Dear Fellow Floridian:
This week, nearly 200 small business owners and business community
leaders gathered in Tampa for the 2012 Small Business
Leadership
Forum to hear from a group of experts we brought together to help
promote and foster their continued success.
More importantly, our two days in Tampa created the occasion for us
to connect directly with the small business owners in attendance. I
called on the businesses to consider their time at the forum as a
responsibility to the other two million small businesses in our state to
have frank and direct conversations with me and others on what we can do
to improve the small business ecosystem in our state.
Through this feedback, I can prioritize immediate action that is
needed as well as collect ideas that can shape the legislative agenda
for small businesses for the coming year and unite our voices to our
congressional delegation on matters of great concern on the federal
level.
This first-of-its-kind forum served as a unique opportunity for me to
get direct feedback from Florida’s small businesses, and I’m confident
that the businesses that attended left with valuable information that
will help their businesses grow and succeed.
Jeff Atwater
Chief Financial Officer
State of Florida
September 11 Designated as Patriot Day
On Tuesday, we will recognize Patriot Day, a day that has been
designated each year to remember the 2,997 individuals who were killed
in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
No
American will ever forget where they were when they witnessed the news of the
attacks on that day. We mourn those who were lost, but we also celebrate their
legacies. Out of the ashes and destruction we heard stories of bravery and
selflessness - stories of ordinary people who rose to great heights in the face
of evil. Unexpected heroes leapt into action to defend their fellow man and
banded together in the recovery efforts of the following days.
On that day, America showed the world the character of a free nation. Our
strength and resilience will be noted in the history books long after we are
gone.
Patriot Day reminds us that we never know what each new day may bring. Let us
be inspired by the legacies of dedicated first responders and unexpected heroes
to live each day to the fullest. In this way, we vow to honor those who lost
their lives - not just on Sept. 11 but forever.
Florida's
Bottom Line
This issue of
Florida’s Bottom Line focuses on Florida’s small business community
and how to provide a stable economic environment so that we can continue
to help businesses flourish and expand.
The companion website features business news updates and
Florida By the Numbers, a collection of key statistics illustrating
important changes in Florida’s economy over the past month. The latest
data is shown on topics such as consumer confidence, unemployment rate,
new foreclosure activity and Florida's leading, stock and retail index
graphs. Updates are made as new statistics become available.