Small Biz Florida

Ep. 79 | Learn how REsimplifi is helping Economic Development Agencies with Commercial Real-Estate Management | Matt Francis National Sales Associate for REsimplifi

REsimplifi is changing the way Economic Development offices manage commercial real estate. They provide this service to their clients. Learn how this new organization started, where it’s headed, and how it can benefit your organization.
Matthew Francis is a National Sales Associate for REsimplifi, He joins us on Small Biz Florida to talk about REsimplifi and its unique and innovative services. Matt graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Financial Management Services. Experience in real estate portfolio analysis, property management, mortgage, and property valuation.
REsimplifi, Inc. is a technology & data provider focused on the commercial real estate and economic development industries. The REsimplifi Team works directly with economic developer offices across the United States to ensure that they have the most complete and highest quality data possible for their online site selection tools.
They enable clients to focus on more specialized work by offering a platform to outsource the collection and management of their property data for their websites.
– Learn more about REsimplifi: https://resimplifi.com/ – Connect w/ Matthew Francis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-francis-cpsp-61709b16b/
Subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram for more segments like these This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Economic Development Council Conference hosted at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St Petersburg, Florida, and cohosted by Dr. Herbert Ricardo, Professor at the School of Business at Indian River State College.
– Connect w/ Dr. Herbert Ricardo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbert-ricardo-ph-d-91b1ba225/
– To learn more about the FEDC Conference, visit their website here
– To visit the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St. Petersburg, Florida, visit their website here

Ep. 78 | Space Florida’s Impact on State-Wide Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Aerospace Industry Growth | Mathew Chesnut Vice President Business and Economic Development at Space Florida

Space Florida is laying down the pathway to a career in Space. Listen to this incredible conversation about the outlook for careers in the aerospace industry.
Mathew Chesnut comes from a background in city management. After working for economic development agencies on the city and county levels, Matt moved on to working at Space Florida. Space Florida was created to strengthen Florida’s position as the global leader in aerospace research, investment, exploration, and commerce. As Florida’s aerospace development organization, they are committed to attracting and expanding the next generation of space industry businesses. With its highly trained workforce, proven infrastructure, and unparalleled record of achievement, Florida is the ideal location for aerospace businesses to thrive – and Space Florida is the perfect partner to help them succeed.
Today he joins cohosts of Small Biz Florida Tom and Dr. Ricardo for a conversation that covers the work that Space Florida does to attract aerospace organizations to Florida and help those organizations grow and thrive in our State. Matt talks about how fast the aerospace industry is growing in Florida and the impact that Space Florida has had on its success.
– Learn more about Space Florida: https://www.spaceflorida.gov/ – Connect w/ Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathewchesnut/
Subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram for more segments like these This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Economic Development Council Conference hosted at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St Petersburg, Florida, and cohosted by Dr. Herbert Ricardo, Professor at the School of Business at Indian River State College.
– Connect w/ Dr. Herbert Ricardo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbert-ricardo-ph-d-91b1ba225/
– To learn more about the FEDC Conference, visit their website here
– To visit the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St. Petersburg, Florida, visit their website here

Ep. 77 | Having Fun and Learning how MWB Creates Good for their Clients | Erica Sittler Account Executive for MWB Create

MWB Brand Manager, Erica Sittler joins Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred, and cohost, Dr. Ricardo on another episode to talk about MWB Create a full-service creative agency headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi. MWB offers its clients a range of services, including marketing strategy, advertising, website development, interactive media, and social media marketing.
Erica Sittler comes from a background of working with economic development organizations, tourism, and even healthcare. Erica owns Robinson Studios a consulting agency for more than 14 years. Erica works in a range of spaces and has many skills as a brand strategist, social media manager, and ghostwriter.
– Learn more about MWB Create: https://mwb.com/ – Connect w/ Erica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrsericarobinson/
Subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram for more segments like these This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Economic Development Council Conference hosted at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St Petersburg, Florida, and cohosted by Dr. Herbert Ricardo, Professor at the School of Business at Indian River State College.
– Connect w/ Dr. Herbert Ricardo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbert-ricardo-ph-d-91b1ba225/
– To learn more about the FEDC Conference, visit their website here
– To visit the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St. Petersburg, Florida, visit their website here

Ep. 76 | Find out what the Able Trust is doing to narrow the Workforce Gap in Florida | Donna Wright Vice President, Development & Marketing at The Able Trust

“Hiring a diverse and inclusive workforce is going to impact your bottom line and pay dividends.” Learn what the Able Trust is doing to narrow the workforce gap in Florida.
Donna Wright started her career in special education. After a few years, she transitioned and began working for Good Will. While working for Good Will, Donna discovered a passion for public and media relations, branding, and marketing. Her career led her to work in the non-profit industry, and eventually, she found her way to the Able Trust.
The Able Trust is a 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to creating successful employment opportunities for people with disabilities. It operates throughout Florida and works through grant making, public education, public relations, and policy recommendations. A nine-member Board of Directors governs it, all appointed by the Governor.
On this segment of Small Biz Florida, Donna joins host Tom Kindred and co-host Dr. Ricardo in a conversation about the Able Trust’s mission to narrow the employment gap in Florida by tapping into talent pools not considered before, a brand new partnership with the Florida SBDC Network, and the processes in place at the Able Trust that provide employers with knowledge, resources, and tools to hire and support people with disabilities.  
– Learn more about The Able Trust: http://www.abletrust.org/ – Connect w/ Donna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-h-wright-45189b20/
Subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram for more segments like these This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Economic Development Council Conference hosted at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St Petersburg, Florida, and cohosted by Dr. Herbert Ricardo, Professor at the School of Business at Indian River State College.
– Connect w/ Dr. Herbert Ricardo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbert-ricardo-ph-d-91b1ba225/
– To learn more about the FEDC Conference, visit their website here
– To visit the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St. Petersburg, Florida, visit their website here

Ep. 75 | Maximize the Value of Your Business with Succession Planning | Roy Messing Director of State Center Operations at EOX Network

“Many people often think that an exit plan is an event, but the exit plan is that strategic plan only you are looking at it from a long-term basis.”
If you are a business owner trying to find out what the value of your business is and want to get the most out of the years, you’ve put in. This episode covers just that! Roy Messing is an expert in his field with over ten years of experience in Finance, Business Planning, Strategic Planning, Succession Planning, Employee Ownership, and Team Building. He joins the Small Biz Florida Team in this conversation covering the critical role that Succession planning can play for your business. Tom Kindred, the show host, asks Roy the questions that open up the discussion to making this process so much easier to understand. Roy messing give us an overview of the EOX Network, and we learn about the resources offered to businesses.
– Learn more about EOX Network: https://www.shumaker.com/ – Connect w/ Roy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roy-messing-31b05a27/
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Economic Development Council Conference hosted at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St Petersburg, Florida, and cohosted by Dr. Herbert Ricardo, Professor at the School of Business at Indian River State College.
– Connect w/ Dr. Herbert Ricardo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbert-ricardo-ph-d-91b1ba225/
– To learn more about the FEDC Conference, visit their website here
– To visit the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St. Petersburg, Florida, visit their website here

Ep. 74 | A Practical Approach to Innovative Employee Benefits Planning in 2022 | John Burgess Attorney and CPA with Shumaker

Businesses everywhere are struggling to retain, recruit and build strong teams. John Burgess, a CPA and an Attorney with Shumaker, shares advice and strategies that may help alleviate HR issues that businesses are facing nationwide.  
John Burgess joins Tom Kindred, host of Small Biz Florida, and co-host, Dr. Herbert Ricardo, to talk about how Employee Benefits Planning in 2022 can help your business attract great employees and help build a strong and dedicated team. John Burgess makes Employee Stock Ownership Plans very easy to understand by taking a practical approach and simplifying the process for his clients. John also gives an overview of what it’s like to build compensation programs for businesses big and small and the critical role these programs play in the organizational culture.
– Learn more about Shumaker: https://www.shumaker.com/ – Connect w/ John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-john-burgess-30213a11/  
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Economic Development Council Conference hosted at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St Petersburg, Florida, and cohosted by Dr. Herbert Ricardo, Professor at the School of Business at Indian River State College.
– Connect w/ Dr. Herbert Ricardo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbert-ricardo-ph-d-91b1ba225/
– To learn more about the FEDC Conference, visit their website here
– To visit the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St. Petersburg, Florida, visit their website here

Ep. 73 | Is your Business a Second Stage Company? Here is how GROW FL can help you! | Jennifer Taylor President/CEO of GROW FL

“Second-stage growth companies have at least six employees and $750 thousand in revenue and possess the intent and desire to grow beyond second-stage.” –GROW FL.
If your company is at this stage, this episode is for you. Today on Small Biz Florida, Tom Kindred and Dr. Herbert Ricardo co-host the Podcast and interview the President and CEO of Grow FL, Jennifer Taylor.
As a seasoned economic development professional, Jennifer Taylor managed lead generation and business recruitment efforts for the Central Florida Development Council and the EDC of Sarasota County.
Before this, she spent more than 15 years as Vice President of Business Development for the Tampa Bay Partnership – an eight-county, regional economic development organization.
Throughout her career, she has worked with corporate and industrial expansions and relocations such as McDonnell Douglas, Bristol Myers Squibb, Publix Super Markets, McKinsey Consulting, Depository Trust & Clearing, Nucor Steel Florida, Valmont Newmark, Amazon Air, and others that resulted in more than $1.8 billion in new capital investment and the creation of 8,500 new full-time jobs in Florida.
Follow this conversation to learn about the resources available to Second-Stage Companies in Florida as Jennifer Taylor walks us through her new role and Grow FL’s numerous resources.
Grow FL is dedicated to supporting and accelerating the growth of second-stage companies throughout Florida, by providing their leaders focused, efficient, and timely access to resources they deem important, such as connections with other second-stage company leaders, and to professional organizations whose expertise, experience, and products lead to the second-stage company’s continued growth and prosperity resulting in diversification and growth of Florida’s economy. 
– Learn more about Grow FL: https://www.growfl.com– Connect w/ Jennifer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifertaylortampabay/
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Economic Development Council Conference hosted at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St Petersburg, Florida and cohosted by Dr. Herbert Ricardo Professor at the School of Business at Indian River State College.
– Connect w/ Dr. Herbert Ricardo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbert-ricardo-ph-d-91b1ba225/
– To learn more about the FEDC Conference, visit their website here
– To visit the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St. Petersburg, Florida, visit their website here

Ep. 72 | We learned how powerful Sales Force could be for your Business. | Chandler Jenkins Senior Consultant for Coastal Cloud

What is the secret to a successful Sales Force implementation? Find out on this episode where Tom Kindred, host of Small Biz Florida, sits down with Chandler Jenkins, Senior Consultant for Coastal Cloud.
Chandler shares his background and pathway to working at Coastal Cloud & shares his passion for helping Economic Development Agencies with their CRM system Sales Force. Chandler gives us an overview of the tools you can utilize within Sales Force, What his experience has been working almost exclusively with public sector clients, and provides us with an idea of what it’s like to simplify reports and data using Sales Force.
– Learn more about Coastal Cloud: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coastal-cloud/– Connect w/ Chandler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandler-jenkins-mba-a5652623/
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Economic Development Council Conference hosted at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St Petersburg, Florida and cohosted by Dr. Herbert Ricardo Professor at the School of Business at Indian River State College.
– Connect w/ Dr. Herbert Ricardo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbert-ricardo-ph-d-91b1ba225/
– To learn more about the FEDC Conference, visit their website here
– To visit the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St. Petersburg, Florida, visit their website here

Ep. 71 | St. Petersburg Florida’s Resurgence following COVID-19. What that looks like thru the eyes of a Hospitality Expert | Gene Schroeder Director of Group Sales at Hilton Bayfront St. Petersburg

Follow this conversation to learn more about the beautiful hotel that hosted this year’s Florida Economic Development Council Conference!
Gene Schroeder serves as the Director of Group Sales at the Hilton Bayfront St. Petersburg and joins Tom on podcast. Gene’s journey surprisingly started in New York as a Medical Insurance Adjuster. After a few years working in the health industry, Gene took a turn after living in Cape Cod for a few years. He got a degree in hospitality and never looked back! The warm sunshine attracted Gene to Florida, and on this special episode of Small Biz Florida, he joins Tom Kindred and Dr. Ricardo to chat about the state of recovery of St. Petersburg thru his eyes and the beautiful property he represents.   
– Stay in St. Petersburg: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/sptshhf-hilton-st-petersburg-bayfront/– Connect w/ Gene: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gene-schroeder-81466515/
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Economic Development Council Conference hosted at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St Petersburg, Florida and cohosted by Dr. Herbert Ricardo Professor at the School of Business at Indian River State College.
– Connect w/ Dr. Herbert Ricardo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbert-ricardo-ph-d-91b1ba225/
– To learn more about the FEDC Conference, visit their website here
– To visit the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St. Petersburg, Florida, visit their website here

New Series | Small Biz Florida Goes to Florida Economic Development Council Conference 2022

The primary purpose of small biz Florida is to highlight and create awareness for all of Florida’s small business assistance and resource programs. One of the most effective ways to learn about, gather and share information on these resources is to attend and work at Florida’s top small business and economic development conferences.
One of these important business events was the recent Florida Economic Development Council’s 2022 Annual Conference held in St. Petersburg, Florida. Small biz Florida was on the scene during the conference, recording and producing segments. The Small Biz Florida crew wants to thank Beth Cicchetti, Jill Blackman, and the entire FEDC team for allowing the podcast to be part of the recent conference. Also want to thank Indian River State College's school of business professor, Dr. Herbert Ricardo, for serving as podcast cohost during the conference.
Attended by over 275 of Florida’s economic development professionals, the conference was a huge success. The next 15 segments of small biz Florida were all produced and recorded at the conference-hopefully the segments will provide our listeners with valuable and beneficial information.
Please like, rate, and share our show to continue supporting the podcast with your networks, family, and friends. To stay connected and up to date on our latest releases, follow our Instagram @SmallBizFlorida!
We are so thankful for the growing and overwhelming support of our listeners. We hope our work is inspiring and helping all business owners in Florida and Nationwide!