Tammy Matthew — Market Executive, Bank of America Treasure Coast

Underserved communities banking on businesses to help wipe out hunger

More than 12% of Florida residents are facing food insecurity, according to Feeding America. This means the chances are high that you know someone suffering from food scarcity, even if you don’t realize it. More than 2.5 million Floridians live in households without consistent access to food and more than 700,000 are children.

Taking a closer look at the Treasure Coast, Indian River and St. Lucie counties share even higher rates of insecurity than the state average and the prevalence among children is significantly greater at more than... Read more...

Cristin O’Hara and Doug Sherman

Restaurants need to adopt technology to help survive effects of pandemic

To survive revenue disruption and other financial challenges, restaurants need to find ways to adapt into the technology-driven future of meal ordering and delivery that seems to be here to stay... Read more...

Christopher Morhardt

Pharus Group Expands Ecosystem of Services; Launches New Business Units To Better Serve Its Customers

Leading FL-based full-service business management advisory firm launches new suite of services with the unveiling of nine new business units to help customers nationwide.

Pharus Group LLC, an award-winning Florida-based business management advisory firm, recently announced that the company has unveiled a new ecosystem of services under the brand Pharus Global to better serve businesses throughout Florida and nationwide... Read more...

Herbert P. Ricardo

Intraprenuers are vital employees if a company is going to succeed

Internal Intraprenuership. If you’ve not heard the term, it’s time you get familiar with it as it could save your company or organization. The term intrapreneur is given to employees within organizations who exhibit entrepreneurial tendencies. These are employees who are motivated, optimistic and driven to solve problems. They are the idea generators, status quo disrupters and change agents. They can be leaders, managers, supervisors or frontline employees... Read more...

Clare Dreyer

New leaders need to be effective in today’s work environment

COVID-19 will forever transform the landscape of today’s work environment.

Business owners, leaders and managers have had to adapt their leadership and management styles and models to accommodate today’s different work models: working full time in the office; hybrid — working in the office as well as remote; working remote full time.

Employees have also changed their views. They are keenly aware of how... Read more...

Nichole Mooney

Do employers have the authority to require vaccinations?

Recent announcements regarding the availability of vaccines for the COVID-19 virus have been both exciting and concerning for some employers and employees.

Employers need to consider how they will address questions and concerns with respect to the vaccination and its effects on the workplace.

One question is whether employers may require employees or new hires to be vaccinated. In March, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission confirmed that taking employee temperatures and asking screening questions are permitted. These types of safety protocols are considered medical examinations which, under the Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA] are only permitted when... Read more...

Cheryl Kirby

Florida small businesses are resilient, even in face of hurdles presented by pandemic

Small business owners are nothing if not intrepid. They demonstrate their flexibility no matter what situation arises. Their resiliency has never been more apparent than in recent months as they encountered setbacks related to COVID-19.

To determine the specific challenges owners have and continue to face, the Florida Small Business Development Center Network, the state’s principal provider of small business assistance, recently partnered with the Florida Chamber Foundation and the University of West Florida Haas Center to survey nearly 5,000 business owners about the effects of the pandemic. The results were telling... Read more...

Doug Sherman

Being resilient will help companies survive during economic challenges

Even if all you had to worry about were the quality of your company’s products or services and continued growth of its customer base, running a business would be challenging enough.

However, companies are also subject to economic and environmental forces beyond their control. A change in the economic cycle could disrupt cash flow, tighten access to credit, rattle customers and suppliers and even threaten the survival of your organization.

No one can precisely predict changes in the economy. As Treasure Coast businesses have experienced with the coronavirus outbreak, they can... Read more...

Chauncelor Howell

Tips to help small businesses in today’s tumultuous world

Owning a small business during the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest is extremely challenging for any small business owner and its employees. Unlike technology companies, most small businesses do not have the technical infrastructure to support virtual business operations during a complete shutdown.

Small business owners had no idea how disruptive a pandemic would be — literally destroying businesses and livelihoods overnight. How does a small business survive during a deadly pandemic? Here are five suggestions to help save small businesses. Read more...

Daryl Krauza

Business litigation can be a long and overwhelming process without guidance

If you haven’t been involved in litigation before, the process can be overwhelming. The term business litigation covers a wide variety of cases including breach of contract, partnership or shareholder disputes, disputes between owners of a business, real property, and even cases outside of a traditional business context like probate and trust disputes, to name a few. Whether you are an individual, a local business, or a large national corporation, a case will follow the same basic lifecycle, which is described below. Read more...

MAKE YOUR ACCOUNTS PAYABLES WORK FOR YOU

Payables are all the ways your business spends cash, from buying inventory and office equipment to paying employees and taxes. How do you keep your costs down in light of all the different ways cash can leave your business?

An important goal should be to make sure cash inflow exceeds cash outflow. Start with planning your payables so they’re predictable — and maximize them to their greatest potential. Read more...

BUSINESS GROWTH CONTINUES IN THE FORT PIERCE AREA

As one of the top destinations in Southeast Florida, the Fort Pierce area of the Treasure Coast has seen a resurgence of activity over the past few years. This neighborly community exudes the charm of ‘Old Florida,’ embracing its rich history while quietly and thoughtfully promoting the promise of the future growth of the town as the seat of the county. The downtown area abounds with small retail shops, restaurants, services and art galleries. The local business owners have pride in ownership, working together with the community and city to see it flourish. As a small business owner and one that will soon hold a beautiful office location in this wonderful town, we wanted to bring to light many of the local businesses that are the main reason Fort Pierce and the county are growing, but also showcase new area developments. Read more...

Dana M. Apfelbaum

CHOOSE THE RIGHT STRUCTURE WHEN STARTING YOUR BUSINESS

Starting and running a business requires making many important decisions. The very first decision faced by many business owners is what kind of entity should be formed to operate their business. In Florida, there are a number of available options. While the decision can be daunting, the variety in flavor of business entities provides the opportunity to choose a type of entity suited to your particular needs. In determining which entity is right for you, there are many tax and non-tax factors to take into consideration. Read more...

 

Beverly B. Jones

HOW DOES YOUR WEBSITE SCORE?

No matter whether you’ve just launched a new website or have had one for many years, your website should showcase your business professionally and build your reputation 24/7.

There are many best practices for building and maintaining your website as well as additional advanced concepts. Read more...

 

Kathy Post

BUSINESS INSURANCE: ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL

As a business owner, it is critical to maintain a relationship with a bank that can help you navigate the treacherous waters of entrepreneurship.

How do you select the bank that you want to build a relationship with?

If you’re a business owner, you need insurance. But how much and what type can vary greatly depending on your type of business, resources, assets and specific needs. So, what should you consider before purchasing a business policy? Here are some risks and coverages you will want to consider to find the right plan for you. Read more...

 

Tammy Roncaglione

FINDING THE BEST BANKER FOR BETTER BUSINESS

As a business owner, it is critical to maintain a relationship with a bank that can help you navigate the treacherous waters of entrepreneurship.

How do you select the bank that you want to build a relationship with?

As banks continue to merge and grow, community banks become fewer and fewer. It is important to research a bank and a banker to form a long relationship. Today’s technology allows the business to not focus so much on the actual location of the bank but rather the potential for a long-lasting banking relationship. Read more...

 

David Miklas

AVOID GENDER PREFERENCE IN JOB POSTINGS

A South Florida company had a sales team consisting of 22 men and five women. The owner of the company was inspired by the #MeToo movement and wanted to make sure he was doing his part to “level the playing field.” He decided to run an ad specifically intended to hire more women into the sales department. The company ran a job listing on the website, stating it was “taking the radical approach of actively soliciting women salespeople.” The title above the listing announced that the company “Wants to Hire Women Sales Associates!” Read more...

Philip Strazzulla

PERSISTENCE, PATIENCE KEY IN CLOSING DEALS

In early 2016 an old friend and fishing buddy, Scott Deal, founder of Maverick Boat Company, invited me to a quiet lunch with a singular purpose in mind — my assistance in finding a building large enough and geographically close enough to expand his very crowded 77,764-square-foot marine manufacturing facility into a new satellite operation. Deal was mindful that the improving economy was leading to boat orders that his company-supplied dealers were clamoring to fulfill, placing additional delivery pressure on an already stressed manufacturing line. Read more...

TOURISM INDUSTRY BOOSTS LOCAL BUSINESS AND KEEPS TAXES LOW

For decades, Treasure Coast locals and visitors alike have observed those hopeful individuals walking on stretches of our 65-mile coastline, equipped with their metal detectors and headphones, yearning for that joyous tone that indicates metal might be waiting for them under the surface. Out comes the sand sifter to see if centuries old gold, silver or other precious treasures might appear. And, it’s not unusual to see real treasure hunters just offshore aboard vessels aptly named Aarrr Booty or Sea Reaper when the seas are calm and the visibility is good. These hunters are in the water probing areas around 300-plus-year-old shipwrecks and limestone reefs, hoping to catch a glint of shimmer and uncover millions of dollars worth of treasure. After all, it’s happened before. Most people think these stories are for the movies, but here on the Treasure Coast, it’s real. Read more...