UCF College of Business Administration Students to Deliver Consulting Projects
Designed to Accelerate Growth of High Potential Companies

September 19, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Orlando, FL – The Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) today announced that seven (7) local Central Florida companies had been selected to participate in the Small Business Institute® (SBI®), a program connecting local small businesses to the resources and management expertise of UCF’s College of Business Administration (UCF’s CBA) and the FSBDC at UCF. Part of a nationwide small business program, the local SBI® provides confidential and professional management assistance to small businesses through consulting projects performed by MBA students.

For the fall 2013 semester, students from UCF’s CBA will work in teams conducting business analyses for seven (7) high potential Central Florida companies, including these that applied and were accepted to participate in the award winning Small Business Institute® program.

• Air Tech of Central Florida, Inc. has earned its reputation for quality workmanship through years of providing excellent air conditioning and heating products, and plumbing services. It is a family owned and operated company familiar with the climate concerns of Central Florida. Their technicians are NATE certified and some of the most qualified people in the business servicing and installing air conditioning equipment. For more information visit www.airtechcfl.com.
• A.M. Metal Finishing, Inc. is a premier metal finishing supplier with over 29 years of experience. The company is an approved vendor for many of Orlando’s industrial, commercial and aerospace/defense companies including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, NASA, and Walt Disney World Co. An award-winning finishing company A.M. Metal Finishing, Inc. is recognized by the Manufacturers Association of Central Florida as the “Small Manufacturer of the Year” for 2008; and in 2001 for our “Exceptional Growth.” For more information visit www.ammetal.com.
• Computer Business Consultants, Inc. is an innovative information technology services provider specializing in a comprehensive range of services for businesses both large and small.  The company specializes in IT Managed Services which include monitoring and management of client IT networks, storage, backup, software maintenance, and security.  Founded in 1996, the company has offices in Oakland, Florida, and Atlanta, Georgia, and services clients throughout the world.  For more information visit www.ComputerBusiness.com
• Diamond Systems is a Veteran Owned and HUBZONE verified distributor of a wide variety of technical equipment for air, clinical, environmental, hazardous, landfill, toxic gas, water applications and safety equipment. For more information visit www.diamondsci.com.
• Dredging & Marine Consultants, LLC is a multidisciplinary engineering and environmental company that provides services in planning, engineering, environmental assessments, permitting and construction inspection for both upland and waterfront related design projects.  The company has transportation, structural, water resources engineers and environmental staff that specialize in site storm water and drainage, parks, docks, piers marinas, seawalls, boat ramps, shoreline protection and sediment removal options.  The company’s true business and reason for being is to utilize its technical and managerial forte in innovatively and cost-effectively designing and solving engineering and environmental issues that face its clients and share in the joy of knowing that the company has responsibly benefited the public and communities it serves. For more information visit www.dmces.com.
• Elipsis Engineering & Consulting, LLC is an established engineering and consulting firm serving Central Florida and surrounding areas. The company provides engineering services in the fields of Construction Materials Testing including laboratory testing services, Threshold Inspection, Structural Steel inspections and Drilled Shaft Inspections. Elipsis also provides Project, Contract Management services and Construction Engineering Inspection (CEI) services. For more information visit www.elipsisec.com.
• JCA Solutions is a consulting company, specializing in Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) and e-learning technologies. The company strives to meet the needs of each and every customer on a personal level. . JCA Solutions is process-oriented and prides itself in its attention to detail. The company’s focus is on SCORM and its goal is to create value for its customers by providing consultants to support its client’s courseware development process or provide tools to streamline SCORM conformance. JCA Solutions facilitates greater e-learning content functionality, reusability, accessibility, and easier deployment to clients’ target Learning Management System. For more information visit www.jcasolutions.com.

Under the guidance of their UCF CBA SBI® Program Director Dr. Lloyd Fernald, Professor Emeritus at the UCF College of Business Administration, the student team will oversee and implement extensive research and analysis to determine industry best practices; will meet regularly to understand company processes and procedures; and perform a wide-ranging analysis of business and industry strategies and performance. As a result of their efforts, the students will be able to deliver a comprehensive business examination and provide a short- and long-term strategic analysis and set of recommendations to grow and strengthen the client company.

The SBDC at UCF’s Small Business Institute® program has won many national awards for its high quality projects and innovative program management, including:

• 2013 – 3rd Prize in Graduate Business Plan Category
• 2013 – SBI® Showcase Award
• 2012 – 2nd Place in the Graduate Specialized Category in the 2012 Project of the Year Awards
• 2010 – 1st Place in Graduate Specialized Category in Project of the Year National Competition

>>> 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 Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization and the Florida Small Business Development Center 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 2012, the FSBDC at UCF served almost 6500 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 9,961 Central Florida jobs created, retained or saved; $1.3 billion in sales growth; $50.4 million in capital formation; $104.6 million in government contract awards; and 108 new businesses started.

About the FSBDC Network

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 2012, the Florida SBDCs served approximately 38,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 47,845 jobs created, retained and saved; $6.3 billion in sales growth; $235.2 million in capital accessed; $588.4 million in government contract awards; and 744 new businesses started.

For every $1 of Florida public and private sector investment in the FSBDC program during 2012, $40 was returned to the state in tax revenue.

The FSBDC at UCF and the FSBDC Network are funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

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

sbdc@bus.ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

Aims to Help Business Owners Be Informed about Entrepreneurial Law and Reduce Their Risk

June 24, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Orlando, FL – On Thursday, June 27th the Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (SBDC at UCF) will once again host The Entrepreneur’s Law School, — a combination of seminars and workshops designed to educate small business owners about the latest developments in the legal landscape. In just one morning, legal professionals from the SBDC at UCF’s Small Business Resource Network (SBRN) will arm Central Florida area small business owners with information needed to both manage their business through important legal issues and reduce their risk and protect their businesses as they seek to grow them.  Small business owners will also have the opportunity to network with SBRN professionals with expertise in law, accounting, banking, and more.

“Because my practice has always been focused on assisting entrepreneurs and small businesses owners, I know where the legal risks and opportunities lie for their businesses. We have designed The Entrepreneur’s Law School to address these issues, and provide business owners with an understanding of how to manage their business from the legal perspective” said Ed Alexander, SBRN steering committee member and owner of the Entrepreneurship Law Firm, PL. “With business  law, what you don’t know CAN hurt you”.

The topics for the day are wide ranging, covering a myriad of legal questions, everything from mergers & acquisitions and succession planning to employment law, franchise law and contracts. The agenda for the June 27th event is as follows:

The Entrepreneur’s Law School 

Session I – Finding Growth Capital for Your Business

Session II – Small Business Resource Network Professionals Expo

Session III – Legal Panel Discussion

• Business Succession Planning
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Trademark, Copyright, and Intellectual Property
• Technology Law

Session IV – Legal Panel Discussion

• Employment Law
• Franchise Law
• Contracts

For more information or to register, visit www.sbdcorlando.com or call 407.420.4850

–UCF–

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (SBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF College of Business Administration and the Florida Small Business Development Center Network, providing business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to small business owners. The SBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains seven satellite service centers. In 2012, the SBDC at UCF helped entrepreneurs create or retain 2,350 jobs, win contract awards worth $104.6 million, acquire $50.5 million in capital formation, and increase sales by $95.1 million. The SBDC at UCF is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

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

Being a small business owner or leader can have many rewards — professional independence, individual accomplishment, financial success to name a few. But it also has many challenges, including limited opportunities for skill development, a circumstantially-narrowed business perspective and the isolation that comes from being alone at the top — all of which can negatively affect the business results and success of the small business entrepreneur.

Building on a growing body of research that has shown the value that peer group coaching brings to developing the skills and effectiveness of entrepreneur business leaders, in 2010 the Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (SBDC at UCF) launched the CEO XChange program, a monthly executive roundtable serving progressive chief executives and business owners that offers a confidential setting for top executives to discuss vital business issues, opportunities and trends with a group of peers. Designed for those at established, second stage companies, CEO XChange brings together successful entrepreneurs eager to increase their effectiveness as leaders and grow their companies. It offers top executives the opportunity to broaden their perspective and gain new knowledge by engaging in collaborative thinking and problem-solving – giving them the ability to more effective lead their companies.

The monthly CEO XChange meeting is organized and run by L. Harrison ‘Hal’ Thayer, a professional facilitator with extensive business and small business consulting experience. With a BA from Amherst, an MBA from Columbia Business School and facilitation training at General Electric’s Crotonville, NY executive training center, Thayer is a marketing professional who has held corporate positions at Time Warner, GE and Liberty Mutual. More recently, he has worked as a general manager for and consulted to small business. Beyond strong facilitation skills, he has a breadth and depth of business experience and knowledge that enables him to add value in many ways to the CEO XChange conversation and process.

Collective Problem Solving and Knowledge Expansion

The CEO XChange process is straight forward, and is strengthened by its simplicity. A group of CEO XChange’s chief executives come together for a presentation of an issue, challenge or opportunity facing one of their peers. Over the course of the meeting, all of the attendees contribute by brainstorming and problem solving together, all with a goal of solution identification. Over the course of the meeting, and as a result of the diverse points of view around the table, there is an inevitable expansion of member’s knowledge and understanding. Everyone benefits from leveraging the experiences of other CEO XChange members and having a multi-talented sounding board to bounce ideas off of. Freed of their own day-to-day concerns, the leaders avail themselves of the opportunity to think outside their box and engage in an often rewarding creative thought and analysis process.

As one CEO XChange member, the president of a hi-tech, multi-million dollar security firm commented recently about the knowledge gained in the meetings, “The CEO XChange aggregates decades of professional experience into a single, dynamic resource.   The safe environment promotes both relationship and rather candid discussion, so the movement from issue to solution is catalyzed dramatically.  The healthy group setting is cathartic for peers and, regardless of our respective ability to teach around an issue, we always learn”. 

Another CEO XChange member, the president of a multi-million dollar educational services company who has been recognized by the Small Business Administration as the Regional (8-state southern region) Winner of the 2012  Entrepreneurial Success Award, focused on the problem solving assistance he gains from the CEO XChange program when he said, “Many times I’ve been able to share challenges faced by my companies with the CEO XChange, and I’ve always received real world peer feedback from members that has revealed the solutions needed for my companies to grow so quickly.” 

Camaraderie and Decision-making Confidence

Beyond the benefits of collaborative problem solving and knowledge expansion, members of the CEO XChange also profit from the camaraderie and mutual support that comes from the relationships and network that evolve over time in the meetings. They learn that they are not alone in the challenges they face. This in turn has contributed to building the executives’ confidence in their decision making and validation of their strategies. As one member, president of training company has said about the CEO XChange, “It’s given me a wider perspective about the issues facing not just me, but the small business community in general.  It’s also given me confidence and some new business connections.” Or, as another member, the owner of a product assembly and manufacturing company, has said of the CEO XChange, “When I first started out a few years back I was very apprehensive that the decisions I was making were really going to get our business somewhere.   To know that you’re on the right track really is a load off your back”.

Better Business Results

By helping small business owners and leaders solve problems, broaden their perspectives and build confidence in their decision making, the CEO XChange program has helped its members better manage their companies and optimize their business results. For FY 2011, the 16 member companies in the CEO XChange saw their revenues increase by more than $10.5 million, created and/or retained 24 jobs, raised almost $3.4 million in capital and won more than $6.8 million in government contracts. For FY 2012, member companies saw their revenues increase by more than $8.9 million, created and/or retained 1121 jobs, raised almost $4.9 million in capital and won more than $9.7 million in government contracts.

The SBDC at UCF’s CEO XChange program does indeed connect executives, cultivate leaders and help its members improve business results. A further, significant indication of the value its members place in the CEO XChange is the almost 90% of members who renew with the program year-over-year.

The CEO XChange program currently has memberships available and welcomes applications. For information about qualifications for the program and administrative details, please visit our website at www.sbdcorlando.com/CEOXchange. For questions, please feel free to contact Hal Thayer, CEO XChange program manager, at 407.420.4850 or email at hthayer@bus.ucf.edu.

SBDC at UCF Programs Support Rapid Growth

March 28, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Orlando, FL – For most small businesses, their greatest challenge is stable and continuous growth, and the faster they can achieve that growth, the better. Advanced IT Concepts, Inc. is a central Florida company that has, on the strength of its founders diligence and hard work, and  with the help of the Small Business Development Center at UCF (SBDC at UCF), turned their company into a small business success story.

Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel (Gabe) Ruiz retired from the U.S. Army in 2006. Since then he has leveraged a military career in information technology and an entrepreneurial spirit as owner and CEO of Advanced IT Concepts, Inc., which provides IT consulting services and value added resale of computer hardware and peripherals to both the government and private sectors, into a fast growing small business.

AITC, Inc. was not an overnight success, however; Mr. Ruiz spent four years as a consultant assisting telecommunications companies do business with the DOD, and concurrently engaged with CDW (an $8 billion business-to- business technology infrastructure and computer resale enterprise).

Blending his military, consulting and corporate experiences, Gabe and his wife Sandra founded AITC, Inc. in 2010; AITC, Inc. is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business and has recently earned its 8(a) certification.

Since incorporation the company has achieved outstanding results with sales exceeding $1.5 million in the first fiscal year. Year two was a breakout year which saw sales nearly double with a net profit margin exceeding 12.5%. Sales in this current year will again double exceeding the $5 million milestone. In the three year period (2010-2012) the company has added 11 full time employees reaffirming the fact that “small business” is this country’s economic engine.

The company’s rapid growth has been accompanied with business challenges and Mr. Ruiz turned to the Small Business Development Center at UCF, in particular its Growth Acceleration Services program and its Advisory Board Council program.

In Mr. Ruiz’s words; “The SBDC at UCF has been a true and invaluable partner to AITC. From our first meeting with Growth Acceleration Services consultant Roger Greenwald who showed a true caring attitude and superb business knowledge we have received expert advice in areas such as Marketing, Business Development, Budgeting and Forecasting, Operational Effectiveness and more. Additionally, the SBDC at UCF has facilitated AITC’s participation in the SBDC’s Advisory Board Council program which has provided a team of senior business experts that provide guidance in all business areas. Today, we are a much improved, stronger and better positioned company due in great part to the outstanding support and guidance provided by the SBDC at UCF”.

The Small Business Development Center at UCF’s (SBDC at UCF) signature Growth Acceleration Services program is designed to do just that: accelerate business growth for emerging and growth businesses. In the program, professional business consultants deliver the tools, strategies and expertise businesses need to move ahead and grow.

Applying proven methodology, the SBDC’s Growth Acceleration consultants help businesses understand their market and uncover new opportunities; assess their cost structure, budgets and financial situation; uncover hidden profits; and recognize the issues necessary to create sustainable growth and access capital. Then, after producing results-driven recommendations, they work with the business to implement detailed parts of the business plan. All at no cost to the business.

In addition, Advance IT Concepts participated in the SBDC at UCF’s award-winning program, the Advisory Board Council. The Advisory Board Council aims to facilitate business growth through the use of advisory boards for established Orange County companies. The program acts as a matchmaker between established businesses and professionals who volunteer their expertise as members of a ‘custom-fit’ advisory board.  Founded in 2003, the SBDC at UCF’s Advisory Board Council is an economic development program funded by Orange County Government. Since its inception, the program has assisted 125 companies and has had more than 450 area professional volunteers.

–UCF–

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center (formerly the Disney Entrepreneur Center) now located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (SBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF College of Business Administration and the Florida Small Business Development Center Network, providing business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to small business owners. The SBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains seven satellite service centers. In 2011, the SBDC at UCF helped entrepreneurs create or retain 1,517 jobs, win contract awards worth $28.9 million, acquire $17.7 million in capital formation, and increase sales by $51.9 million. The SBDC at UCF is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

 

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

sbdc@bus.ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com

Small Business Development Center at UCF

January 29, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Orlando, FL – The decision to start a business was an easy one for Tom Bird, an experienced installer of shower glass, decorative glass, sliding doors and mirrors. Finding customers proved more challenging.

By the time Bird visited the Small Business Development Center at University of Central Florida’s office (SBDC At UCF) in Palm Coast last May, he was feeling discouraged about the future of his business, Benchmark Glass and Mirror. “Nothing seemed to be working in finding customers, so I thought it couldn’t hurt to seek another point of view,” Bird said.

“Tom was questioning his own commitment to his business and was having difficulty finding customers, and by the end of our session, Tom seemed overwhelmed by the tasks at hand,” said Joe Roy, area manager of both the SBDC at UCF and the Palm Coast Business Assistance Center (BAC), of their first meeting.

Benchmark Glass and Mirror’s problem was not one of growth, but rather one of survival. That day, Roy outlined the steps Bird needed to take. Six weeks later, Bird returned to the SBDC at UCF with more information. Benchmark Glass and Mirror was having some difficulty understanding job costing, selling strategies and value for service. It was clear Bird was offering a quality product and service, Roy said; hence, “there was a good foundation on which to build this business.”

By early July 2012, Bird returned again to the SBDC at UCF, now fully convinced his strategy of building his business by providing quality products and service at affordable pricing was the right one. Bird began to understand how his costs affected his selling price. Rather than raise prices, Bird found ways to reduce his costs while increasing his productivity – allowing him to keep his selling price very competitive.

Working with the SBDC at UCF, Bird created a sales strategy to increase his success rate of quotes provided to customers. Now better equipped to understand his costs, Bird increased his customer quote success rate from 3 per 10 quotes to 6 per 10 quotes – a 100-percent increase.

Benchmark Glass and Mirror has added one part-time position and is on track to grow sales revenues by 50 percent compared to 2011. Since meeting with the SDBC at UCF, Benchmark Glass and Mirror has developed a business plan including a marketing and sales strategy.

“I’m now better equipped to grow my business,” said Bird. “I’m far more focused on my costs and my customers than at any time in my business. I can’t believe how much working with the SBDC at UCF has changed my outlook on daily operations.”

Benchmark Glass and Mirror represents both the challenges and opportunities faced by the small business community in Palm Coast, said Roy. “Tom has turned a corner and is now growing a competitive business providing exceptional quality products and service. You can see the passion in his eyes and it’s translating into a great customer experience at very competitive pricing,” he said.

If you have a question about your business, stop by the SBDC at UCF and meet with Joe Roy. Like Benchmark Glass and Mirror, your “Journey to Business Excellence” begins at the Palm Coast BAC and the SBDC at UCF.

–UCF–

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center (formerly the Disney Entrepreneur Center) now located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (SBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF College of Business Administration and the Florida Small Business Development Center Network, providing business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to small business owners. The SBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains seven satellite service centers. In 2011, the SBDC at UCF helped entrepreneurs create or retain 1,517 jobs, win contract awards worth $28.9 million, acquire $17.7 million in capital formation, and increase sales by $51.9 million. The SBDC at UCF is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

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