Last month, U.S. Military veterans experienced a different kind of boot camp: a full day of workshops designed to help them build essential skills for starting and growing a business. The event, called Operation: Entrepreneurship, was organized by the Florida Small Business Development Center at Florida International University and the FIU Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center. […]
Miami businesses have the advantage of being located in a trade and logistics hub that is also the Gateway to the Americas. Despite these natural business advantages, three out of four of Miami-Dade County’s private-sector workers are engaged in business activity that stops selling goods/services at the shores of the U.S. Most businesses still believe […]
By SBDC at FIU Dawn Dickson may be donning flats, but she’s walking tall these days. The Miami-based entrepreneur and founder of Flat Out of Heels won second place in the 2016 InnovateHER: Innovating for Women Business Challenge, the Small Business Administration’s nationwide business competition. The prize: $20,000. Now in its second year, the competition […]
Business owners now have a new tool to help them prepare for disasters thanks to a mobile disaster preparedness application created by FIU’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the FIU Extreme Events Institute. “Entrepreneurs take on many risks in starting and growing their business. In the event of a disaster or business interruption, however, […]
Entrepreneurs hungry to get a business off the ground, and those seeking to learn how to use data to fuel business growth, will find expert solutions at the FIU booth (D1) at eMerge Americas, April 18-19 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Two College of Business organizations will showcase the hands-on solutions they offer to […]
Hungry to showcase Caribbean culture on television, Calibe Thompson set out to make her ideas a reality. As CEO of Blondie Ras productions, she created and produced three shows, but that was a long way from making her venture a real business. Turning to the SBDC at FIU, Thompson found the guidance and support to […]
A quest for affordable and collaborative workspaces lit the spark of what is today Moonlighter Makerspace. Its founders had explored similar “maker” ventures across the U.S. and in Europe, and they turned to the SBDC at FIU to make Moonlighter in Miami a reality. A Fablab and Makerspace in Wynwood, Moonlighter was formed by FIU […]
After nearly three decades in business, the owners of specialty foods distributor Ocho Rios International are no strangers to the challenges and demands of growing a business. In 2014, when a credit line became vital when negotiating with potential suppliers, COO Aston Lue sought the guidance of the SBDC at FIU. The quest for cash […]
SBDC at FIU consultant Marjorie Weber is no stranger to the challenges of launching and growing a small business, and she’s a firm believer in confronting hurdles rather than mending fences. Over the course of 50 years in financial consulting, she has shared this advice with hundreds of business owners, entrepreneurs, and real estate developers. […]
Ice cream has long been one of Luisa Santos’ favorite things. As the nitrogen-frozen ice cream trend intensified, she made her first batch during her last semester at Georgetown University. In November 2014, she also incorporated nitrogen into a business pitch, winning the Startup Hoya Challenge Rocket Pitch, along with a cash prize, just days […]
