Our Mission
Providing businesses the expertise and resources to succeed
EME’s Food Hall (& Commissary Kitchen): Feeding the Community and Serving Up Entrepreneurial SupportJanuary 13, 2026 - 2:14 pmThe food service and hospitality industry often attracts culinary-minded entrepreneurs eager to be their own bosses and to share the food they love. Jamie Farnell is one such entrepreneur. With energy, creativity, and goodwill, he turned a novel restaurant concept into a thriving business in Clermont, FL: EME’s Food Hall & Commissary Kitchen. His journey, however, was not a solo effort. Alongside support from friends and family, Farnell turned to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) in Lake County for guidance.
Strategic Shift, Tactical SuccessNovember 24, 2025 - 2:11 pmFor entrepreneurs and small business owners, a strategic pivot can mean the difference between success and failure. But executing that pivot often requires expert guidance. Ron Ben-Zeev, founder and president of modular shelter manufacturer World Housing Solution, made just such a bold shift — from targeting the disaster relief market to supplying the U.S. Department of Defense. To capitalize on this new direction, he turned to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF), where he found the support he needed.
Veteran Finds New Mission In Business OwnershipNovember 18, 2025 - 4:54 pmEntrepreneurship can be daunting for anyone, including for those with a military career in their background. For many veterans, like Marine Denny Ying, the unfamiliar terrain of business ownership presents a steep learning curve and new challenges. Fortunately for Ying, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF), specifically its Sumter County office, was there to help him navigate the unknown.
Protean BioDiagnostics Finds Funding Success with FSBDC at UCF SupportSeptember 16, 2025 - 6:19 pmFor any business, but especially for small businesses, growth requires investment. Typically, that investment requires access to capital. For Protean BioDiagnostics, a groundbreaking innovator in precision oncology and cancer diagnostics, and its President and CEO, Dr. Anthony Magliocco, additional funding was the key that would unlock significant opportunities presented by revolutionary treatment advances for patients with cancer. But where could he turn to for help obtaining additional capital? Dr. Magliocco found the answers he needed from the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF).
Our Vision
Creating a better Florida for all by helping businesses grow
Florida SBDC Network
The Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide partnership program nationally accredited by the Association of America’s SBDCs and funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, State of Florida and other private and public partners, with the University of West Florida serving as the network’s headquarters. Full funding disclosureavailable at www.floridasbdc.org/ funding-disclosures/. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals.
