GrowFL’s exclusive strategic research offering to be expanded to include The Jim Moran Institute’s CEO Peer2Peer program, allowing second-stage businesses to receive unprecedented assistance and enhancing local entrepreneurism.

 
Tallahassee, FL – The Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County (EDC) is collaborating with GrowFL and The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship to offer a unique and engaging opportunity for second-stage businesses to utilize the valuable market research tools and other resources of all three organizations. This new offering, the first of its kind in the Tallahassee region, allows those companies which meet the GrowFL qualifications to also participate in a special version of The Jim Moran Institute’s CEO Peer2Peer Program.

“As the local economic development organization, we are proud to do our part to cultivate growth in our region by bringing together two valuable entrepreneurial programs to assist qualified local businesses,” said Kara Palmer Smith, Director of Business Development for the EDC. “Through this new approach, our businesses will receive access to high-end, quick-response strategic research and business resources coupled with a structured and confidential peer-to-peer group for executives.”

“The Economic Development Council is always exploring new ways to enhance our region’s entrepreneurial programs and provide our local business owners with an opportunity to live their dream by providing them the tools, resources and opportunity to be successful,” said Karen Moore, Chairman of the Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County.

This new approach maximizes GrowFL’s critical strategic research offering by putting the capabilities of a Fortune 500 company’s market research department in the hands of a second-stage business, while also allowing these businesses to participate in a special version of the Peer2Peer Program. Peer2Peer brings together CEOs from like type companies in non-competing industries in a structured and confidential environment to share best practices and resolve their business challenges.

“The Jim Moran Institute is excited to be a part of this unique format to help established companies grow their businesses and help the overall economy of the community,” said Michael Campbell, Director of North Florida Outreach for The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship.

GrowFL matches qualified businesses with a team of subject matter experts specializing in unique areas to analyze overall business strategy. Following an initial diagnostic conference call, each team member works virtually from across the state through an online collaboration tool to provide reports, recommendations and data lists to implement at the company’s own pace. The team is there to work on problems that the business identifies and to provide additional perspective on potential issues or opportunities that the business may not have seen.

“Taking second-stage businesses to the next level is our goal, and this collaboration with The Jim Moran Institute and the EDC is a great opportunity for us to provide enhanced opportunities by collaborating with similar entrepreneurially-focused organizations,” said Tammie Nemecek, Director of Partner Development for GrowFL. “We look forward to seeing how this partnership can help companies become successful, create jobs and support Florida’s economic environment.”

Any second-stage companies interested in applying for this unique program should visit taledc.com to learn more about qualifications and participation requirements of the program.

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About the Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County, Inc.
The Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County, Inc. (EDC) is a division of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and is a public/private partnership between the City, County and private investors who are committed to creating jobs and building a stronger business community. By connecting the private sector, education and local government, the EDC helps join forces to foster entrepreneurialism, advance local businesses, grow targeted industry sectors and attract innovative companies to our area. Through product development, marketing, research, technical and business assistance, management of special incentives and zones, and establishment and oversight of industry sector initiatives that strengthen the competitive advantage of the region, the EDC is aggressively serving the needs of regional employers and creating an opportunity for our graduates and our children to stay in Tallahassee.

About The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship
The mission of The Jim Moran Institute is to cultivate, train and inspire entrepreneurial leaders through world-class education, leading-edge research and applied training, consulting and mentorship, and public recognition. Institute faculty and staff provide students, faculty, entrepreneurs, and business owners the tools and expertise necessary to develop strategies that establish and sustain advantages for businesses in today’s competitive marketplace and to creatively pursue new opportunities and innovations involving the startup of new business ventures.

About GrowFL
GrowFL provides strategies, resources and support to second-stage companies for next level growth. By supporting companies with Strategic Research and peer-to-peer CEO mentoring, GrowFL helps companies overcome obstacles to growth and leads them towards prosperity. Based on the philosophy of Economic Gardening – to grow existing businesses in a community, region or state – GrowFL is the program of the Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida and is a critical component to the state’s economic development strategy and Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. During the pilot program from 2009-2011, GrowFL helped more than 400 companies create 1,400 new jobs and had an annual economic impact of $510.4 million. At the beginning of 2013, that number has grown to nearly 700 companies supported by GrowFL. Website: growfl.com.

GrowFL’s mission is to spot companies capable of tremendous growth — and then help them to blossom.

“We don’t find it difficult finding the companies who want the services,” said Tammie Nemecek, who coordinates GrowFL with the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County and similar groups statewide. “Our challenge is finding companies that qualify.”

“It can be tricky when you’re a small company,” said Andrew McFall, in charge of marketing at South Manatee-based Biolife, the maker of WoundSeal, a powder that stops bleeding and seals wounds.

BioLife, founded in 1999, announced last week that 20,000 retail outlets now carry WoundSeal. Two years ago, none did.

“Recruiting companies tends to yield pretty marginal returns,” said Cameron Ford, director of the University of Central Florida’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. “By identifying a small number of these high-potential firms that are on the cusp of being gazelles, if your goal is job creation, you get a lot of bang for the buck.”

To read the entire release from the Herald Tribune, click here.

Advanced IT Concepts Inc. of Orlando was selected as a 2013 Top Business in the U.S. by DiversityBusiness.com.

The company was named one of the Top 100 Disabled Veteran-owned Businesses as part of DiversityBusiness.com’s annual business survey for outstanding entrepreneurial success and company growth.

Advanced IT is a client of the GrowFL program, which helps Florida second-stage companies grow to the next level of success.

Four other GrowFL clients also received recent awards. They include: AMWAT Moving Warehousing Storage, Bit-Wizards, Cherokee Enterprises Inc. and Cube Care Co…

To continue reading this release from the Orlando Business Journal, click here.

The Florida Companies to Watch awards program is seeking applications from growing, second-stage companies headquartered in Florida that exhibit innovative business strategies that are “worth watching.”

Entries are due May 31 to be considered for one of 50 spots in the winning class of 2013. Winners will be given the rock star treatment in an Oct. 24 ceremony at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando.

Previous winners from Sarasota and Manatee counties are atLarge Inc., Biolife LLC, MethodFactory Inc., MyGreenBuildings and Phoenix Ink…

To continue reading this release from Bradenton Herald, click here.

FLORIKAN E.S.A., DATUM CORP. and the Pacer Group are three examples of Sarasota County companies thriving — increasing employees and revenue — as part of the Economic Development Corp.’s partnership with the state’s economic gardening program.

…Like many communities, Sarasota County is faced with this difficult goal of helping local, existing companies grow. But equipping successful entrepreneurs to grow their companies is critical to Sarasota County’s long-term economic growth.

…When the horticulture industry was whacked by the downturn, Florikan E.S.A. faced a shrinking customer base for its controlled-released fertilizers. It needed a new direction but did not have the resources for a full-fledged analysis of its options.

But GrowFL did, and it put those resources at Florikan’s disposal. The experts determined that licensing its proprietary technology made the most sense.

“This was an absolute home run for us, far exceeding anything we envisioned,” said Jon Rosenthal, co-owner of Florikan with his brother, Eric. Today, Florikan has…

To read the full story, head to the Herald-Tribune news site.

PHOTO BY PHIL SEARS

Tallahassee, FL – Some state lawmakers are hoping a proposal moving through the state House is just the fertilizer needed to grow Florida businesses.

Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, has proposed legislation that would create a permanent economic gardening technical assistance program in the state. The program already exists as a pilot initiative, so Hudson’s proposal would keep the technical assistance program in place permanently.

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Hudson’s bill modifies eligibility requirements by increasing the employee cap to 99 from 50; increasing a generated-revenue cap to $50 million from $25 million; and by changing the guidelines to say that businesses need to increase either the number of full-time equivalent employees or gross revenue. Current law requires an increase in both over a period of time.

Hudson said he wanted to bring the measure forward to make sure Florida businesses have…

To read the full story, head to the Naples News website.

Orlando, FL – University of Central Florida’s Office of Research and Commercialization was selected to participate in a special trade mission to Bogota, Colombia to share best practices and collaborate on opportunities for building technology transfer, commercialization and entrepreneurship capacity with some of the top universities, research centers and technology development organizations in Colombia.

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Michael O’Donnell, executive director of UCF’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Rafael Caamano, director of the UCF Business Incubation Program in Kissimmee, and Robin Phelps, team leader in UCF’s GrowFL program represented UCF on this trade mission. The three met in Bogota with representatives of 20 Colombian universities and research organizations to discuss technology transfer processes, entrepreneurship support services, and capacity-building programs.

The three-day trade mission was jointly…

To read the full story, head to the Topix news website.

Photo: Fran Korosec, director of clients services for GrowFL

The Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida — known as GrowFL — is boosting the sales of its participating companies, and that is growing jobs.

Companies involved in programs offered by the nearly 4-year-old organization had a 12 percent growth in jobs, according to a December report by the state Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability.

GrowFL is intended to advance second-stage companies by providing research about…

To read the full story, head to the Orlando Business Journal website.