April 2007

Practical Advice, Real Opportunities: STAR TEC Entrepreneurship Conference, April 11-12.  The STAR Technology Enterprise Center presents this two day conference for local entrepreneurs.  A variety of speakers will provide information on business plan writing, team building, legal protection and more.  The event takes place at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, 12600 Roosevelt Blvd. N., St. Petersburg.  An opening reception with keynote speaker Chris Hart, Sr. Vice President of External Affairs and Investor Relations, Enterprise Florida, Inc., is scheduled on April 11 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm.  The conference continues on April 12, 7:30am – 3:30pm, and features luncheon keynote speaker Dean Akers, Serial Entrepreneur and CEO, Ideal Image.  Register before April 9 at www.STARTECflorida.com/conference.

Now Is the Time to Go to Panama - The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s 2nd Outbound Trade Mission to Panama, May 20-24.  Telecommunications, construction materials, building services, tourism, material handling equipment, environmental equipment, electric power systems, security and safety are strong Panamanian sectors for U.S. businesses.  The trade mission features economic briefings, a mission reception and VIP networking events.  Registration must be completed by April 20. Click here for more information.

Pinellas County’s Cost of Living Falls Below the National Average.  In ACCRA’s fourth quarter composite index for Florida cities, Pinellas County fell four percent to 99.1% of the national average.  Housing costs in the county decreased from 101.2% to 98.6%.  ACCRA produces the Cost of Living Index to provide a useful measure of living cost differences among more than 300 urban areas.

Connecting Business and Education: Job-A-Thon 2007.  Job-A-Thon2007 is a partnership among WorkNet Pinellas, Junior Achievement, St. Petersburg College and Pinellas Technical Education Centers that assists high school students with career preparation for obtaining and maintaining employment.  Similar to a telethon, the Job-A-Thon is a campaign that will target local businesses and allow them to “pledge” jobs for qualified high school students.  Job placements will begin in late May and continue through the end of June, with the possibility of full-time employment thereafter for students who demonstrate motivation and successful work habits.  If you are interested in pledging jobs for your business, please contact Garry Burlingame at (727) 791-5835.

SATOP: Space Technology Helps Businesses Find Solutions.  The Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP) is a free service designed to provide to the private sector technical expertise derived from the U.S. space program.  By giving free technology assistance to small businesses, SATOP helps them solve challenges, increasing their opportunities for success.  Qualifying businesses are eligible for up to 40 hours of free technical assistance.  Visit www.spacetechsolutions.com to learn more about SATOP.  Click here to complete a Request for Technical Assistance.

Join the Florida Pavilion at BioMed Israel 2007, June 5-7, Tel Aviv.  BioMed Israel Conference and Exhibition is Israel’s showcase event for the entire Israeli Life Sciences Industry and provides a unique networking opportunity for visitors from abroad.  Topics will include: Medical Devices; Drugs, Indications, Gene Therapy, Vaccines; Lab Equipment & Instruments; Computer Aided Drug Discovery & Bioinformatics; Financial & Technical Services for the industry; Nano Biotechnology & Bio-Electronics; Bio products, Development & Enabling Technologies; and Agro Bio.  A limited number of booths are available for Florida companies to exhibit products and services within the Florida Pavilion.  For more information on the event, please visit www.kenes.com/biomed.  To participate in the Florida Pavilion, please contact Julie Balzano-Pizarro with Enterprise Florida at (305) 569-2650.

2006 Biennial Business Survey.  The 2006 Business Survey is PCED’s fifth biennial survey. Questionnaires were mailed to 10,000 businesses in August, 2006 and the response rate was 20%.  Findings indicate that Pinellas County businesses continue to prosper, with about four-fifths (79%) rating their individual business performance as excellent or good.  76% agree that the future for business in Pinellas is very bright.  Almost half (48%) expect next year’s revenues to be better than this year, and 28% expect to increase their employment in the next year.  At the same time, the business community faces several challenges that temper its optimism.  Businesses are less upbeat about the condition of their industries, with 30% reporting that their industry is in worse condition now than a year ago.   The 2006 survey also points to an increasingly important role of electronic communications in how Pinellas County firms conduct business: 60% have a company website, an increase of 9% since 2004. 

Click here to view the full survey.