware, with the help of Florida SBDC at FIU
Key West Marine Hardware is a family business through and through. Business owner Nick Formico says his grandfather opened the store in the 1960s and then raised Formico’s mother and uncle in the business, as well as himself. “I grew up in the store. I used to work here every […]
Florida SBDC at FIU helps this founder start up so Front Page Retail can help emerging food & beverage brands stand out
Daniel Quinones worked for 10 years in the consumer goods and packaging industry for companies like Nabisco and Coca Cola. And while working with them during the pandemic, he realized he has always had a love for emerging brands. The small independent companies that had fabulous products, but they didn’t […]
The pandemic delivers a powerful punch, but with Florida SBDC at FIU’s help, Old Town Fitness comes back stronger
Step into Old Town Fitness in Key West, and it is like stepping back into the ‘60s. Think about the type of gym Rocky Balboa would want to work out of – old school, no frills, you are there to sweat. And yes, you will sweat: There’s no AC – […]
Heiga Studios finds the formula for success as a one-stop-shop for recording artists and companies
The story of Heiga Studios started in a garage, back in Malury Imbernon’s home country of Venezuela in 1998. After high school, Imbernon went to a recording school – she was the only female in her class — and after an internship at a large recording studio there she started […]
Florida SBDC at FIU helped launch 114 small businesses and secure $117 million in investments, making it the 2022 Center of the Year
The Florida Small Business Development Center (FSBDC) at Florida International University’s College of Business (FIU Business) has been recognized as the Florida SBDC Network Center of the Year for 2022. In 2021 the FSBDC at FIU assisted 2,050 clients, providing over 20,660 consulting hours. FSBDC at FIU consultants also led the state network in access […]
Coming soon to a store near you? This chef cooked up a crunchy Japanese cheesecake snack
Have you tried freeze-dried Japanese cheesecake yet? If not, you likely will soon, if Jenifer Shwartz has anything to say about it. Freezcake is a new small business featuring a freeze-dried cheesecake snack. There are also options – New York freeze-dried cheesecake and also a keto option. Freezcake’s fournder is […]