Create and Learn Tutoring

Expand the Dream: Create and Learn Tutoring Thriving

FSBDC at UCF Funding Assistance and Guidance Fuel Growth for Learning Center

September 3, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or HThayer@ucf.edu

                 Jairo Batista, Consultant, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4853 or Jairo.Batista@ucf.edu

Orlando, FL – Every entrepreneur starts with a dream. Possibility is seen where others see obstacles and passion sparks new offerings and creative solutions for problems. Maria Santiago is one of those visionary entrepreneurs. Drawing on her experience as a kindergarten teacher and her passion for helping children succeed, she transformed her idea into Create and Learn Tutoring, Inc. With guidance from the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF), she secured the funding and support needed to expand from a home-based operation into a thriving tutoring center dedicated to helping students build confidence, self-esteem, and academic success.

Create and Learn Tutoring serves students from Pre-K through eighth grade, providing personalized instruction in reading, phonics, math, and other core subjects. Reading is a particular focus, as Santiago believes a strong foundation in literacy is critical to long-term achievement. The company’s approach goes beyond academics, recognizing that each child learns differently and that emotional well-being plays a vital role in educational success.

“What sets us apart from other tutoring centers is that we focus not only on the academic aspect but also on the social-emotional side,” Santiago explains. “We’re looking not only at the student’s academic gaps but also their learning style and social-emotional state as well. Ours is personalized tutoring that meets your child where they are.”

When Santiago launched the business, she worked out of her home with only a handful of students. As demand for her services grew, she realized she needed additional space, capital, and a plan for expansion. Acting on her accountant’s recommendation, she turned to the FSBDC at UCF and consultant Jairo Batista for guidance.

“Originally, I just went to him knowing that I wanted to advance my business to the next level,” Santiago recalls. “I knew that eventually I had to find a center. I needed funding and I needed to be organized. That’s where Jairo came in. He helped me organize my thoughts and what my goals were and eventually we decided together that seeking funding was the best course of action.”

As an FSBDC access-to-capital specialist, Batista helped Santiago chart a path forward. Together, they developed a funding strategy, prepared a strong loan application, and connected with lenders that were a good fit for her business. The effort paid off when she secured the financing needed to support her expansion.

Batista’s assistance extended beyond funding. He also connected Santiago with commercial real estate professionals who helped her identify and secure a location for her tutoring center in Hunters Creek.

The results have been transformational.

“The changes I have seen ever since I started working with the FSBDC have been tremendous. Night and day,” Santiago affirms. “I went from a handful of students working out of my living room to now being in a commercial location with multiples of students and three times the revenue, which is incredible. I was able to add teachers, which meant I am able to take on even more students. I now have an established business that has grown tremendously.”

Today, Create and Learn Tutoring continues to help students overcome challenges, gain confidence, and achieve their academic goals.

“If you are considering working with the FSBDC, I would say—hands down—don’t hesitate,” Santiago concludes. “It is probably going to be the best decision you can make for your business.”

For information about Create and Learn Tutoring, please visit Cal Tutoring | Personalized Academic Support Services.

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of part of UCF’s Office of the President and the Florida SBDC Network.

The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2025, the FSBDC at UCF served 2,142 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 3,967 jobs impacted; $760.1 million in sales growth; $83.6 million in capital formation; $85.1 million in government contract awards; and 155 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com .

About the Florida SBDC Network

For 50 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.

In 2025, the Florida SBDC Network delivered 112,158 hours of consulting to 15,439 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing $534.7 million in capital, $711.5 million in government contracting, impacting 18,334 jobs, increasing sales by over $3.4 billion, and creating 1,111 businesses.

With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of War, State of Florida and other private and public partners. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding-disclosures/.

The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

Dannik

DANNIK: Leveraging Resources to Drive Growth

Medical Device Company Works with Florida SBDC at UCF to Access Capital and Drive Growth

August 17, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or HThayer@ucf.edu

John Hickle, Consultant, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4846 or John.Hickle@ucf.edu

Orlando, FL – Successful entrepreneurs, especially serial entrepreneurs who have started and sold multiple companies, recognize that taking advantage of available, trusted small business resources is a major key to success. Moreover, being adept at doing more with less is critical to squeezing every ounce of value out of those resources. Gary Haberland is just such a serial entrepreneur, having leveraged the multi-faceted resources – no-cost, expert consulting; business training; market research; and specialty services – available from the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) to his full advantage. This has helped him to successfully and profitably exit one company and to focus as co-founder, with wife Olga – the company president – on building a second venture: DANNIK, a multi-disciplinary product design, development, and medical device manufacturing firm.

DANNIK specializes in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of Class II patented USFDA surgical instrumentation used in the field of laparoscopic surgery. One of the firm’s most unique features is that it manufactures products that are used through cross-spectrum surgical specialties for general, gynecological, urologic, pediatric, and robotic surgeons not only in the domestic U.S. market, but throughout the global healthcare community. It is in robotic surgery where DANNIK distinguishes itself, however. “We can completely encapsulate the anatomy within the patient,” Haberland states proudly. “So it reduces the risk of fluids or cancerous cells from spreading out into the patients inadvertently. DANNIK stands alone within the clinical community being able to support that.”

DANNIK is not Haberland’s first entrepreneurial endeavor, and from early on he has engaged with the FSBDC at UCF to assist him. “The SBDC and myself and my wife have had a relationship since dating back to the early 2000’s,” he recalls. “The SBDC helped us in our prior company form international marketing plans, and cultivation of client leads and potential distribution channels. They provided many, many services and those experiences provided the blueprint for how we at DANNIK have worked with the SBDC today. I cannot even begin to extol the virtues of working with and taking advantage of the services and personal that work within the SBDC to support any company in any industry.”

Most recently, the Florida SBDC at UCF’s International Trade Services program has produced another international marketing plan for DANNIK that Haberland calls “an almost Pulitzer Prize” worthy plan. Of perhaps even greater significance for DANNIK, the FSBDC also assisted with access to critical capital. “The most recent benefit we had working the SBDC was with their consultant John Hickle on a multi-million-dollar SBA 7A Loan that we were able to secure,” Haberland remarked.  That influx of capital enabled DANNIK to consolidate debt, purchase additional equipment, expand inventories, and add additional staff members. “Beyond the staff members we hired and the increased revenue growth that will come as a benefit of the loan, there’s the force multiplier that that goes out into the other manufacturers that we use as source points for raw materials spread throughout the United States,” Haberland continued.

In closing, Haberland added “I think one of the greatest misconceptions about the SBDC is that, because the cost structure is so low, the services are devalued because they are not as expensive as they could be or would be in the private sector. On the contrary, for me working with the SBDC staff has really been no less than a positive experience. When I think about the SBDC, if I were to encapsulate it into only a few words, it would be ‘fully capable, experienced mentor’. It’s truly like having additional staff alongside you on an as needed basis that carries with it a high level of competence and capability.”

For information about DANNIK, please visit https://www.dannik.us/.

 

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of part of UCF’s Office of the President and the Florida SBDC Network.

The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2025, the FSBDC at UCF served 2,142 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 3,967 jobs impacted; $760.1 million in sales growth; $83.6 million in capital formation; $85.1 million in government contract awards; and 155 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com.

About the Florida SBDC Network

For 50 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.

In 2025, the Florida SBDC Network delivered 112,158 hours of consulting to 15,439 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing $534.7 million in capital, $711.5 million in government contracting, impacting 18,334 jobs, increasing sales by over $3.4 billion, and creating 1,111 businesses.

With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of War, State of Florida and other private and public partners. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding-disclosures/.

The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

IMBing Lounge

The IMBing Lounge: Brewing Success in Palm Coast

Community Coffee and Wine Bar Turns to FSBDC at UCF for Business Planning and Capital Access Assistance

July 29, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or HThayer@ucf.edu

Michael Oppenheim, Area Manager, 386.320.3313 or Michael.Oppenheim@ucf.edu

Orlando, FL – Accessing capital – whether from friends and family, a bank, or other sources – is often one of the earliest and most daunting challenges for entrepreneurs. Where should they go? What documents are required? How do they qualify? What are the right financial numbers? How much funding is truly needed? These questions can stall even the most motivated business owners.

IMBing Lounge

Michael Oppenheim and Megan San Juan

Fortunately, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) exists to help. Its mission is to support small businesses as they grow by providing no‑cost, high‑quality consulting, business training, and market research. Helping clients secure the funding they need is one of its most critical roles.

For Megan San Juan – founder, owner, and operator of the IMBing Lounge in Palm Coast – the FSBDC proved to be exactly the resource she needed. The IMBing Lounge, just completing its first anniversary, is a community coffee shop offering globally inspired, locally sourced coffee, food, and wine in a warm, welcoming space. “We roast our own coffee here,” San Juan shares proudly. “We serve breakfast sandwiches all day and small plates at night. It’s a place to relax and linger over a really great cup of coffee or glass of wine, in a comfortable seat, where you can stay as long as you like. Nobody is going to rush you here.”

Turning her vision into reality, however, was not simple. “Since I didn’t know where to start with my business, I reached out to the Palm Coast Economic Development Office and they recommended I reach out to Michael Oppenheim of the FSBDC,” she recalls. “Michael and I talked. The very first thing we did was my business plan. And to do my business plan we needed to do the financial projections. I believe that was the best tool that Michael has given me to really look at how to go about the business I wanted to do.”

An FSBDC consultant dedicated to Palm Coast, Oppenheim worked closely with San Juan to build the financial forecast required for her loan application. At the same time, he identified lenders who might be interested in supporting the new venture. “That financial projection is what I used to build my business plan, which we in turn used to submit to all the banks for my small business loan application,” San Juan explains. “We also met multiple times in different venues to discuss different strategies for operating the coffee lounge.”

The partnership made a meaningful difference. “Working with Michael during this journey was very easy,” San Juan affirms. “He was always accommodating of my questions, my challenges, my opinions. It has been a good journey all around. And those financial projections that the FSBDC helped me with were really pivotal documentation that helped me get the loan I needed to make this business start.”

For the FSBDC at UCF, it was mission accomplished: another entrepreneur equipped with the capital, confidence, and clarity needed to launch and grow a thriving small business.

For information about The IMBING Lounge, please visit https://theimbingbrand.com/ .

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of part of UCF’s Office of the President and the Florida SBDC Network.

The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2025, the FSBDC at UCF served 2,142 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 3,967 jobs impacted; $760.1 million in sales growth; $83.6 million in capital formation; $85.1 million in government contract awards; and 155 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com .

About the Florida SBDC Network

For 50 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.

In 2025, the Florida SBDC Network delivered 112,158 hours of consulting to 15,439 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing $534.7 million in capital, $711.5 million in government contracting, impacting 18,334 jobs, increasing sales by over $3.4 billion, and creating 1,111 businesses.

With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of War, State of Florida and other private and public partners. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding-disclosures/.

The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

Flutter Fitness Studio

Flutter Fitness Studio Finds Its Wings with FSBDC at UCF Support

Ownership Change and Rebrand Come Easy and Drive Major Membership Growth

June 10. 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or HThayer@ucf.edu

Sharon Smith, Consultant, FSBDC at UCF, 407.497.5933 or Sharon.Smith2@ucf.edu

Orlando, FL – Small business ownership is rarely a straight path. It comes with twists and turns—some energizing, others daunting. For Jocelyn Fillalan, the biggest challenges arrived all at once: transitioning from co‑owner to sole owner and rebranding her entire business. Both felt like major leaps, and both stirred real anxiety, but she refused to face them alone. Instead, she turned to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) for guidance.

Flutter Studios, SBDCToday, Fillalan is the proud sole owner and operator of Flutter Fitness Studio in downtown Orlando. “We are an aerial and pole inclusive studio,” she explains. “We offer pole dancing classes, aerial classes, Lyra/aerial hoop classes, yoga classes, and flexibility classes right here in downtown.” Beyond its wide range of specialty fitness offerings, Flutter Fitness Studio stands out as one of the few fully inclusive studios in Orlando, welcoming co‑ed classes and emphasizing a supportive, judgment‑free environment. Members also enjoy open studio hours, seven‑day‑a‑week access, and both morning and evening class options. Most of all, Fillalan credits her “one of the most talented and experienced staffs around” for helping create a uniquely empowering space.

However, Flutter Fitness Studio didn’t start this way. Before the rebrand, the business had a different name—and Fillalan wasn’t yet the sole owner. “I was a co‑owner before Flutter Fitness Studio came to be. I was getting ready to rebrand and own the studio all by myself and I needed help. I didn’t know what I was doing and my accountant told me about the FSBDC. I reached out and it was probably one of the best decisions that I made.”

“Finding out about the FSBDC and their no-cost services was absolutely amazing,” she recalls. “I got paired with my consultant Sharon Smith, which was also amazing. I like to call her my mentor. We worked together for about six months and she helped me with my business plan, with a marketing analysis, with finding out what competition is around—things that I had no idea I needed. When Sharon helped me with all these resources, it made everything just so much easier and everything just started to flow for me.”

The results speak for themselves. “When I first rebranded, we were at 79 members and I am so happy to say I am at 130 members currently and we just celebrated our third year,” remarks Fillalan. “I really do think that Sharon’s tips were very helpful and that’s why we have grown so much. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be where I am as a business owner, let alone be thinking about a second location, but there we are.”

For Fillalan, the FSBDC made all the difference. “If I had to use one word to describe the FSBDC, for me personally it would be ‘motivation.’ All the motivation I got from Sharon just made me so happy and excited to work on the business. That’s not something that came easily for me at the very beginning because I was scared. But motivation was all I needed, and a little push. I have definitely seen a change, and I just don’t see being where I am without you guys, so thank you!”

For information about Flutter Fitness Studio, please visit flutterfitnessstudio.com.

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of part of UCF’s Office of the President and the Florida SBDC Network.

The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2025, the FSBDC at UCF served 2,142 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 3,967 jobs impacted; $760.1 million in sales growth; $83.6 million in capital formation; $85.1 million in government contract awards; and 155 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com .

About the Florida SBDC Network

For 50 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.

In 2025, the Florida SBDC Network delivered 112,158 hours of consulting to 15,439 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing $534.7 million in capital, $711.5 million in government contracting, impacting 18,334 jobs, increasing sales by over $3.4 billion, and creating 1,111 businesses.

With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of War, State of Florida and other private and public partners. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding-disclosures/.

The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

Apollo Rise

ApolloRise Tech Builds Government Ready Foundation with Support from APEX Accelerator at UCF

AI Engineering Firm Leverages Expert Guidance to Secure WOSB Certification, SAM Registration, and Enter the Federal Market.

June 1, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or HThayer@ucf.edu

Elly Membreno, Government Contracting Consultant, 407.420.4856 or Elly.Membreno@ucf.edu

Orlando, FL – Entering the government contracting market is an uphill climb for any small business, but two critical factors make the ascent far more achievable: building a strong foundation and finding expert guidance. Irina Zakharchenko, co‑founder and COO of ApolloRise Tech, understood that both of these ingredients would be essential to her success when she set her sights on the government sector. She turned to the Florida APEX Accelerator at the University of Central Florida—the Florida SBDC at UCF’s government contracting affiliate—to build that foundation with confidence.

ApolloRise Tech, an Orlando‑based artificial intelligence engineering firm, helps mid‑market and enterprise clients transform operational and procurement bottlenecks through custom AI engineering and proprietary products. With a background of nearly two decades of buying enterprise technology, Zakharchenko stepped to the other side of the table when she launched ApolloRise.

“We’re a boutique engineering firm with a soul,” she explains. “Most AI vendors sell a platform and walk away. We work differently. We work like doctors. We listen first, then we diagnose, and then we treat with best‑in‑class solutions built around our clients’ actual operations. Being a boutique is intentional, not a limitation. It means our clients work directly with senior engineers who care about the outcome. I know what it feels like to be sold a solution that doesn’t fit. We started ApolloRise so other operators don’t have to feel that.”

With a compelling model and growing commercial traction, Zakharchenko wanted to expand into government contracting. Through her industry network, she found the APEX Accelerator at UCF. “I found it very easy to work with APEX,” she recalls, “especially working with my consultant Elly Membreno. She was always attentive every time I had a question. When I hit a bump in the road, she was able to describe exactly what steps needed to be taken and the timelines we needed to meet. The process has been easy to follow and Elly has been great.”

Working with the APEX Accelerator positioned ApolloRise for the government‑sector growth they envisioned. “The changes we’ve seen in the business since we started with APEX are significant,” Zakharchenko affirms. “Thanks to APEX, the foundation is in place, and the foundation is what makes everything next possible.”

That foundation includes major milestones. “We are WOSB certified; that opens a specific lane for women‑owned businesses. We’re SAM.gov registered; that’s the foundation for any federal opportunity and it opened doors in the private sector too. Multiple companies have approached us asking, ‘Are you SAM registered?’ Without APEX, I wouldn’t have been able to say ‘Yes.’ We’re now stepping into the bidding and subcontracting process. The need is there. The opportunities are there. Our job is to find them and act on them. None of that happens without the foundation APEX helped us build.”

Looking ahead, Zakharchenko is clear about the company’s trajectory. “We’re pointing ApolloRise where the hottest engineering problems live: aerospace, defense, and beyond. Florida is the launch pad. The Space Coast is our backyard. The Defense Corridor runs through our state. APEX gave us the framework. The rest is execution. We’re not waiting for permission. We’re building for it.”

For information about ApolloRise Tech, please visit https://apollorise.tech/.

— FSBDC —

About the Florida APEX Accelerator

The Florida APEX Accelerator  is part of a national network of APEX Accelerators working to help businesses compete successfully in the government marketplace. The Florida APEX Accelerator is powered statewide by the University of West Florida and funded in part by the State of Florida and local partners. This APEX Accelerator is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense. In 2025, the Florida APEX Accelerator network served 1,996 clients, resulting in 4,759 jobs impacted and helping businesses secure more than $569 million in government contracts. For more information, please visit www.flapex.org.

About the FSBDC at UCF

Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of part of UCF’s Office of the President and the Florida SBDC Network.

The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2025, the FSBDC at UCF served 2,142 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 3,967 jobs impacted; $760.1 million in sales growth; $83.6 million in capital formation; $85.1 million in government contract awards; and 155 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com .

About the Florida SBDC Network

For 50 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.

In 2025, the Florida SBDC Network delivered 112,158 hours of consulting to 15,439 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing $534.7 million in capital, $711.5 million in government contracting, impacting 18,334 jobs, increasing sales by over $3.4 billion, and creating 1,111 businesses.

With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of War, State of Florida and other private and public partners. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding-disclosures/.

The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

FSBDC at UCF Celebrates 2026 National Small Business Week

FSBDC at UCF Honors U.S. Small Business Administration Award Winners,  Including Being Named National SBDC of the Year

Orlando, FL – In recognition of the significant contributions to a healthy economy made by the entrepreneurs and small business owners of Central Florida and the nation, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) celebrated the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) National Small Business Week with a luncheon and awards ceremony recognizing local SBA award winners.

The FSBDC at UCF’s National Small Business Week celebration was held on Thursday, May 28th at the 2026 Small Business Awards Luncheon at the Citrus Club in downtown Orlando. Sponsored by Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Regions Bank, and SouthState Bank as Gold Sponsors, and Cogent Bank as Silver Sponsor, the luncheon featured remarks by representatives from the Florida SBDC and the U.S. Small Business Administration who presented the following awards to FSBDC at UCF and state and district SBA awards recipients:

Small Business Development Center of the Year /
Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Excellence and Innovation Center Award
2026 National Award Winner
Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida
Eunice Choi, Regional Director
www.sbdcorlando.com

Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year
2026 State of Florida & SBA North Florida District Winner
Barbara Parham, Founder and CEO
Artistic Talent Group – Orlando
www.artistictalentgroup.com

Blue Collar Small Business of the Year
2026 State of Florida & SBA North Florida District Winner
Lyle Cummings, President
Hotspray Industrial Coatings – Orlando
www.hotspray.com

Regional Volunteer of the Year
2026 Central Florida / Florida SBDC at UCF Winner
Dick Quint, Business Advisor
Strategic Insights HQ – Orlando
www.strategicinsightshq.com

Regional Resource Partner of the Year
2026 Central Florida / Florida SBDC at UCF Winner
Jose ‘Ed’ Ramos, Senior Area Manager
U.S. Small Business Administration – Orlando
www.sba.gov

“It is with great pleasure that the FSBDC at UCF honors our valued clients Barbara Parham of Artistic Talent Group and Lyle Cummings of Hotspray Industrial Coatings as U.S. Small Business Administration Award winners as part of its Small Business Week,” remarked Eunice Choi, Regional Director of the Florida SBDC at UCF. “We are also excited to congratulate and applaud Dick Quint as the Central Florida / FSBDC at UCF Regional Volunteer of the Year for his longstanding support and dedicated volunteer work supporting the FSBDC at UCFs clients in our Advisory Board Council program and Jose ‘Ed’ Ramos, the FSBDC at UCF’s longtime friend and supporter from the SBA, as the Central Florida / FSBDC at UCF Regional Resource Partner of the Year.

“I also have to again acknowledge and celebrate that we at the FSBDC at UCF are humbled yet immensely gratified to be honored as the SBDC of the Year by the SBA,” said Choi. “Our team takes great pride in its unwavering commitment to serving the small business community and advancing SBA’s mission. This award reflects our consistent ability to exceed SBA milestones and outperform our own high expectations within the Florida SBDC Network.”

“Artistic Talent Group and Hotspray Industrial Coatings are the best possible examples of small business success stories, each one built upon the vision, energy, and determination of their entrepreneurial founders,” shared Choi. “The FSBDC at UCF works to provide no-cost consulting, business training, and access to market research that allows companies like these to excel. We are gratified to have assisted them in their achievement in some small way,” Choi continued.

Artistic Talent Group (ATG) is a creative entertainment and art services company based in Central Florida, specializing in live, interactive experiences and custom artwork. With nearly 30 years of partnership with Walt Disney World, ATG’s artists create Caricatures, Henna, and Name Works at Disney’s theme parks, resorts, and at their brick-and-mortar store, The Art Corner at Disney Springs. Their business allows over 100,000 people annually to have face time with real artists, creating memories that last a lifetime.

Hotspray Industrial Coatings is a robust and multifaceted industrial and specialty coatings company which offers a wide variety of industrial painting services including surface preparation, sandblasting, spray painting, and specialized coatings.  The Hotspray team’s expertise and top-of-the-line equipment eliminate constant maintenance issues, prevent corrosion, and improve safety on high-stakes projects like launch pads and aquariums. Whether preparing critical infrastructure or enhancing the durability of unique installations, Hotspray’s ability to execute large-scale projects has positioned the firm as a trusted partner serving: SeaWorld, Disney, Universal Studios, SpaceX, Department of Defense, Kennedy Space Center and Brevard and Volusia Counties’ School Districts.

“Both Artistic Talent Group and Hotspray Industrial Coatings have built themselves from start-ups into impressive businesses by meeting the needs of their customers, employing our neighbors, and serving our community, thereby contributing materially to our local economy and the wellbeing of Central Florida,” highlights Choi.

“Florida’s 3.5 million small business owners work diligently every day to launch and grow their businesses, and the Florida SBDC Network is proud to partner with them to help make their dreams a reality,” said Greg Britton, state director of the Florida SBDC Network. “We are proud to be able to celebrate the success of some of our highest performers, and acknowledge all that our small businesses do to help make Florida the best state in the nation to work, live, and play. And I would be remiss to not send another shout out of celebration and congratulations to the Florida SBDC at UCF as the SBA’s 2026 National SBDC of the Year.”

National Small Business Week is proclaimed by the President of the United States to recognize the critical contributions made by America’s small businesses and entrepreneurs to our economy. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.

As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Every day, they’re working to grow small businesses, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase America’s global competitiveness. This year’s week-long celebration ran May 3 – 9 with events being held in multiple cities from coast-to-coast throughout the month of May that are designed to help small businesses start, grow, and succeed.

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of part of UCF’s Office of the President and the Florida SBDC Network.

The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2025, the FSBDC at UCF served 2,142 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 3,967 jobs impacted; $760.1 million in sales growth; $83.6 million in capital formation; $85.1 million in government contract awards; and 155 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com.

About the Florida SBDC Network

For 50 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.

In 2025, the Florida SBDC Network delivered 112,158 hours of consulting to 15,439 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing $534.7 million in capital, $711.5 million in government contracting, impacting 18,334 jobs, increasing sales by over $3.4 billion, and creating 1,111 businesses.

With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of War, State of Florida and other private and public partners. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding-disclosures/.

The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

JE Technology Solutions Scales New Heights

FSBDC at UCF Advisory Board Council’s Expert Guidance Fuels Major Gains in Leadership and Performance

May 27, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or HThayer@ucf.edu

Jill Kaufman, ABC Program Manager, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4854 or Jill.Kaufman@ucf.edu

Orlando, FL – Adrian Little had already built a strong business. As founder and president of JE Technology Solutions, he had guided the industrial maintenance platform company through its early growth. When he knew it was time to elevate the business even further, he turned to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) and its award‑winning Advisory Board Council (ABC) program to help take his firm to the next level.

JE Technology Solutions designs, engineers, and builds maintenance platforms – essentially “scaffolding on steroids”, according to Little – for the aerospace, marine, industrial, and fleet maintenance industries. Its integrated approach is unusual in the market. “What makes JE Technology unique and special is our focus on quick turnarounds, our flexibility with our customers, and our service after the sale,” highlights Little. “That’s hard to find when you’re doing design, engineering and manufacturing all in one building.” The company’s responsiveness is another major differentiator. “Our ability to react, flex, and accommodate customers’ ever‑changing needs as their market continues to grow and expand sets us apart,” he continues. “We also consider ourselves experts in fall protection, ensuring our platforms meet functional requirements but also OSHA and ANSI standards.”

Although JE Technology was growing, Little wanted to position it as an industry leader. “Essentially, I approached the FSBDC and its Advisory Board Council because I needed help,” he recalls. “I had come to the end of my rope and needed advice about my business. I wanted to hear other perspectives. My folks here were good, but I wanted high‑level perspectives because I wanted to grow my company.”

The FSBDC at UCF’s Advisory Board Council provides small business owners with a customized, no‑cost board of volunteer experts selected to address each company’s specific needs. The program acts as a matchmaker, connecting established businesses like JE Technology Solutions with seasoned professionals who bring targeted expertise.

Little knew exactly what he wanted from his board. “I wanted members who were highly intelligent and had experience. They had to represent the major aspects of the business—from sales, operations, finance, to HR. I wanted visibility and expertise in all the major disciplines,” he explains. And that’s what he received.

“The experts on my Council actually pushed me to be a better leader,” Little shares. “They all brought unique aspects to my company. The finance person brought a view from the finance side; HR brought her view from the HR and corporate side; operations as well. It gave me a more well‑rounded view of what I should be looking for and how each of my departments should be running.”

The impact was significant. “My ABC Team encouraged me throughout the process. They gave me wind beneath my wings to carry on until I saw the growth and saw the results with my own eyes,” he affirms. “Through the Advisory Board Council, over 2–3 years, we saw our revenue increase about 60% from 2022–26. We grew our headcount by about 60% as well. My ABC Council was what I needed, and it was the right thing at the right time.”

For information about JE Technology Solutions, please visit https://jetechnologysolutions.com/.

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of part of UCF’s Office of the President and the Florida SBDC Network.

The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2025, the FSBDC at UCF served 2,142 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 3,967 jobs impacted; $760.1 million in sales growth; $83.6 million in capital formation; $85.1 million in government contract awards; and 155 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com.

About the Florida SBDC Network

For 50 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.

In 2025, the Florida SBDC Network delivered 112,158 hours of consulting to 15,439 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing $534.7 million in capital, $711.5 million in government contracting, impacting 18,334 jobs, increasing sales by over $3.4 billion, and creating 1,111 businesses.

With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of War, State of Florida and other private and public partners. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding-disclosures/.

The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

Small Business Development Center Opening in City of Palm Bay

No-cost Business Assistance from Expert Consultant Now Available at Florida SBDC at UCF – Palm Bay Office

May 12, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or HThayer@ucf.edu

Tina Lange, Consultant, FSBDC at UCF – Palm Bay, 321.296.9859 or Tina.Lange@ucf.edu

Orlando, FL – No-cost business consulting; business training and webinars; and access to extensive market research resources are now available in the City of Palm Bay from the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF). Thanks to funding by the City of Palm Bay, the FSBDC will have offices in the Palm Bay City Hall where it will actively support the local business community, small business owners and entrepreneurs. This will be the FSBDC at UCF’s second office in Brevard County, the first located at Eastern Florida State College in Cocoa, FL.

Designated as the principal business assistance organization for small businesses in the state, the Florida SBDC Network through regional offices such as the FSBDC at UCF and its satellite offices throughout Central Florida, now including Palm Bay, provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.

“Small businesses are the backbone of Palm Bay’s economy,” said Rob Medina, Mayor. “This partnership demonstrates the City Council’s continued commitment to supporting entrepreneurs, strengthening our local business community, and fostering long-term economic growth.”

“We are excited and pleased to offer our valuable services to the business community in Palm Bay,” said Eunice Choi, Regional Director of the FSBDC at UCF. “Helping entrepreneurs and small businesses start, grow and thrive is our mission and we are eager to be delivering on it in Palm Bay.”

The Florida SBDC at UCF’s office in Palm Bay, through a locally-based consultant, offers a wide range of outstanding services to support entrepreneurs and small business owners in their growth and success. Key services provided by the FSBDC at UCF include:

  • Business Consulting: No-cost, One-on-one, Confidential
  • Business Training: Workshops, Seminars and Training Sessions on topics such as business planning, marketing, financial management and more
  • Access to Capital: Assistance Securing Bank Loans and Other Financing
  • Market Research and Analysis: Help understanding Target Audiences, Competition, Industry Trends
  • Disaster Recovery Assistance: Disaster Preparedness, Access to Emergency Funding, Business Continuity Planning
  • Specialized Services: Government Contracting, through the APEX Accelerator at UCF

Leading the FSBDC’s new Palm Bay office is longtime Brevard County resident Tina Lange, a seasoned business executive with over 20+ years of broad and deep experience working in and with a variety of industries, including owning multiple small businesses. In addition to her significant business experience, Tina brings extensive knowledge of Brevard County businesses and their business environment, having assisted multiple local entrepreneurs and business owners with marketing/communications/branding, strategic planning and revenue growth. In her new role as the FSBDC consultant for the Palm Bay office, Tina will be available for office hours at the Palm Bay City Hall, and can be reached at tina.lange@ucf.edu or 321-296-9856.

For more information about the FSBDC at UCF – Palm Bay or to request consulting, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com.

About the FSBDC at UCF

Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of part of UCF’s Office of the President and the Florida SBDC Network.

The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2025, the FSBDC at UCF served 2,142 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 3,967 jobs impacted; $760.1 million in sales growth; $83.6 million in capital formation; $85.1 million in government contract awards; and 155 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com.

About the Florida SBDC Network

For 50 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.

In 2025, the Florida SBDC Network delivered 112,158 hours of consulting to 15,439 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing $534.7 million in capital, $711.5 million in government contracting, impacting 18,334 jobs, increasing sales by over $3.4 billion, and creating 1,111 businesses.

With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of War, State of Florida and other private and public partners. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding-disclosures/.

The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

 

Mt. Dora’s Historic Hobdy’s Garage: New Owners at the Wheel

FSBDC at UCF – Lake County Helps First-Time Entrepreneurs Secure Financing and Open the Doors

May 5, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or HThayer@ucf.edu

John Doramus, Consultant, FSBDC at UCF – Lake County, 352-404-7338 or John.Doramus@ucf.edu

Orlando, FL – Becoming a first‑time small business owner can feel overwhelming. Where do you begin? What does the right business plan look like, and how will you finance your new venture? Who do you call when you don’t have the answers? These were the questions on Krista and Joey Steall’s minds as they considered purchasing historic Hobdy’s Garage, a Mt. Dora landmark serving the community for more than 80 years. Fortunately, the Stealls turned to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) and its Lake County office—finding exactly the guidance they needed.

Founded in 1945, Hobdy’s Garage has remained a family‑run business through three ownership transitions: first the Hobdys, then the Velezes, and now the Stealls. Known for treating customers’ vehicles as if they were their own, the shop offers general automotive repair including A/C inspection, fluid exchange, advanced diagnostics, and full‑service repairs of all sizes. “What makes us different is we specialize in electrical and diagnostics—my husband is an ASE‑certified mechanic,” shares Krista Steall proudly. “We pride ourselves on honesty and transparency and try to make sure our customers know exactly what’s wrong with their car and how we can help fix it.”

As first‑time business owners, the Stealls knew they needed expert support. “We sought out the SBDC and their services to help us make sure that we were set up for success given that we’ve never owned a business before,” Krista explains. They began working with John Doramus, an FSBDC consultant in Lake County, as soon as they learned that the garage was for sale. “John was instrumental in helping us get our loan package together—making sure we had all the right documents, making sure that everything we sent to the bank looked good and was what was needed to move our loan forward.”

The process, however, was far from simple. “Our loan process was incredibly complicated,” Krista recalls. “It seemed like every time we turned around there was something new that came up. I just could not have done it by myself. I don’t know what I would have done without John and the SBDC.”

With Doramus and the FSBDC team by their side, the Stealls persevered. “The changes we have seen since working with the SBDC is everything about the business,” Krista affirms. “We were able to get our loan. We got our building, the equipment, and everything we needed to get set up and started. We have finally opened the doors, and it’s just been amazing since then.”

Reflecting on the journey, Krista doesn’t hesitate to describe the FSBDC’s impact. “If I had to use one word to describe my experience with the SBDC, I would say ‘invaluable.’ We wouldn’t have a business without them, and certainly not a successful one. For any entrepreneur who would like to have some assistance with any part of their business process, I definitely recommend working with the SBDC and using the resources that are available to you there.”

For information about Hobdy’d Garage, please visit https://www.hobdysgarage.com/.

About the FSBDC at UCF

Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of part of UCF’s Office of the President and the Florida SBDC Network.

The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2025, the FSBDC at UCF served 2,142 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 3,967 jobs impacted; $760.1 million in sales growth; $83.6 million in capital formation; $85.1 million in government contract awards; and 155 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com.

About the Florida SBDC Network

For 50 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.

In 2025, the Florida SBDC Network delivered 112,158 hours of consulting to 15,439 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing $534.7 million in capital, $711.5 million in government contracting, impacting 18,334 jobs, increasing sales by over $3.4 billion, and creating 1,111 businesses.

With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, State of Florida and other private and public partners. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding-disclosures.

The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

 

TreeWorkNow, Tree Work Now

Tree Work Now: A Business That Stands Tall

Tree Care Company Credits its Success to Delighted Customers, Loyal Employees and FSBDC at DSC’s CEO XChange Peer Network

April 29, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or HThayer@ucf.edu

Trecia Arrington, Sub-Center Director, FSBDC at DSC, 386.506.3317 or Trecia.Arrington@daytonastate.edu

Orlando, FL – The path to long-term success is rarely straightforward for a small business, but certain best practices can make the journey smoother. Delighting customers, valuing employees, and seeking support – rather than going it alone – are just a few of the key ingredients to success. Evan Keller, founder and CEO of Tree Work Now Inc. in DeLand, Florida, has embraced all three of these proven fundamentals, and with the guidance of the Florida Small Business Development Center at Daytona State College (FSBDC at DSC), a sub-center of the FSBDC at UCF, and its CEO XChange executive roundtable, those strategies have helped propel his company forward.

Tree Work Now is a leader in tree trimming, removal, and comprehensive tree care services. Recently celebrating its 20th anniversary, the company now serves more than 1,500 customers annually across seven Central Florida counties.

“We are really pleased to have over 680 reviews on Google with a 4.9‑star average,” Keller shares proudly. “The way we’ve achieved that is by WOWING every customer with our effort and by being the most trusted tree experts in Central Florida with our certified arborists, very talented crews, and professional office staff. It’s a difficult industry but easy to stand out by adding a little extra professionalism in the way we communicate, in the way we do our work, in the way we clean up afterwards, and in the way we protect our customers’ property. In the end, just WOWING customers every day is what has helped us stand out over the last 20 years.”

Keller believes that exceptional customer service begins with exceptional employee care. “Really the key to our success has been how we treat our employees,” he affirms. “We know that happy employees make happy customers. So creating a family atmosphere by having good benefits, by being flexible with work schedules, by even offering mortgage assistance really shows our employees that we care.” The results are clear: staff turnover is low and many of the company’s 25 employees have been with Tree Work Now for five years or more, with several surpassing a decade.

Just as important as care for customers and employees is the support system Keller has built around himself as a business owner. Alongside his brother – “an amazing partner” who oversees operations – and a seasoned leadership team, Keller has also relied on the FSBDC at DSC’s CEO XChange, a peer-to-peer roundtable of growth-minded business leaders from non-competing companies.

“We’ve been a part of the CEO XChange for almost a decade,” Keller explains, “because there’s been such a supportive network there that help us keep learning and growing, and just having folks that understand what you go through as a business owner has been invaluable. Having a peer network of fellow entrepreneurs running similar sized companies has been a great mutual support both personally and professionally. We really support each other and even coach each other through those challenging things we’re going through. They give you support when you need it and congratulations when you’ve hit a milestone.”

Keller’s commitment to wowing customers, caring for employees, and collaborating with fellow CEOs has paid off. “Over the decade I have worked with the SBDC and have been part of the CEO XChange, our revenues have increased, our customer reviews have more than doubled and I’ve gained confidence in how to grow the company,” he reflects. “It’s been a good journey. I plan to continue with it for as long as I’m here at Tree Work Now.”

For information about Tree Work Now, please visit https://treeworknow.com/.

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of part of UCF’s Office of the President and the Florida SBDC Network.

The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2024, the FSBDC at UCF served 2,277 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 2,855 jobs impacted; $564.3 million in sales growth; $57.2 million in capital formation; $161.1 million in government contract awards; and 142 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com .

About the Florida SBDC Network

For nearly 50 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.

In 2024, the Florida SBDC Network delivered 107,812 hours of consulting to 15,474 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing $304 million in capital, $732 million in government contracting, impacting 19,800 jobs, increasing sales by over $3.8 billion, and creating 1,019 businesses.

With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of War, State of Florida and other private and public partners. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding-disclosures/.

The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com