Helping Businesses Grow & Succeed
The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, the Florida Chamber Foundation, CareerSource Florida, and the University of West Florida Haas Center today released new data from the second phase of a research study to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on the state’s small businesses as the pandemic and subsequent economic impacts surpassed the one-year mark. […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Federal Reserve launched the Main Street Lending Program several months ago and recently extended the program to Dec. 31. The MSLP, part of the coronavirus relief law known as the CARES Act, offers five-year loans of $250,000 to $300 million. The loan program is aimed at larger small businesses […]
In the best of times, customer retention is critical to small business success. But these days, with marketing dollars being slashed and customer acquisition budgets going down the drain, it is more important than ever to hold onto your customers. Acquiring a new customer is five times more expensive than […]
This week, Michael McCann will be throwing open the doors of his popular Vacillate Wine and Beer Bar and welcoming customers in, adhering to the county’s list of Covid-19 guidelines as well as his own high safety standards. “We are so happy to be opening up,” said McCann, as he […]
Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration issued new guidance through Frequently Asked Questions aimed at helping small businesses with forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and their lenders navigate the rules around maximum loan forgiveness. The new PPP FAQs come as the Aug. 8 deadline to apply for a […]
For small business owners fighting for survival in the pandemic economy, “we’re holding our own” is the new “we’re doing great.” That’s what it’s all about — doing what you can to survive this crisis and setting your business up for better times on the other side, whatever that may […]
Small business owners nationwide are feeling a bit better about the economy. In fact, a growing number expect the economic fallout brought on by COVID-19 to be “short-lived,” the National Federation of Independent Business reported this week. The NFIB’s optimism index jumped 3.5 points in May to 94.4, a “strong […]
Small business owners that received forgivable PPP loans can breathe a sigh of relief. Congress has cleared a bill making needed changes to the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which was designed to keep small businesses afloat during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The bill is expected to be signed […]