The I-4 Ultimate project can be a small-business gold mine

If you own a small business in Central Florida I hope you’re doing your homework to cash in on the I-4 Ultimate project.

In case you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last few months the I-4 Ultimate project is probably the biggest road building project in Central Florida since I 4 was built in the 1960s. It involves widening 21 miles of I 4 between Kirkman Road in Orlando to State Road 434 in Seminole County. In addition to adding express lanes to the interstate the project includes rebuilding 15 major interchanges, widening 13 bridges, replacing 74 bridges and adding 53 bridges.

Work begins early next year and won’t be finished until 2021. The price tag? $2.3 billion. Yep, you read that right – billion.

Project leaders describe I-4 Ultimate as a “dirt and diesel” job requiring huge trucks and bulldozers moving mountains of earth.

OK, so you’re not in the construction business and you’re thinking: What’s in it for me?

Considering that there’s more than $2 billion on the table, there could be a lot in it for your business.

In addition to a wide variety construction specialties, they will need:

Janitorial services

Office supplies

 Progress photos

·        Equipment rental

·        Office trailers

·        Catering and much more

Construction leaders say segments of the project will be broken down in bite-sized pieces to give small businesses opportunities to get manageable portions of the work. They encourage businesses to partner to pool resources, knowledge and experience to get work. As this is a government project, there will be generous portions of work available for certified minority and disadvantaged business owners.

Think about it. This project will last for at least 6 years. Imagine what it could mean for you if your business can get a bite of this pie.

So what’s the first step?

Get educated by clicking here to visit the project’s website.

Next step, click here to get registered as a vendor.

Now grab your hard hat and let’s get going.

This post was written by David Porter, principal and owner of David Porter Communications Inc., an Orlando public relations and marketing company that works with small businesses. The firm also owns www.SunRailRiders.com and www.B2BFlorida.com

Send your greetings this year with a Video Christmas Card

Getting ready to spend hours and a fortune buying and addressing Christmas cards to your business customers and vendors?

Don’t put yourself through that headache again.

This year, let us produce a customized, fun VIDEO CHRISTMAS CARD for your business.

Check out this sample.

Making a video Christmas card is fun – let loose with your imagination. It only takes a few minutes to shoot the video.

We provide the props – Santa’s elf caps, tabletop Christmas tree and wrapped gift packages. We have 3 Christmas card “covers” and 2 musical selections to pick from.

Let us produce your “video” Christmas card today for $100.

Call us now at 407-965-0080. www.DavidPorterCommunications.com

Ready for a disaster?

What would you do if you came to work tomorrow and there was nothing left of your small business except a big hole in the ground?

That scenario is not farfetched if you’ve ever seen what’s left after a structure fire.

So if your physical business was destroyed by a fire or some other disaster, would you shut down, or would you get back to work?

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month, the perfect time to work on your business continuity plan.

Scary as it is to think about, a small business can survive a disaster, as you can see in the accompanying video about the owner of an Orlando restaurant who was able to rebuild after a late-night fire destroyed his business. http://youtu.be/3_s9LG91vxA

How to start your plan:

1.    Invest in insurance that covers the physical plant, equipment, inventory and also offers business-interruption coverage. Don’t scrimp.

2.    Protect your proprietary information, such as customer lists, data bases, vendor lists, processes, strategic plans, etc. If possible, keep that information in a file-proof cabinet at the office and also in off-site locations. It makes the most sense to back up computerized information to the “cloud” so it can be accessed from anywhere.

3.    Hopefully your business has an active and lively Facebook page, Twitter feed and website. You need these digital communications tools after a disaster to let customers know what’s going on – to tell them that you’re still in business and how they can contact you.

4.    Hold disaster drills and discussions with your team so everyone knows what to do in an emergency. Make sure all employees have one or two call-in numbers so they can contact you to find out what they’re needed to do. Make sure you have phone numbers to contact your employees. Keep copies of that information at home, in your car, and in the “cloud”.

5.    Plan on where you can set up business temporarily if your main business location got knocked out. Sometimes other businesses will let you share space. Work out those arrangements now, not when you’re standing in the ruins of your business.

The information presented here only covers the very first steps. Disaster preparations vary, depending on your industry. Having a disaster plan can reduce that stress you’re bound to experience during an emergency. The plan will help your business survive. All large companies have continuity plans, so should your small business.

Click for more information.

This post was written by David Porter, principal/owner at www.davidportercommunications.com, a Orlando-based firm that provides public relations and marketing support to small businesses. That firm also produces www.b2bflorida.com and www.sunrailriders.com

Small business citizenship?

Is your small business a good corporate citizen?

Many small business owners I know are so busy getting the daily work done that they don’t have time to think about anything else, such as getting involved in the community activities and charities.

Getting involved is smart business. Here in Central Florida the Walt Disney World Resort and the Orlando Magic basketball franchise pour a fortune into local charities and community events.

They don’t do it just to be nice guys.

They do it because they want to enhance their corporate reputations.

 They don’t want to be seen as only making money in this community.

They want to be seen as giving something back to the community. It makes them look better to the public. Many people – especially young adults – consider the social responsibility of a company when deciding where to spend their money.

Small businesses should take a page from that book. Figuring out how to demonstrate that social responsibility can be tough. Having owned a small business in the past I know that hardly a week goes by that someone drops by asking your business to buy an advertisement in a club journal or an advertising banner at the high school football stadium.

That’s one way to support community efforts. Though I caution you not to expect that ad to make your cash register ring. Do it to support the cause and think of it as a donation. To avoid being overrun with groups that want you to buy ads. Set an annual budget for the total amount you’re willing to spend on those ads. Once you’ve spent that money, that’s it. And just tell the group, “I’m sorry, but we’ve exhausted our donation budget.”

Frankly I think there are better ways to support local efforts. I think it’s a lot smarter to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty as a volunteer working on a community project.

For one thing, community projects can be a lot of fun. You might learn new skills. But the best thing is that you get to network and meet new people. You tell them what you do, and don’t be surprised if a week later they come walking through the door of your store to spend money.

They came there because they met you, and they know that you care about the community.

Volunteering for community projects can be a great team builder for you and your employees. It creates an opportunity to interact with your team on a different level. And when you leave, you feel pretty good.

If you and your team are volunteering it’s important that you invest some money in volunteer T- shirts that identify you as volunteers and that say what company you’re with.

Whenever you make donations, or volunteer to support community projects, make sure the organization sends you a thank-you note for your files, and gives you credit in the group’s annual report, and on their website. Maybe you can even get the group to put a hyperlink for your business on their website.

When you support community causes, be sure to list those groups on your company’s website.

You did something good and you deserve credit for it. Remember, most people feel good about doing business with companies that give something back.

In addition, heaven forbid your business gets some bad publicity, being a good corporate citizen can buy you some goodwill in the court of public opinion.

This post was written by David D. Porter, owner and principal at www.DavidPorterCommunications.com, which produces the www.B2BFlorida.com website. David Porter Communications provides video production and marketing services for small business in Orlando, and throughout Central Florida.

Trying to save you $400

 

This is a warning, not a sales gimmick, and it affects all Florida companies.

May 1^st is the deadline for all for-profit corporations in Florida to file their annual corporate report with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations – also known as SunBiz.

Companies must pay a $150 fee when they file their annual report by the May 1^st deadline. If you miss the deadline you have to pay a $400 late fee.

You have until Sept. 3 to file your annual report and late fee. If you miss that deadline, your corporation will be dissolved by the state. Many large companies and most government entities will only do business with companies that are incorporated. Banks only open accounts with businesses that are incorporated.

Don’t worry, the annual report is not a financial statement. It’s used to confirm that your business (corporation) is still functioning. The report is used to confirm and update your corporation’s officers, registered office and mailing address.

For more information on filing your annual corporate report, visit www.sunbiz.org.

Save yourself $400, don’t miss that May 1^st deadline.

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This post was written by David D. Porter, owner and principal at www.DavidPorterCommunications.com which produces the www.B2BFlorida.com website. David Porter Communications provides video production and marketing services for small business in Orlando, and throughout Central Florida.

 

3 cheers for Obamacare!

Gotta give President Obama a shout out on the Affordable Health Care Act!

Despite all the criticism 7 million people have signed up – including my wife and I!

Obamacare is pro-American and pro-business! Our economy can’t afford tens of millions of uninsured Americans. Obamacare helps solve that.

Nothing can be more devastating to a family, or a business, than medical bills from a major illness, or injuries resulting an accident. Treatment for cancer can quickly exceed $50,000. I have one prescription medication that costs $700 a month without Obamacare.

And Obamacare isn’t a giveaway – far from it. Everyone pays based on what they can afford. And a major component of Obamacare is that it stresses regular doctor visits and preventative medicine. Can anyone say: Personal responsibility?

Sure Obamacare has some glitches. Big deal. Check out the Wright Brothers first airplane compared to a modern airliner. It takes time to work out the problems.

As for the Obamacare haters: Quit your whining.

This post was written by David D. Porter, owner and principal at www.DavidPorterCommunications.com, which produces the www.B2BFlorida.com website. David Porter Communications provides video production and marketing services for small business in Orlando, and throughout Central Florida.

Pop-up business opportunities at SunRail stations?

Imagine getting a nice shoe shine in the morning before boarding a SunRail commuter train, or picking-up dinner from a food truck in the evening when you step off the train.

Those are just a couple of ways that pop-up businesses could cash in on SunRail when the Central Florida commuter train begins operations in May.

During a briefing recently at the South Orange Chamber of Commerce, a SunRail representative was asked about pop-up business opportunities. See the video for his response.

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For more information that can help small businesses in Central Florida make more money, be sure to visit www.B2BFlorida.com

 

Ready for Earth Hour?

 

Earth Hour will be observed this coming Saturday, March 29.

Earth Hour was launched in 2007 by the World Wide Fund for Nature as a global event to focus on the environment and conservation issues.

Sounds like a tree-hugger thing? Really, though, it’s a money thing that’s critically important to all businesses – both large and small.

Saturday is a great time to spend time focusing on conservation! When businesses conserve they save money and that improves the bottom line.

Here are some conservation ideas to consider:

Go paperless.  Every business uses computers, but do you really have to print out everything you type? The fewer things you print, the less money you’re spending on paper. And when you print, use recycled paper.

Plan you errands. When you drive to handle errands, plan your route so you can accomplish several tasks during one car trip. With a little planning you can save lots of time and gasoline. Through efficient route planning United Parcel Service saved 10 million gallons of gas.

Change your light bulbs. Replace some of your old-school incandescent light bulbs (patented by Edison in 1878) with those new spiral CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) bulbs. The CFL bulbs cost three times more than the traditional bulbs, but they last years and can save you more than $500 over the 5-year life of the bulb.

So how will your business observe Earth Hour?

This post was written by David D. Porter, owner and principal at www.DavidPorterCommunications.com, which produces the www.B2BFlorida.com website. David Porter Communications provides video production and marketing services for small business in Orlando, and throughout Central Florida.

Free publicity for your small business?

Get a free listing for your business in the B2B Florida business directory. The listing is seen by other business owners and consumers throughout Florida. Whether you own a civil engineering firm, or a landscaping service, there’s a place for your business in the directory on the www.B2BFlorida.com website.

To get your free listing, call us at 407-965-0800, or send your information to info@DavidPorterCommunications.com.

We need your name and e-mail address, the company’s name and a description of the business, the phone number and the address.

http://www.b2bflorida.com/business-directory.html

Pass the "cheese sticks"!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U0B53YxcAU

Small businesses that want to make a big splash in the marketplace can learn a major lesson from the “cheese sticks” lady in the TV commercial promoting Central Florida’s new SunRail commuter train system.

In the ad, the young lady riding SunRail sits listening to her music while repeatedly singing “like cheese sticks.” Many viewers complain that her off-key singing is weird and irritating.

However, the “cheese sticks” lady commercial has successfully disrupted the marketplace of media messages and made people curious about the SunRail commuter train.

During an Orlando transportation forum last week, a SunRail consultant said interest in SunRail has been soaring, thanks to the “cheese sticks” ad.

Mark Calvert, CEO of Evolve Design Group, said before the ad debuted earlier this month, the SunRail website was getting 900 new visitors per week. Since the ad launched, the site has been getting 2,700 new visitors EVERY day. Before the ad, the new visitors looked at one or two pages. Now they’re looking at 4 or 5 pages.

The big take away for businesses: If you want more customers don’t waste time whispering. You need to shout!

Please pass the cheese sticks!

This post was written by David D. Porter, owner and principal at www.DavidPorterCommunications.com, an Orlando-based consulting firm that helps small businesses get more customers. The company also produces www.B2BFlorida.com, a website that provides information to help small businesses overcome challenges and meet their goals.

SunRail "cheese sticks" commercial

All aboard for SunRail!

OK small business owners and entrepreneurs, are you ready for SunRail?

In case you’ve been living under a rock, SunRail is Central Florida’s first commuter train service and it begins operations on May 1^st.

I guarantee that SunRail will improve life in ways that none of us can imagine. Today someone who lives in the Deltona area might not consider applying for a job in downtown Orlando because it’s too far to drive. After May 1^st that Deltona resident can take a stress-free train ride to downtown Orlando.

That convenience will work both ways. I’ve never been to DeBary, but I live about a mile from the South Orange County SunRail station. I plan to ride SunRail to DeBary to check it out. I encourage all fellow small business owners to make plans to capitalize on SunRail.

Here are some ideas:

 

• Choose a location near to SunRail: If you’re planning to open a new store, find a location very close to a SunRail station. SunRail is projected to carry 4,300 a day when it opens.

• Offer a service that compliments the SunRail: Do you have a taxi service? Maybe you could offer shuttle services from subdivisions to the closest SunRail service.
• Make sure your website is configured for mobile devices: The trains will offer free Wi-Fi so riders will have time to peruse the Internet while riding to and from work.
• Give SunRail riders a discount: Offer discounts to customers who present their SunCard (the fare card for SunRail) at the register.

 

Time to get busy and jump on this business opportunity!

This post was written by David D. Porter, owner and principal at www.DavidPorterCommunications.com, which produces the www.B2BFlorida.com website. David Porter Communications provides video production and marketing services for small business in Orlando, and throughout Central Florida.

Name dropping

All savvy entrepreneurs know that networking is crucial to grow your business.

You’ve got to know the right people who can help you make the hook up to the next big deal.

So with that in mind, I’m going to drop a few names from time to time that are good to know because they're in positions that can help you take your business to the next level.

The name I’m starting with is Jacob (“Jake” to his friends) Stuart.

Jake is president of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce. Yet that official title is not the main reason I think it’s important to know him. The guy is a visionary – a description I use with great care.

Jake and I have had many differences during the past 20 years, but I have to give him his due.

My favorite story about Jake involvesTri-County Transit.

If you arrived in Orlando after 1994 you probably never even heard of Tri-County Transit. Under Jake’s leadership Tri-County Transit was renamed Lynx, metropolitan Orlando’s public bus system, and they started painting the buses pastel colors.

We – me included – thought Jake was crazy. But what Jake achieved as chairman of the Lynx board, was much more than a name change and a paint job. He elevated the importance of public transportation and made it one of the pistons in the region’s economic engine.

And Jake also deserves credit for expanding Lynx service. Until Jake’s Lynx leadership the public bus system only served Orange and Seminole counties – even though it was chartered to serve Orange, Seminole and Osceola (remember it used to be named Tri-County Transit).

Jake took me up on a challenge I made in an Orlando Sentinel editorial to start providing bus service in Osceola. That development made life enormously easier for Osceola County workers who can’t afford cars. It also helped to accelerate public discussions of transportation that led to the SunRail commuter train system that is scheduled to debut this spring.

But Jake’s contribution to this region is much bigger than buses. He’s the first guy I heard talking about bringing together business, government, education and community leaders from Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia counties to collaborate and plan for the growth of this region that we call Central Florida.

Again, it sounded like more Jake pie-in-the-sky, but that collaboration broadened this region’s economic base from hospitality and vacations into high-tech arenas such as medical research and modeling and simulation.

If you own a business – any kind of business -- in Central Florida, you need to know Jacob Stuart!

Now let me drop a couple more names:

Robert Cabana, NASA’s director of the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. Though the space shuttle program ended two years ago, there are 8,000 people – both NASA employees and contractors working at the space center to support upcoming NASA and private-enterprise launches. Cabana, a Naval Academy graduate and a former astronaut, is KSC’s 10^th director.

Joe Lewis is the British billionaire who founded the Tavistock Group. One of that group’s subsidiaries is Lake Nona Property Holdings, which owns the land where the Medical City has been built east of Orlando International Airport. Lewis donated both land and cash that helped make that sprawling medical campus a reality.

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This post was written by David Porter, a former journalist who owns www.david.portercommunications.com, a communications consulting firm that works with small businesses throughout Central Florida, and produces www.B2BFlorida.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Titusville blasting off!

Recently I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time in the Brevard County city of Titusville.

All I can say is: Wow! There’s a lot going on in Titusville!

With the end of NASA’s Space Shuttle program many people assumed that Titusville would dry up into a ghost town.

Far from it. In early January I attended a Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce lunch in the middle of the day. There were at least 50 owners and others in attendance and nobody was frowning. Nearly everyone shared news about initiatives to expand their businesses.

The end of the Spaced Shuttle program was certainly painful and costs lots of jobs.

But Titusville, capital of the Space Coast, certainly isn’t out of the space business. Far from it!

United Launch Alliance, SpaceX and other commercial space entrepreneurs are still very busy along the Space Coast. And it’s not as though NASA and the Defense Department have closed up shop. There have already been two launches at the Cape this year. Another dozen private and government space shots are scheduled for 2014 at Kennedy Space Center.

Yet there’s a lot more than space going on in Titusville.

The historic downtown area is starting to bloom again with the likes of City Glitter boutique (my wife could have a ball in there).

The same is true on A1A. The Ace Hardware store is expanding its business to business operations, a new owner recently purchased and performed major renovations to the movie theater at the Searstown Mall. Plans are underway to raze the old Miracle City Mall and redevelop the site. And they’re still serving up tasty breakfasts, lunches and dinners at Mr. Submarine & Salads.

Three cheers for Titusville!

Did you see that game? (FSU vs. Auburn)

FSU locker room talk

The BCS football championship showdown between Florida State University’s Seminoles football team and the Auburn University Tigers at the Rose Bowl was one of the most exciting football games I have ever seen, and it was full of valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and small-business owners.

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m (Long Island University Class of 1976) an ex officio ‘Nole. However I am the father of a REAL ‘Nole – Kai Kenya Porter, FSU Class of 2011. So I’ve got the right to brag about the FSU victory, even though the championship game – like the small-business world – was frustrating and nerve wracking.

Business Lesson 1: Don’t get cocky. I have to admit that FSU looked pitiful in the game’s first half. All the big plays were being made by Auburn. Several TV camera shots showed Auburn players on the sidelines high-fiving and backslapping each other. You could tell they were saying: “We got this!” Cockiness can breed complacency.

Business Lesson 2: Don’t panic. Even though things looked pretty dismal going into halftime, I didn’t see FSU’s players or coaches panicking, frustrated or angry with each other. They kept cool heads. Based on personal experience I can tell you it’s impossible to think clearly or creatively when you’re angry or panicking.

Business Lesson 3: Focus on the fundamentals. FSU Coach Jimbo Fisher always tells his players to concentrate on doing great in the next play, no matter how bad things look on the scoreboard. (Check out Jimbo’s locker room talk)

http://www.footballscoop.com/news/7158-in-the-locker

Business Lesson 4: Never give up and remember Business Lesson 3. The FSU – Auburn showdown was decided in the last few seconds. Anyone who turned off the game and went to sleep at half time would have assumed that FSU was on its way to an embarrassing defeat. Heck, many FSU fans in the stadium looked miserable well into the second half. But the FSU team kept playing hard and practicing Business Lesson 2. FSU played hard down to the last seconds. Every moment and every play counted. That’s how FSU won.

Business Lesson 5: Surround yourself with good people. To prevail in business – even a one-person business – surround yourself with advisors and coaches you trust. Be open to the feedback they offer because they want you to prevail.

Business Lesson 6: Never stop learning. As FSU’s victorious team was leaving the field a reporter asked FSU Coach Fisher what was next for the team. He said that after a couple of days of rest and celebrations the team will get back to practice and preparing for next season.

Go Noles!

David D. Porter is principal and owner of David Porter Communications, a consulting firm that serves small businesses in Central Florida. The firm also produces www.B2BFlorida.com, a resource that provides inspiration and information to help small businesses overcome challenges and reach their goals.