August 2007

Small Business Lending Fair, August 28, 12:00pm – 2:00pm. Featuring exhibits from over 25 small business lenders, this event offers business owners and entrepreneurs an opportunity to meet experienced loan officers on-on-one, or simply browse their options in a casual, fair format. Lunch will be provided. The event takes place at the EpiCenter, 13805 58^th Street N., Clearwater, FL 33760. For more information, contact the Pinellas County Business Development Center at (727) 453-7200, or email businesshelp@pced.org.

Recruiting Qualified Job Seekers Made Easier by WorkNet Wednesday. WorkNet Pinellas is moving forward to help employers better access qualified job seekers in a candidate-driven labor market. The result is WorkNet Wednesday, a monthly job fair campaign that will provide an efficient and inexpensive way for employers to recruit candidates for multiple positions. The regional job fair events will be held on the second Wednesday of each month at locations that are convenient for West Central Florida businesses and job seekers. The WorkNet Wednesday schedule will be posted on http://www.worknetpinellas.org/ along with an online registration form to aid employers in their recruiting plans. Please contact Sarah Whitney-Mead at (727) 507-4300, ext. 3007, or swhitney-mead@worknetpinellas.org for more information.

Tampa BayRegion Earns Top 5 Spot in Small Business Growth. In the Business Journal's recent ranking of the top 75 markets, the Tampa/St. Petersburg area ranked number five in small business percentage growth with an increase of 16.2% from 2000 to 2005. The Florida market makes up four of the top five slots, with Orlando ranking number two, Sarasota/Bradenton number three, and Jacksonville in the number four slot.

The Great Debate: The Future of U.S. Trade, November 7 - 9. Join award-winning journalist Gene Randall as he moderates a debate designed to provide insight into the complexities of conducting business throughout the world in a period of heightened uncertainty. U.S. Department of Commerce Commercial Officers from across Latin America and Canada will deliver up-to-date information on developing opportunities for U.S. business. Private consultations are available and must be booked in advance. Tampa Bay area companies receive a discount on conference fees. The event takes place at the Hyatt Regency in Tampa, FL. Click here for more information and to register.

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Pinellas County Utilities Quarterly EnviroBusiness Hazardous Waste Collection Day, August 8. The next quarterly EnviroBusiness Hazardous Waste Collection Day will be August 8, 2007, from 9:00am to 4:00pm, at the Household Electronics & Chemical Collection Center, 2990 110^th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. The quarterly collection offers businesses an inexpensive and convenient way to properly dispose of unwanted hazardous electronics and chemical waste. Any business may drop off its hazardous electronics. To drop off chemicals, businesses need to qualify as small waste generators, (producing less than 25 gallons, or 220 pounds, of chemical waste per month). Businesses pay the contractors directly, at the County's reduced contract prices. For many electronic items, the price is either “no charge” or “minimal charge”. For more information, call (727) 464-7500 or visit www.pinellascounty.org/bizwaste.

What Are Your Business's Workforce Needs? The Pinellas Education Foundation, in association with the Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development at the University of West Florida is conducting a survey of local businesses to measure and assess employers' needs for particular employee skill sets. The information that you provide will be analyzed and distributed by the Haas Center in aggregate form – please be assured that your specific business information will remain confidential. Businesses may take the survey online by clicking here. For questions, contact Melissa Neal, Associate Director of the Haas Center, at (850) 833-9113 or mneal@uwf.edu.

August 2007 Pinellas County Success Story