Dear Fellow Floridian:
Although it is important to diversify our economy, it is equally
vital that the backbone of our economy—Florida's 2.2 million small
businesses—continue to grow, prosper and remain in Florida. Even though
we are seeing positive trends in business and employment growth, I know
we can do more to assist small businesses already established in our
state.
That is why I partnered with The Jim Moran Institute to host the 2012
Small Business Leadership Forum which will be held in Tampa on Sept.
6-7, 2012. Through the forum, it is my goal to connect business owners
with the right tools and information to help them succeed. Along with
providing resources to businesses, we are also looking at the forum as
an opportunity to hear directly from Florida’s small business community
with the goal of bringing that feedback back to Tallahassee to improve
our state’s business climate.
Over the past few years the growing popularity of social media sites
such as Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Google+ and LinkedIn have changed
the way entrepreneurs do business. Social media has reinvented
word-of-mouth and has opened up the doors for businesses to connect and
engage with their customers in a way that wasn’t as easy or even
possible before. There is no better person to speak to social media's
influence and ROI for businesses more so than
Gary Vaynerchuk, the keynote speaker for the forum! Vaynerchuk's
business success and passion for digital integration set him apart from
other entrepreneurs and will bring a unique perspective to the forum.
In addition to our dynamic keynote speaker, the forum will cover key
topics and panel discussions including short- and long-term forecasts
and trends of Florida's economy; ideas for attracting and creating an
environment for investment, including improving access to capital; and
ways to leverage resources and programs available through our public
universities and Small Business Development Centers.
To find out more information about the forum, including a list of
panelists and how to register, visit
www.flsmallbusinessforum.com. I look forward to seeing you in Tampa!
Jeff Atwater
Chief Financial Officer
State of Florida
Get Ready with a Free Storm Prep Webinar
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater is urging Floridians to
get ready for this potentially active hurricane season.
To help Floridians get prepared, the Department of Financial Services
is teaming up with the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) to
provide a free webinar, “Protect Your Homebase,” to guide residents
through the steps to prepare for a storm and what to do should a storm
strike.
Webinar participants are eligible to win a gift pack that includes a
$25 Home Depot gift card, Midland NOAA weather radio and a FLASH T-shirt
during each webinar. A grand prize drawing at the end of the series will
offer participants a chance to win four tickets to Walt Disney World,
four $25 Disney gift cards and a VIP tour of
Storm Struck, an interactive exhibit at Epcot. Prizes are being
provided through FLASH.
There will be two webinars offered in July: Wednesday, July 18, at 2
p.m. and Tuesday, July 24, at 5:30 p.m. Floridians can find out more and
register at
www.MyFloridaCFO.com/Division/Consumers.
Florida By the Numbers
The new quarterly edition of Florida's Bottom Line will be launched
in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, visit our website to find a collection
of k
ey statistics that illustrate important changes in Florida’s economy
over the past month. Get
the most up-to-date financial and economic statistics for Florida,
serving as a roadmap for your financial future. Read our current issue
at
http://www.myfloridacfo.com/floridasbottomline/.