Eagle Equipment Service 1 Expands With Assistance from FSBDC at UCF

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Local Business Building New Facility in Osceola County Using SBA-Guaranteed Loan

January 18, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Orlando, FL – Success costs money. Business owners learn quickly that they often need additional funds to finance their growth. Sometimes it can come from their cash flow. Or an investor. Or from a bank. One thing is almost certain: if a business is going to look externally for financing, they are going to need a business plan with reliable and defendable financial forecasts.

And that is where Javier Berrios, President of Eagle Equipment Service 1, Corp. found himself. Eagle Equipment Service 1 is in the business of maintaining and repairing waste and recycling equipment. From its workshop in Kissimmee, Florida, the company services trash compactors, balers and other waste management machinery, including providing welding repairs, hydraulic repairs and electrical troubleshooting to manufacturers, warehouses, apartment complexes and grocery stores across Central Florida.= and the Tampa Area.

Business has been booming for Eagle. So much so that the company has outgrown its current 3,000 square foot facility just servicing its existing customers.  And Berrios sees the opportunity for further growth by expansion into waste recycling. But in order to maintain its momentum and position itself for future expansion, Eagle Equipment Service 1 needs more space.

And so, after starting Eagle Equipment Service in 2009 and building it into a successful business, it was time to find a larger space. Berrios decided that his best option was to buy land and build his own building, and approached a local bank for a loan. They requested a business plan and referred Berrios to the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for assistance with putting a plan together.

Fortunately, Javier Berrios is a serial entrepreneur, having started businesses in Pennsylvania with the assistance of the local SBDC. With their help, he was able to obtain a Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed loan that funded the growth of his companies there. Having benefited from the SBDC up north, he was quick to turn to the Florida SBDC and eventually Rafael Martinez-Pratts, a consultant and the Area Manager for the Florida SBDC at UCF – Osceola County.

According to Berrios, Pratts provided significant assistance with his business plan, making sure that the financial forecasts were sound and that Berrios was able to answer any questions the bank might have. “Rafael and the SBDC have helped me out a lot,” says Berrios. “Not only with my business plan but also with valuable market research, identification of relevant local regulations and permits and introductions to local business and government leaders.”

“The Florida SBDC has a lot of knowledge and expertise that I don’t have,” he continued. “With their help though, I am able to make this business even more successful, including being approved for the loan I wanted: a $700,000 SBA-guaranteed loan for the purchase of land, construction of a new, 12,000 square foot facility and additional equipment. Thanks to the help of the SBDC, I’m now ready to build my building, hire more people and grow my business here in Osceola County.”

About the FSBDC at UCF

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization and the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDC Network). THE FSBDC at UCF provides business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to emerging and established businesses. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2015, the FSBDC at UCF served almost 7,000 entrepreneurs in Central Florida through consulting and training, resulting in more than 7,300 jobs created, retained or saved; $990 million in sales growth; $74.4 million in capital formation; $101.7 million in government contract awards; and 111 new businesses started.

About the FSBDC Network

The FSBDC at UCF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network is hosted by the University of West Florida and is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

For over 35 years, the FSBDC Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations, dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with management and technical assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. The FSBDC Network is a statewide service system of 41 centers with 60 outreach locations, including the FSBDC at UCF.

In 2015, the Florida SBDCs served almost 45,500 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 217,849 jobs created, retained or saved; $29.3 billion in sales growth; $947.4 million in capital accessed; $2.1 billion in government contract awards; and 3,857 new businesses started.

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

 

Florida SBDC at UCF Opens Sumter County Office

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Neal Kimball Named FSBDC Area Manager. Expert Business Assistance Now Available to All Sumter County Entrepreneurs.

October 18, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Orlando, FL. – The Florida SBDC at University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF), in partnership with the Sumter County Office of Economic Development, is opening a sub-center in Sumter County to help local businesses grow and succeed. The new sub-center, the FSBDC at UCF’s eighth, will be housed on the first floor in Suite 140 of The Villages Sumter County Service Center at 7375 Powell Road, Wildwood, FL 34785. The FSBDC at UCF – Sumter County’s direct line is 352-689-4449.

In addition, the FSBDC at UCF announced that Neal Kimball has been named Area Manager for Sumter County and will be devoted full time to working with Sumter County’s small businesses providing expert consulting, seminars and workshops, as well as information resources – all focused on maximizing their business growth, competitiveness and profitability.
“Sumter County is pleased to add the Florida SBDC at UCF and their consultant Neal Kimball to the county’s economic development initiatives. We will now have a dedicated resource to assist our small businesses with consulting, training and access to market research that can help them find new levels of success in our community,” commented Bradley Arnold, Sumter County Administrator.

The Florida SBDC at UCF offers no cost, one-on-one professional business consulting, value-added training and business information resources to its clients. The FSBDC’s consultants provide confidential and customized consulting services in such areas as business planning, financial analysis, sales/marketing and many others. In addition, it conducts training seminars and workshops covering the basics of starting a business, marketing, financing, legal issues and writing a business plan. Additional courses covering intellectual property, bookkeeping, social media and website development are offered periodically. Over time, some or all of these may be offered in Sumter County, depending upon the needs of the business community.

“The Sumter County Office of Economic Development and the Florida SBDC at UCF have come together to make full-service business support available to Sumter County entrepreneurs with the opening of our new office,” commented Eunice Choi, Regional Director of the SBDC at UCF. “And we have been fortunate to have attracted Neal Kimball as our new Area Manager. His extensive sales and marketing and small business experience, when combined with a strong background as an entrepreneur and business strategist, makes him an ideal choice to consult with and assist clients in Sumter County as they navigate the challenges and opportunities faced by small businesses seeking profitable long-term growth.”

Kimball joins the FSBDC at UCF after an accomplished career in sales, marketing and business development for major consumer products companies including Pepsico, McDonald’s Corporation and Miller Brewing, and most recently served as founder, president and owner of a highly successful small business holding company with four separate operating units built around student and family educational services. In 2012, he received the U.S. Small Business Administration’s prestigious Entrepreneurial Success Award for the SBA’s Southeast U.S. District, State of Florida and North Florida Region. Kimball earned a BA in Marketing from the University of South Florida.

About the FSBDC at UCF
With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization and the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDC Network). THE FSBDC at UCF provides business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to emerging and established businesses. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2015, the FSBDC at UCF served almost 7,000 entrepreneurs in Central Florida through consulting and training, resulting in more than 7,300 jobs created, retained or saved; $990 million in sales growth; $74.4 million in capital formation; $101.7 million in government contract awards; and 111 new businesses started.

About the FSBDC Network
The FSBDC at UCF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network is hosted by the University of West Florida and is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

For over 35 years, the FSBDC Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations, dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with management and technical assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. The FSBDC Network is a statewide service system of 41 centers with 60 outreach locations, including the FSBDC at UCF.

In 2015, the Florida SBDCs served almost 45,500 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 217,849 jobs created, retained or saved; $29.3 billion in sales growth; $947.4 million in capital accessed; $2.1 billion in government contract awards; and 3,857 new businesses started.

Mainstream; QwikProducts; Export, Florida SBDC; Success Story

Mainstream Engineering’s QwikProducts(TM) Unit Experiencing Significant Growth in Latin America

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Florida SBDC at UCF Assists With Export Marketing Plan Service

September 28, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Orlando, FL – Mainstream Engineering’s president and founder Dr. Robert Scaringe has built a successful, diversified corporation offering research & development project work; military, commercial and retail products; professional engineering services, and lean manufacturing. Every corner of the company is working to realize its mission: providing “Solutions through Advanced Technology” by transitioning advanced technology into high-quality and cost effective products.

Based in Brevard County, Florida, Mainstream Engineering serves a broad range of customers including the government, private enterprise and individuals like you and me. And they are an American company through and through, headquartered in the U.S and proudly manufacturing all their products in the U.S.A.

One of their business lines, QwikProducts™, produces heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration repair products for the technicians who work on HVAC systems, refrigerators and walk-in coolers, among others. QwikProducts are sold through trade wholesalers across the U.S and have been extremely successful in this country. However air conditioning and refrigeration repair is a worldwide business and Scaringe wanted to take his solutions global, starting in Latin America.

To that end, he initiated an in-house market study of the markets in Central and South America. Soon enough, he and his team knew what they wanted to do and had some ideas about how to do it. But they didn’t have enough of the data necessary to make decisions and felt like they didn’t have all the expertise they needed either.

It was then that Mainstream Engineering’s QwikProducts turned for assistance to the Florida SBDC at UCF’s International Trade Services team led by international trade specialist Jill McLaughlin. Specifically, they asked McLaughlin to revise and improve Mainstream’s Export Marketing Plan.  Developing Export Marketing Plans is a service provided by the FSBDC in partnership with Enterprise Florida and the U.S. Commercial Services in which the FSBDC develops a comprehensive, data-driven, tailored export marketing strategy for qualified Florida small businesses. The Export Marketing Plan is a customized plan which includes extensive industry research and market analyses to identify recommended target markets; a review of overseas trade opportunities; and an action plan.

The improved Export Marketing Plan was just what QwikProducts was looking for. With access to data that would have otherwise been extremely costly for the company to obtain without FSBDC’s services, McLaughlin provided market size, competitive information and other international marketing metrics to identify where the economics were and what countries made sense, even adding some countries that Mainstream’s team hadn’t considered. “The Export Marketing Plan told us what we needed to know,” remarked Scaringe. “How big the markets are; which countries are growing, which countries aren’t; where it’s safe to do business and where it’s not.”

With the completed Export Marketing Plan in hand, superior products and a strategy of using the home country’s language in all sales materials, packaging, training, and on a dedicated website, QwikProducts foray into Latin America has been a major success for Mainstream. “We’re really, really happy with the way it’s going,” says Scaringe. “Our year-to-date revenue is more than twice last year’s and last year’s revenue was   several times larger than the year before.”

“It was a very good experience working with the FSBDC,” concluded Scaringe. “It was easy. Jill McLaughlin was very helpful and very professional. The quality of the Plan was excellent. Everyone had the same goal: to help us sell our product. And that’s exactly what we did.”

About the FSBDC at UCF

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization and the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDC Network). THE FSBDC at UCF provides business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to emerging and established businesses. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2015, the FSBDC at UCF served almost 7,000 entrepreneurs in Central Florida through consulting and training, resulting in more than 7,300 jobs created, retained or saved; $990 million in sales growth; $74.4 million in capital formation; $101.7 million in government contract awards; and 111 new businesses started.

About the FSBDC Network

The FSBDC at UCF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network is hosted by the University of West Florida and is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

For over 35 years, the FSBDC Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations, dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with management and technical assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. The FSBDC Network is a statewide service system of 41 centers with 60 outreach locations, including the FSBDC at UCF.

In 2015, the Florida SBDCs served almost 45,500 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 217,849 jobs created, retained or saved; $29.3 billion in sales growth; $947.4 million in capital accessed; $2.1 billion in government contract awards; and 3,857 new businesses started.

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

Marty Duffy; Julie Shipley; Soup Shop; Melbourne

The Soup Shop Enjoying New Levels of Success

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Owner Julie Shipley Credits Assistance from the Florida SBDC at Eastern Florida State College

September 12, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Orlando, FL – It all began in the back of a friend’s café. Julie Shipley started cooking soup for her friend on a 3×4 table with 2 burners and a couple of pots but she always used the freshest ingredients and had a knack for adding just the right seasonings. And her soups were a hit! Pretty soon she was selling to other restaurants and needed to move to a larger facility. Within a year she was delivering her soups to 20 local restaurants each week.

As can often happen with smart and able entrepreneurs, success breeds more success. Every week after cooking for the restaurants, Shipley had soup left over. She decided to “just see” what would happen if she opened her doors to the public and sold her soups in quart containers “to go.” Six months later she had expanded to her own store and had hired 9 employees. Her business, The Soup Shop, was up and running selling over 70 types of homemade soup with only the finest ingredients.

Eventually Shipley stopped delivering to restaurants and focused on her retail operation. The first two years in the store were not particularly profitable but sales were good. In 2015 sales started to increase but profits were still illusive. It was then that Shipley concluded that, as she puts it, “I didn’t know what I didn’t know” and decided she would seek assistance and learn how to make The Soup Shop not just popular but profitable too.

Julie Shipley turned to the Florida SBDC at Eastern Florida State College (FSBDC at EFSC) and FSBDC consultant Marty Duffy for help. She attended FSBDC business seminars and workshops, and took advantage of the FSBDC’s confidential, no cost expert consulting by meeting with Duffy on a regular basis.

Together, Shipley and Duffy worked to build a financial management system that would help her understand her business better. They put together a process in which the accounting system was tied to the point-of-sale system and the bank statements were integrated in a congruent manner to produce financial data in a timely fashion. Then Shipley learned from Duffy how to read the numbers and understand what they were telling her. Now she was able to make business decisions based on hard data and to forecast the impact of those decisions on the bottom line.

“Thanks to what I learned from Marty and the FSBDC, I began to change my decision making process,” Shipley says. “I could make sense of my financial statements which prompted me to make a lot of changes in the way we operated that made us much more efficient than we were a year ago, and much more profitable, too.” And the numbers bear Shipley out. Revenues are up 24% year-to-date; The Soup Shop is growing faster than the market; and overall profits have grown 238% year-to-date.

“I can’t say enough good things about my work with Marty, his office, the classes we’ve taken, all of the services I have received from the FSBDC,” concluded Shipley. “My company is a different and better company since I started working with Marty and the FSBDC. They are an amazing resource and I wish I had known about them sooner!”

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization and the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDC Network). THE FSBDC at UCF provides business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to emerging and established businesses. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2015, the FSBDC at UCF served almost 7,000 entrepreneurs in Central Florida through consulting and training, resulting in more than 7,300 jobs created, retained or saved; $990 million in sales growth; $74.4 million in capital formation; $101.7 million in government contract awards; and 111 new businesses started.

About the FSBDC Network

The FSBDC at UCF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network is hosted by the University of West Florida and is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

For over 35 years, the FSBDC Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations, dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with management and technical assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. The FSBDC Network is a statewide service system of 41 centers with 60 outreach locations, including the FSBDC at UCF.

In 2015, the Florida SBDCs served almost 45,500 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 217,849 jobs created, retained or saved; $29.3 billion in sales growth; $947.4 million in capital accessed; $2.1 billion in government contract awards; and 3,857 new businesses started.

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; UCF; Wess Stapp; Hunt Dawkins; Applied Contracting Services; ACS; SBA; Loan

Applied Contracting Services, Inc. Secures New Funding and Financial Flexibility

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Florida SBDC at UCF Assists with Obtaining SBA Guaranteed Bank Loan

September 1, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Orlando, FL – Access to capital – any kind of capital – is one the greatest, if not THE greatest, challenges faced by small businesses today. Even successful, established businesses can have trouble finding the money they need to grow, especially money that comes with favorable terms and an attractive interest rate.  The challenge facing Wes Stapp, one of the three partners that own and manage Applied Contracting Services, Inc. (ACS) was how to raise the funding the company needed to take on more projects and increase revenue.

ACS is a full services design/build contractor that specializes in all types of home renovations, remodels and additions – everything from new kitchens to renovated bathrooms to full-on home additions – plus light commercial construction. Founded during the Great Recession, Stapp and his partners built their business using their own funds, with no outside financing. While “boot strapping” their growth had its advantages (the profits were all theirs), it was sometimes tough going and they never seemed to have the capital they needed to take the business to the next level.

Besides not having the working capital to grow the business the way they knew they could, there was an ill-fated foray into cabinet making that resulted in some painful losses. So there Stapp and ACS were: in need of capital to get the company past the damage inflicted  from cabinet making, wanting to refinance some of its high interest debt, and eager to obtain additional funding to pay for expansion of their contracting business.

It was about then that Stapp found the Florida SBDC at UCF. Having recently joined the West Orange Chamber of Commerce, he attended a Chamber meeting where the FSBDC consultant Hunt Dawkins was conducting one of his “Triage Tuesdays” – a program where Dawkins provides no-cost consulting  on an appointment basis to the members of the Chamber. Stapp and Dawkins started talking and new options started to appear for ACS.

Stapp had looked into U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans but hadn’t gotten very far. Dawkins was able to explain how these loans worked: that the SBA didn’t make loans directly, but instead it guaranteed loans made by financial institutions (banks, credit unions, etc.) that met defined lending criteria. Dawkins then proceed to lay out the process, identify what Stapp would need and the best strategy for approaching a bank participating in SBA loan programs.

To his credit, Stapp was savvy about finances. He followed Dawkins guidance and was able to work with his bank in such a way as to obtain more than $1 million in capital through a combination of a term loan and a line of credit funding structure that was tailored-made for ACS with terms and at interest rates extremely favorable to the company.

“It was outstanding to have an impartial expert, not financially involved in the deal and with extensive banking experience, on our side,” commented Stapp. “We took Hunt Dawkins’ advice, put things together as he recommended and produced a loan package that even our banker complimented us on. The Florida SBDC was a huge help to us. I wish I’d known about them sooner; the company would be in even better shape today if I had. Now I’m looking forward to participating in their Advisory Board Council program; my board is being formed as we speak.”

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization and the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDC Network). THE FSBDC at UCF provides business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to emerging and established businesses. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.

About the FSBDC Network

The FSBDC at UCF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network is hosted by the University of West Florida and is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

For over 35 years, the FSBDC Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations, dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with management and technical assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. The FSBDC Network is a statewide service system of 41 centers with 60 outreach locations, including the FSBDC at UCF.

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

Daytona Diner; Van Canada; Linda Toffolon; FSBDC; Small Business Development Center

Daytona Diner Enjoying New Found Success in Daytona Beach Shores

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Assistance from FSBDC at Daytona State College with Relocation and Financing Made All the Difference

August 22, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Orlando, FL – Founded on Beach Street in 1996, the Daytona Diner has grown to be a Daytona Beach institution over the years. Owner Linda Toffolon has worked ceaselessly – 7:00am – 3:00pm six days a week, year after year – to make sure her customers have a choice of the best breakfasts and lunches in town.

But as is often the case with a small business, the voyage hasn’t always been a smooth one and Toffolon has had to navigate challenges of all kinds. Fortunately, she found assistance from the Daytona State College sub-center of the Florida SBDC at UCF when she needed it most.

It was in 2012 that the bad news came. The Harley Davidson dealership in the same building and next to the Diner on Beach Street – a source of many loyal customers over the years — was not renewing its lease and closing its doors, which meant the Daytona Diner was losing its lease and needed to find a new home.

But where could Linda Toffolon turn for help? She needed to find a new location with the right demographics and city services. Economic development incentives and financing arrangements were both going to be key considerations. And Toffolon was intent upon preserving the Daytona Diner’s unique, family-friendly personality and heritage as a memorable Daytona Beach restaurant destination.

It was at the Florida SBDC at Daytona State College where Toffolon found the expert consulting, business training seminars and market research tools she needed to successfully relocate and preserve the Daytona Diner’s special place in the community. Initially, she worked with Ned Harper, the now retired center director, in producing a business plan, creating a site selection plan and connecting with the city to determine what kind of economic development assistance it could provide.

After a number of false starts and failed negotiations, the new location at 2043 South Atlantic Avenue in Daytona Beach Shores was found. Now came the hard part: obtaining financing to make the move. Restaurants have a notoriously difficult time getting loans approved and this situation was going to be no different. That is when Van Canada, a consultant at the FSBDC at Daytona State and a former commercial banker, stepped in to help Linda Toffolon put together a loan application.

Toffolon and Canada partnered to finalize the Daytona Diner business plan, obtain all necessary documents and put all the financial information in order. Soon enough they had a very strong loan package and the hunt for a lender began.

Canada and the FSBDC were able to identify an interested lender and obtain a loan commitment and later the line of credit that was needed. “Looking back, I risked everything to relocate and re-open Daytona Diner,” remarked Ms. Toffolon. “And there was stress beyond measure while it was going on. There were times when it felt like everything was falling apart. But Van Canada and the FSBDC were there for me every time I needed help. Today I am glad I took the risk and that the Daytona Diner remains a part of the Daytona community. But I know for a fact that I couldn’t have done it without the FSBDC at Daytona State.”

“For any business owner out there looking for help with their company, I urge you to talk to the Florida SBDC. They can make what seems impossible possible,” concluded Ms. Toffolon. “They did for me what I couldn’t do for myself and they can do the same for you.”

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization and the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDC Network). THE FSBDC at UCF provides business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to emerging and established businesses. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.

About the FSBDC Network

The FSBDC at UCF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network is hosted by the University of West Florida and is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

For over 35 years, the FSBDC Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations, dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with management and technical assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. The FSBDC Network is a statewide service system of 41 centers with 60 outreach locations, including the FSBDC at UCF.

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

 

Shaun Thornton of Murphy Business Named FSBDC at UCF Regional Volunteer of the Year

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July 6, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Orlando, FL – The Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida has named Shaun Thornton, a Broker Associate at Murphy Business & Financial Corp., as its 2016 Regional Volunteer of the Year. Thornton has distinguished himself by his committed service to both the FSBDC’s award-winning Advisory Board Council (ABC) program and to the Small Business Resource Network (SBRN), an FSBDC affiliate.

Longtime Contributor to Advisory Board Council

The Advisory Board Council is a next-level, business support service, assisting established Central Florida busi-nesses by matching them with experienced professionals with a diverse range of skills who work together on a carefully selected, “custom-fit” advisory board. The program provides dynamic talent and expertise specially selected to address the needs of the client company so as to help it solve problems and create opportunities. And the ABC is at no-cost. All of the Advisors are volunteers who are interested in building relationships and improving the economic community in Central Florida. The operation of the program is funded by Orange County and supported by the generosity of our sponsors.

Shaun Thornton became an ABC volunteer in 2009 and has donated over 135 hours of pro-bono consulting services totaling more than $20,000 in reported market value. He has been a key contributor serving on seven Advisory Board Councils for diverse FSBDC clients: a $10 million waste management company; a $3 million civil engineering firm; a $9 million software engineering firm in the modeling and simulation industry; a $6 million security systems distributor and a $10 million construction company.

And Thornton’s contribution to his Boards has been universally praised by the leaders of the client companies. For example ABC client Paul Holmes, President of JK2 Construction and Scenic, declared, “His understanding of businesses in general and willingness to dive into the details of my particular business made him a valuable resource. Without Shaun’s unselfish dedication to helping JK2 Construction & Scenic, I doubt we would have achieved the double digit growth in revenues, profits and jobs created over the last three years.”

Active Member of Small Business Resource Network

In addition to being a valued volunteer in the ABC program, Thornton is an active member of the FSBDC- affiliated Small Business Resource Network. SBRN is a professional membership organization helping connect small businesses with for-fee professional expertise in the areas of accounting, banking and commercial lending, insurance, law and business consulting.

From Day One, Shaun Thornton has been actively engaged with the group sharing his ideas and expertise. Even at the new member orientation he provided several suggestions to improve the layout of the SBRN website and streamline the information with the FSBDC site.

Thornton attends most of the membership meetings and is a proponent of the network, spreading the value to his associates – some of whom are current prospective members. He willingly donates his time where needed and in April served as a panel member for SBRN’s Breakfast with the Experts series. During a workshop entitled, “Planning for the Future of Your Business: Exit Strategies,” he provided insights regarding valuations and negotiations. He is an exemplary member, always willing to help the clients of the FSBDC as well as his peers in the SBRN network.

Brings Extensive Business Experience to His Volunteer Work

By way of background, Shaun Thornton is an accomplished negotiator and an articulate team leader with a proven ability to recruit, train, motivate, and develop successful groups of highly skilled specialists. With decades of leadership experience in the engineering industry, Thornton has served in positions such as Vice President and General Manager of SMS Demag – one of the world’s foremost suppliers of equipment to the metals industry; as Associate Director at Davey International; and as a Sales Manager at Voest Alpine Industries in both Great Britain and the United States. His educational background is in electrical engineering which, when coupled with proven sales and management expertise, has resulted in a successful career in marketing and selling capital equipment in the United States, United Kingdom, and other world markets.

Since January of 2004, Thornton has worked as a Broker Associate at Murphy Business & Financial Corporation, a leading Central Florida business brokerage firm specializing in the buying and selling of businesses and franchises. He is currently a Certified M&A Intermediary, as well as a Certified Business Intermediary by the International Business Brokers Association.

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization and the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDC Network). THE FSBDC at UCF provides business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to emerging and established businesses. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2014, the FSBDC at UCF served more than 8,200 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 12,387 Central Florida jobs created, retained or saved; $1.70 billion in sales growth; $26.1 million in capital formation; $39.7 million in government contract awards; and 105 new businesses started.

About the FSBDC Network

The FSBDC at UCF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network is hosted by the University of West Florida and is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

For over 35 years, the FSBDC Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations, dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with management and technical assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. The FSBDC Network is a statewide service system of 41 centers with 60 outreach locations, including the FSBDC at UCF.

In 2014, the Florida SBDCs served almost 30,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 42,644 jobs created, retained or saved; $5.8 billion in sales growth; $142.5 million in capital accessed; $210.2 million in government contract awards; and 486 new businesses started.

FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862

sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

National Small Business Week Celebrated by FSBDC at UCF

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Three FSBDC at UCF Clients Honored as SBA Award Winners

Florida SBDC at the University Central Florida

May 2, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Orlando, FL – In recognition of the immense contribution to a healthy economy made by the entrepreneurs and small business owners of Central Florida and the nation, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is celebrating the US 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 will occur on Tuesday May 19th at the 2016 Small Business Awards Luncheon, an invitation-only event being held at the Citrus Club in downtown Orlando. Eunice Choi, Regional Director at the SBDC at UCF, is hosting the luncheon which will feature remarks by representatives from the Small Business Administration who will present the following awards to local state and district SBA awards recipients in attendance:

  • Woman-Owned Small Business Person of the Year
    State of Florida and North Florida District Winner
    Sarah Blake, President of Elipsis Engineering & Consulting – Winter Garden
  • Minority-Owned Small Business Person of the Year
    North Florida District Winner
    Gabriel Ruiz, LTC, USA (Ret.), President and CEO, Advanced IT Concepts, Inc. – Winter Springs

“It is a great pleasure to participate in the recognition of our valued clients by the Small Business Administration as part of its Small Business Week,” remarked Eunice Choi of the Florida SBDC at UCF. “These individuals and their companies have distinguished themselves by their hard won success, contribution to our local economy and community service.  We at the FSBDC at UCF are gratified to have assisted them in their achievements in some small way.“

“National Small Business Week is a chance to honor the more than 2.3 million small businesses in Florida who have helped drive down one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates to one of the best we enjoy today,” said Michael Myhre, Florida SBDC CEO and Network State Director. “Congratulations to this year’s Small Business Week winners. This honor serves as a testament to their hard work, efforts, and dedication to their local, regional, and state economies.”

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. This year’s week-long celebration is scheduled to run May 1-7 with events being held in multiple cities from coast-to-coast that are designed to help small businesses start, grow and succeed. The week’s events culminate in Washington, DC, where finalists for the National Small Business Person of the Year will be invited to a recognition ceremony at the White House.

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization and the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDC Network). THE FSBDC at UCF provides business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to emerging and established businesses. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2013, the FSBDC at UCF served more than 7,200 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 7,507 Central Florida jobs created, retained or saved; $1.0 billion in sales growth; $51.5 million in capital formation; $87.7 million in government contract awards; and 129 new businesses started.

About the FSBDC Network

The FSBDC at UCF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network is hosted by the University of West Florida and is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

For over 35 years, the FSBDC Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations, dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with management and technical assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. The FSBDC Network is a statewide service system of 41 centers with 60 outreach locations, including the FSBDC at UCF.

In 2013, the Florida SBDCs served over 34,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 39,536 jobs created, retained and saved; $5.5 billion in sales growth; $197.3 million in capital accessed; $602.2 million in government contract awards; and 685 new businesses started. And, for every $1 of Florida public and private sector investment in FSBDC programing, $35 was returned to the state in tax revenue

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

Globalizing Your Website, International Trade, Export

Globalizing Your Website

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Lee Goldring, John Lindsay, Eye On Ball, FSBDC

Eye on Ball, Inc.’s Vector Training Baseball Ready for Market with Assist from the FSBDC at Seminole State College

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Vision Training Invention Helps Young Ballplayers Keep Their Eye on the Ball to be Better Hitters

March 23, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Orlando, FL – Everyone has heard the story of the inventor who comes up with a new idea or new product, makes a prototype and then…Presto!…the product is on the shelves and the inventor is on his new yacht sailing into his billion dollar future.

Sorry to say, but that’s not how it really works. In fact, it’s a long, hard road from an idea to a market launch. That was John Lindsay’s experience. He had an idea for a product that would help train young baseball players to keep their eye on the ball, but lacked the necessary business skills to turn that idea into a product.

And so was born Eye on Ball, Inc., a company that today produces the Vector Training Baseball which is a vision training tool designed to help young ballplayers track the ball and, thereby, become better hitters.

Eye on the Ball, Inc. did not happen overnight however. There were long slogs through multiple stages of development, from engineering to financial to business. And each stage had its own set of challenges. Take the engineering stage, for instance. John and his partner Scott Rix took his idea and documented it, then experimented and analyzed the results. From there they produced a lab prototype, applied design refinements and conducted validation testing. With a working prototype in hand, they set about to protect the intellectual property that was part of their invention and applied for patents; 4 to date with one already approved.

During this process, John was not alone. Besides his partner, he sought out professional assistance. “I had the experience, knowledge and education to manage a lot of the many steps that needed to be taken, but also knew I wanted professional help for parts of the process that I hadn’t done before,” remarked John. “You might say that I knew what I knew and was fortunate enough to know what I didn’t know.”

It was about this time that John turned to the Florida SBDC at Seminole State College, a sub-center of the FSBDC at UCF, and Lee Goldring, one of the FSBDC’s consultants. John took advantage of the no-cost, expert one-on-one consulting offered by the FSBDC to get some of his questions answered, find some of the outside resources he needed and benefit from expert counseling and mentoring from Lee, who has an extensive background in product development and commercialization.

As John pressed ahead with completing the engineering and juggling all the issues that arose during the production prototype engineering, model testing and manufacturing stages, Lee assisted on the business plan, marketing plan and distribution strategy.

And so, some five years after John got the idea in his head, he has received his first shipment of Vector Training Baseball and they are ready to initiate a pilot sales program on Amazon in the near future.

“This has been a long process,” commented John. “Longer than I expected, frankly. Thanks to the help of Lee and the FSBDC, it’s been a pretty darn good experience. Their assistance, guidance and referrals to local professionals gave me the opportunity to get educated and get things done right, and that was invaluable. I am excited about the future of Eye On Ball, Inc. and the Vector Training Baseball.”

— FSBDC —

About the FSBDC at UCF

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization and the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDC Network). THE FSBDC at UCF provides business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to emerging and established businesses. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2014, the FSBDC at UCF served more than 8,200 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 12,387 Central Florida jobs created, retained or saved; $1.70 billion in sales growth; $26.1 million in capital formation; $39.7 million in government contract awards; and 105 new businesses started.

About the FSBDC Network

The FSBDC at UCF is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network is hosted by the University of West Florida and is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

For over 35 years, the FSBDC Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations, dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with management and technical assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. The FSBDC Network is a statewide service system of 41 centers with 60 outreach locations, including the FSBDC at UCF.

In 2014, the Florida SBDCs served almost 30,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 42,644 jobs created, retained or saved; $5.8 billion in sales growth; $142.5 million in capital accessed; $210.2 million in government contract awards; and 486 new businesses started.

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