HOW’S BUSINESS? – A recent poll by the Volusia Manufacturers
Association has produced some very positive responses from the local
manufacturing community. Among others, Naarden Inc. indicates its
production is at an all-time high, Command Medical just finished the
second best year in its history, Polymer Fabrication reports revenues
and backlog up significantly and Tel-Tron reported a great year and a
strong fourth quarter. Local manufacturers shouldn’t overlook the
training, exporting and financing resources available through the
Volusia County Department of Economic Development. For resources
available, call Paul Mitchell at 386-248-8048.
FLORIDA FIFTH BEST FOR BUSINESS STARTUPS – CNNMoney.com lists
Florida as fifth in the country for starting a business, the only
eastern U.S. state in the top five list. Advantages included a 0-percent
personal state income tax, a 5.5-percent corporate state income tax rate
and low energy rates.
REDUCE YOUR ENERGY COSTS – As energy costs increase, improving
commercial building energy efficiency becomes critically important to
profitability. To that end, the Building Owners and Managers Association
has compiled its energy efficiency recommendations. The recommendations
include frequently calibrating thermostats, timer or photocell controls
for exterior lighting, and determining the earliest possible time that
heating/air conditioning systems can be powered down while still
maintaining comfort. Go to
http://www.boma.org/AboutBOMA/IndustryInsights/ and click on “30
Easy Ways to Save Energy.”
EXPORT MISSION TO SANTO DOMINGO – In 2007, Florida merchandise
exports to the Dominican Republic grew an estimated 8-10 percent to
reach more than $2.7 billion, making the Dominican Republic the fifth
largest export destination for Florida exports. The strong commercial
relationship between Florida and the Dominican Republic is expected to
grow significantly with the signing of the DR-CAFTA and the subsequent
elimination of most duties. Enterprise Florida’s Export Sales Mission to
Santo Domingo is designed to help businesses identify and initiate
business relationships with customers in the Dominican Republic.
Registration closes soon, please contact Luis Cuervo, Enterprise
Florida, at 305-808-3660 or e-mail
lcuervo@eflorida.com to sign-up.
BUSINESS FINANCING – Take the guesswork out of finding the money
to start or expand your business. Hear about the financial options
available to small businesses, including Small Business Administration
loans, commercial lending, venture capital and private investors at a
DBC workshop Tuesday, Feb. 12. The workshop will be from 6 - 9 p.m. on
the DBC campus at 1155 County Road 4139, DeLand. Call 386-506-4723 to
register.
AO PRECISION TRAINING MACHINISTS – AO Precision is currently
training 100 of its machinists in coordination with Daytona Beach
College. The blueprint reading class is being covered by a grant
received from the Employed Worker Training program through the Center
for Business Excellence. AO Precision is planning a second and third
phase, too. For information on the DBC programs, contact Frank Mercer at
386-506-4461 or at MERCERF@dbcc.edu.
For information on training funds, contact Lori Maushund at 386-323-7087
or at
loristonemaushund@WDB-FVC.ORG.
IS YOUR ELECTRONIC DATA SAFE? – The methods for distributing and
storing data have become so numerous, it is difficult for businesses to
maintain control. A firm's workers could take data with them when they
leave a company, or data also can leave via a personal, Web-based
account such as Hotmail, Yahoo Mail or Gmail to bypass the monitoring of
corporate accounts. Some simple steps to protect business can take are
restricting the use of USB flash drives. This can be implemented by IT
staff, rendering USB drives read-only. Or, an enterprise product such as
DeviceWall (www.devicewall.com)
can restrict access to USB flash drives and control access to handheld
devices. Review your file system security. Ensure people have access
only to data they need to do their jobs.
NEWS ITEMS WANTED! – Please send your business news items to Dave
Byron, Volusia County Community Information Director, 123 W. Indiana
Ave., DeLand, 32720-4612, by fax at (386) 822-5072 or by e-mail at
dbyron@co.volusia.fl.us.
Department of Economic Development
700 Catalina Drive, Suite 200,
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Telephone:
386-248-8048
FAX: 386 238-4761 Toll Free: 800-554-3801
