Tampa Bay's Latest Business News

In recognizing that entrepreneurship builds a sustainable business economy and is the most effective stimulus for the revitalization of the community, Mayor Bob Buckhorn signs proclamation declaring November as Tampa Bay Entrepreneurship Month. View proclamation here.

Join the Small Business Development Center in the celebration. What can you do?

Entrepreneur dates:

• November
  • Tampa Bay Entrepreneurship Month (Proclaimed by City Of Tampa Nov. 1 2011)

• Nov. 14-20
  • Global Entrepreneurship Week (Launched by Kauffman Foundation and UK prime Minister 2008)

• National Entrepreneurship Week (Proclaimed by President Obama in 2010)

• Nov. 17 – Gazelle Lab Demo Day  meeting Tampa Bay’s top Start-ups
• Nov. 19 – National Entrepreneurship Day (Proclaimed by President Obama in 2010)
• Nov. 24 – Thanksgiving – Give thanks for an entrepreneur!
• Nov. 26 – Small Business Saturday (American Express)

Local Entrepreneur Spotlight:

• Gazelle Lab Companies including: Dropost.it, Kangroo, Red Hawk Interactive, AutoQ.co and Teburu  http://gazellelab.com/companies

• Small Business Development Center clients featured in articles such as: “Cutting through the red tape,” “With Recession lined Economy comes hotbed of new opportunity” and “Accelerated growth: 10 States  and counting.”

Entrepreneur Stats:

• Forbes places Tampa No. 6 in Best Cities for women-owned businesses (2011).
• USF graduate entrepreneurship program is ranked in top 20 (No. 8 among public universities).
• Total number of firms (2007) Hillsborough 114,864, 5.7% of state.
• Total number of firms (2007) Pinellas 98,529,  4.9% of state.
• Tampa’s production of $7.9 billion in exports plays a key role Florida being the nation’s fourth-largest export state. More than 95 percent of Florida exporters are small and medium sized businesses.
• In 2010, the SBDC helped 3,092 Bay area entrepreneurs start 154 new businesses, acquire $5.6 million in capital and increase sales by $31.7 million.
• Florida ranks among America’s Top 5 Best States for Business. Learn more
• Florida consistently ranks among the nation’s best states for business and entrepreneurs because of its pro-business fiscal policies and targeted financial incentives. Learn more
• The greatest part of America’s wealth lies with family-owned businesses. Family firms comprise 80% to 90% of all business enterprises in North America. (J.H. Astrachan and M.C. Shanker, “Family Businesses’ Contribution to the U.S. Economy: A Closer Look,” Family Business Review, September 2003)
• Family businesses create an estimated 70-90% of global GDP annually.

Member of the FL & National Association of SBDC Networks

State Designated as Florida’s Principal Provider of Business Assistance, the Florida Small Business
Development Center Network has more than 30 locations from Pensacola to Key West. The SBDC at USF region spans a 10-county area providing free, one-on-one consulting and offering more than 300 entrepreneurial programs each year.

The Florida Small Business Development Center Network is   funded in part through a cooperative agreement
with the U.S. Small Business Administration (www.SBA.gov) and a partnership with  higher-education institutions, economic development organizations, chambers of commerce and other organizations dedicated to economic prosperity through small business success.

SBDC at USF: www.SBDCtampabay.com 813.905.5800