Central Florida is a place that embraces “creating a bigger pie, rather than taking a bigger slice.”

Growing up, my father was a real estate entrepreneur. When my brother was just a few months old, my dad posed him for a picture with “Think and Grow Rich” by Napolean Hill across his lap. This was a life-changing book for my dad and stimulus for growing a successful company. My mother was working on her degree in psychology and took me to participate in her class on transcendental meditation, which was intended to enable one to contact their field of creative intelligence, permitting one to realize the full potential of their lives.

This was heady information at a young age, so between Napoleon Hill and Transcendental Meditation, I had the basis for believing in the power of being your own boss and that your thoughts strongly influenced your life.

In “Think and Grow Rich,” I was attracted to the idea of forming a Mastermind group that served as a group of trusted advisors. Hill stated the human mind is a form of energy, and when the minds of two people are coordinated in the spirit of harmony, the spiritual units of energy of each mind form an affinity. Hill talked about great entrepreneurs such as Andrew Carnegie and Andy Grove of Intel, who had Mastermind groups.

Hill believed when a group of individual minds are coordinated and function in harmony, the increased energy created through the alliance becomes available to every individual in the group. This became a definition of synergy, which I first experienced at AT&T Bell Labs. I was energized by the power of brainstorming together, the lack of attachment to one’s own ideas and being part of creating something bigger. Great thinking came out of the world-renowned institution because of the synergy.

Throughout my career, I was always seeking this type of collaborative environment. I found it again when I arrived in Orlando, a place of connectedness, of coordination, of collaboration. It seems this is a place that embraces “creating a bigger pie, rather than taking a bigger slice.”

It is apparent that entrepreneurs all over Central Florida want to help one another succeed. I see this with the Board of Directors of Orlando Inc., with other successful entrepreneurs and with the entrepreneurial support organizations that exist to help others grow their business.

This commitment to our community was present at the Orlando Inc. event The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, where we discussed resources available to entrepreneurs, such as the UCF Business Incubation Program, GrowFL, Rollins Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship, Florida Virtual Entrepreneur Center, Black Business Initiative Fund and the Disney Entrepreneur Center.

I saw this desire to connect and collaborate at our Cool Tech Showcase, where tech entrepreneurs helped businesses understand how to leverage technology for business advantage. We discussed social media success strategies, use of mobile marketing and iPhone apps, cloud computing, and websites for the international marketplace,  to name a few. So at this sold-out event, I donned my dork glasses, the horn-rimmed ones with the tape in the middle, in celebration of geeks everywhere. Growing up, I did not have tape to hold my glasses together, but a very large safety pin on the side.

The B.I.G. Summit* on Nov. 18, celebrating Business Innovation and Growth, is another example of entrepreneurial connectedness. The Summit focuses on learning from other entrepreneurs, people who have been there and done that. Last year, we had the opportunity to hear from Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com. His company was purchased by Amazon last year and valued at more than a $1 billion. We all listened intently as he told us how he built his company, selling shoes on the Internet, based on the philosophy of “Delivering Happiness.”  I know that everyone walked away with valuable nuggets they were able to use in their business.

This year, we have many great entrepreneurs scheduled to speak, and our keynote speaker is Bert Jacobs, Chief Executive Optimist of Life is Good. Bert and his brother have built a multimillion-dollar international business based on a philosophy of “Spreading the Power of Optimism.”

I know that, as a community, we are on the right path. We are cultivating the synergy needed to generate new ideas and foster innovation. We have leaders that believe we can only achieve greatness by putting our minds together. To have success, according to Kauffman Foundation, the world’s largest foundation devoted to Entrepreneurship, we need to have in place:

• Pro-entrepreneurial policies, taxes and legal infrastructure

• A culture that is open to new ideas

• Entrepreneurial training, mentoring and networks

• Strong educational and research systems

• Great amenities

• Infrastructure and transportation

With strong universities and colleges, committed entrepreneurial support organizations and specialists, sunshine and beaches, sport and art centers, SunRail and high-speed rail and, of course, a “Five Star” Chamber of Commerce, we are positioned to become a B.I.G.* entrepreneurial hot spot.

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Editor's note: * Business Innovation and Growth.

High-speed rail will soon become reality in Central Florida.

My first exposure to high-speed rail was in the mid 1980s, when Sam Tabuchi came to Orlando with the vision of a Maglev demonstration project from the Orlando International Airport to International Drive. At that time, my father, Jim Jammal, was Mr. Tabuchi’s geotechnical engineering consultant, and it was then I first learned about the importance of engineering design to a successful high-speed rail system. Unfortunately, the Maglev proposal was considered “ahead of it’s time” for Central Florida, and the project never came to be.

My next experience with high-speed rail was in 1999, when the BeeLine Monorail — a 55-mile corridor from Port Canaveral to International Drive — was studied but also failed to come to fruition.

Florida has a long history of planning for high-speed rail, which dates back to 1974 with the Cross Florida Transit Study. That study was followed by several additional studies that were initiated after 1981. Between 2001 and 2009, I had the honor of serving as a gubernatorial appointee on Florida’s High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA). It was then that I learned firsthand about the millions of dollars that have been invested analyzing the viability of high-speed rail in Florida. I also met many of the people in this state who have dedicated years of their lives working to turn the rail vision into reality.

During that time, the HSRA oversaw the completion of the Project Development & Evaluation (PD&E) study for the Orlando-to-Tampa high-speed rail route. Through that experience, I gained an appreciation for the significance of the Florida Department of Transportation’s decision to preserve the central corridor of Interstate 4 for potential future high-speed rail use. Looking back, it is clear to me that the preservation of that corridor was truly visionary and the single most advantageous element necessary to advance Florida’s rail future. And, although the Orlando-Tampa project stalled in 2008, that PD&E study was smartly “put on a shelf” until a future day when funds would come available to build it.

On April 16, 2009, that day came. Only a few months after being sworn into office, President Barack Obama officially announced a national policy directive and investment commitment to bring high-speed rail to our country. I attended that press conference in Washington D.C., as a representative of Florida, and I knew then the waiting was over. The time of high-speed rail in America had finally arrived.

The President spoke of his desire to see America have infrastructure and travel alternatives that are equal to, or better than, those that exist in other parts of the world. A meaningful $8 billion commitment was made to high-speed rail, and within a few months, various state proposals were submitted to the federal government for grant consideration. In January, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden personally traveled to Tampa and delivered the news that Florida would receive $1.25 billion for Phase I of the Orlando-to-Tampa project. The grant was the largest for a single rail project in the nation. While many were talking about the “perfect storm” our economy was facing, high-speed rail seemed to be the “perfect solution” to create jobs quickly and simultaneously build the first leg of a world-class transportation system. Once completed, the link will connect two major regions (Orlando and Tampa), thus creating a combined economic region that is estimated to be the ninth largest in the nation. Up next will be Phase II (Orlando to Miami), which is currently under way with its own PD&E study.

I believe our “stars have aligned” and high-speed rail will be operational in Florida by 2015. The reasons are many, beginning with an early vision for a dedicated and state-owned right-of-way along I-4. Second was the leadership of our committed Congressman John L. Mica and Congresswoman Corrine Brown, who have worked as a bipartisan team to make this a reality for our community. Plus, from a geographic standpoint, Florida is long, narrow and flat, which makes constructing a true high-speed rail system economically feasible. Another benefit is that the Orlando-to-Tampa Phase I project is “shovel ready” and can create jobs immediately. When you add the fact that Central Florida will soon begin to reap the benefits of our first rail project, the 61-mile SunRail commuter train connecting our outlying communities through downtown Orlando, you begin to understand our community is on the verge of a real rail transportation alternative.

At a recent Central Florida Partnership meeting, I heard Jacob Stuart say “good things don’t just happen, they are brought about.” Thanks to many dedicated people in Florida, I believe high-speed rail will soon be “brought about.” As a Florida native and business person, I look forward to the day when our transportation choices in Florida will include high-speed trains.

Employing a person with a disability brings insight into a virtually untapped, trillion-dollar market.

Some people rely on a cup of coffee to motivate them and start the day. My cup of inspiration comes in the form of the clients we serve.

Working with people with disabilities offers daily testament to the wide range of abilities they have. Helping our clients reach their potential by giving them the tools for success is a win-win that inspires everyone. That is the essence of what we do at the Center for Independent Living of Central Florida (CIL). And our clients appreciate us. From assisting with transportation to helping them find a meaningful job, there is always gratitude for the services we provide.

Sometimes, those services can be life changing.

I was reminded of the true meaning of life-changing when I heard about Marc Buoniconti, the May 6th guest speaker for the 2010 Ability Celebration at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. A 1985 spinal cord injury left him unable to move a muscle below his neck. Yet, each day he moves people. The son of legendary All-Pro and Hall of Fame linebacker of the Miami Dolphins Nick Buoniconti, Marc epitomizes success and determination despite the challenges he faces.

Marc and his family are not alone. Thirty percent of American families have at least one family member with a disability. Interestingly, 48 percent of people with disabilities are principal shoppers for their households; 73 percent are heads of households; and 58 percent own their own homes. Clearly, a business has an advantage when it employs people with disabilities. Having a person with a disability on the team brings insight into this virtually untapped, trillion-dollar market.

Thankfully, Florida is leading this charge in part due to the efforts of The Able Trust. The Able Trust is committed to helping Florida businesses realize all the benefits of hiring people with disabilities, as well as helping people with disabilities find gainful employment. Created by the Florida Legislature in 1990, The Able Trust provides Floridians with disabilities fair employment opportunities through grant making, public awareness, public education, policy recommendations and fundraising. To date, the organization has awarded grants totaling more than $25 million, which benefits citizens in 67 counties, with more than $2 million awarded in 2009 to 72 community organizations.

One of its youth-serving programs is Florida High School/High Tech (HS/HT), which provides high school students with all types of disabilities the opportunity to explore jobs or postsecondary education leading to employment. HS/HT links youth to a broad range of academic options, career development resources and experiences that will enable them to meet the demands of the 21st-century workforce. The program has demonstrated significant success in reducing the high school dropout rate and increasing the overall self esteem of participating students.

Locally, our CIL received a grant from The Able Trust to provide employment services to veterans with disabilities. Reaching out to the communities in Osceola, Seminole and Orange counties, the CIL found many such veterans who needed assistance in gaining employment and stabilizing their lives so they could successfully transition into civilian life. Veterans represent an untapped and enthusiastic work force. Transitioning from military to civilian life presents numerous hardships, and these men and women require a robust and collaborative community effort to make the transition successful. Unemployment is a primary concern for those we serve, and we are always looking for local, state and federal employers to participate who have current or future job openings. We hope your business will join us and The Able Trust in a collaborative effort to support this key initiative.

The Able Trust makes a difference in the lives of people with disabilities throughout the state. To help make these dreams happen, The Able Trust selected Walt Disney World as the site of the 2010 Ability Celebration event on May 6 — a wonderful evening of dinner, music, silent auction and celebration, as we honor the champions who make the employment of people with disabilities possible. Reserve your table or learn more about how to change the lives of Floridians with disabilities by visiting www.abletrust.org.

How can you get involved?

• Attend the Ability Celebration on May 6 at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. To learn more, visit www.abletrust.org.

• For businesses seeking to tap into the talented workforce of people with disabilities, or for job seekers with disabilities who are looking for resources, visit www.lookatmyability.org.

• To learn more about the CIL, visit www.cilorlando.org.

Simply, the arts make our civic house a home.

Any arts advocate worth his or her salt has a toolbox to answer the perennial question: Why should I/my family/my government/my business/my foundation support the arts? Our box of arguments includes research and data in three big buckets. We assess the interest of the asker and grab the right instrumental tool.

 

1) Economic development. This includes corporate relocation, executive and knowledge worker recruitment, jobs in the sector and jobs created by the sector. There are sophisticated input/output analyses to measure economic impact. Event-related spending supports restaurants, parking garages and even babysitters. The sector supports 5.7 million full-time jobs nationally — jobs that are unlikely to be shipped overseas. The paycheck of a ballet dancer spends the same at Olive Garden as that of a construction worker. The arts are also an asset for the tourist economy. The sector gives more than it takes from government, each year providing $6.6 billion, $7.3 billion and $10.5 billion in revenue to local, state and federal government coffers, respectively. Our sector may not MAKE an economic development deal, but a perceived lack of vitality in the sector can sure BREAK one. No one wants to move to a cultural desert.

 

2) Education. What statistic DON’T we have to assert this argument! Participation in the arts clearly correlates to academic achievement and test scores. Studies reveal that youth crime can be deterred and recidivism reduced via structured explorations of the creative side of our youth. Arts integration and teacher training make the teaching of reading and math more effective.

 

3) Accessibility. We are a democracy, a shining example to the world of cultural pluralism — there are no kings and queens to patronize artists and commission operas. United Arts prides itself on our goal to provide quality experiences in the arts for every taste and pocketbook. Though the administrative structures can ebb and flow — we have lost 50 full-time equivalent positions, or 18 percent of our workforce, in the last 18 months — it is not possible to make a symphony orchestra more “efficient”; musicians can’t multitask by playing two instruments simultaneously. On average, only about half of the COSTS of providing an exhibition or play are provided by ticket sales. To keep those tickets affordable to ALL, private and public support is needed.

For our economy, for our children, for our community. These touchstones have connected to our message for decades. With mixed success. Nationally, audiences are shrinking for mainstream cultural organizations though the number of people who personally CREATE art is on the upswing. Demand for arts education is UP. According to the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, 98 percent of the population believes that arts education is important or very important.

A recent report, “The Arts Ripple Effect,” commissioned by the Fine Arts Fund in Cincinnati, makes a powerful case that we must expand our thinking and connect these arguments. How can we better communicate to jumpstart a groundswell that the arts are not just a PRIVATE good (I enjoy ballet, my child is talented, the arts are good for ME.) but worthy of a sense of shared obligation. That the arts make us better as a people, as a country, as a world power.

Rather than asking me WHY, ask yourself HOW. Close your eyes: HOW do you support the arts? Because you do. An artist designed your fork, your sofa, your carpet. You listen to music. Participation and appreciation transcend income and educational achievement. The arts are good for everyone. Fairs and festivals draw neighbors together. Plays illuminate our relationships to one another. The arts promote understanding They bridge the divide among generations, races, ethnicities and social classes. The arts are an investment for the vibrant future of our rural and urban areas. The arts give us pride in ourselves; they telegraph our aspirations of a better life.

We have jobs, we have highways, we have water and sewer, and police and fire protection. We have mobile homes, apartments and houses. But to quote a corporate trainer in the Cincinnati study, “A city is more than buildings, streets, homes and parks. … Spending money on arts is as important to personal comfort as transforming bricks from a house to a home.”

It is the arts, and the artists and cultural organizations that live here in our own backyard, that make our civic house a home.

Where do we grow from here? As a new era beckons, we must recognize the real opportunities.

As our economy shows signs of life, we will encounter both new and familiar challenges.

Like previous recoveries, this one will be unique and create new opportunities for growth and prosperity while old business models collapse with changing consumer demands. Unlike recent recoveries, however, there are transformational macro-economic forces at work that will redefine our economy and our quality of life. Read more

In our top-10 city for starting a business, a menu of services awaits those with an appetite for growth.

I love eating at buffets! They present the opportunity to try a variety of foods, all at one time, all on one plate and all in one visit. Buffets provide a chance to taste a little of everything or a whole lot of just one thing; it doesn’t matter, it is all included.

For the past seven years, Orlando has had its own unique version of an “entrepreneurial buffet,” called the Disney Entrepreneur Center. Located in downtown Orlando, the center is home to 10 individual business organizations, which share a single facility and a single mission: to help small businesses to grow and flourish.

Much like a normal buffet, visitors may choose to visit a single organization, or they may choose to sample a little from each. Yet, unlike any other buffet, this one provides many offerings for free.

The Disney Entrepreneur Center was founded in 2003 to assist local businesses that were dealing with a very difficult economic time. Through the visionary leadership and financial support of Orange County Government, Walt Disney World Resorts and the University of Central Florida, the center was formed and began to serve the community. Additional financial sponsorship followed from Banco Popular, Regions Bank, Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Orlando Utilities Commission, City of Orlando, BankFirst, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida and Orlando Magic. These financial sponsors provide the needed funding each year to operate the center, which, in turn, benefits each resident organization that provides services, training and coaching to the small business community.

The organizations located at The Disney Entrepreneur Center share everything from copy machines to clients. A shared facility is cost efficient for resident organizations, but another major benefit is the synergy that is created between organizations — the sharing of knowledge and experience. The daily collaboration and mutual cooperation has aided each organization and accelerated the delivery of practical services while providing convenient one-stop access to business assistance for local entrepreneurs.

Organizations located at the center: Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida, SCORE Orlando, Metro Orlando Urban League, Hispanic Business Initiative Fund, National Association of Women Business Owners, UCF Business Incubation Program, African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, Central Florida Disability Chamber, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando and British American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida.

From free one-on-one business coaching to low-cost training seminars and networking events, the center has a continually changing agenda of activities. Last year, more than 14,000 business people were coached and trained by the service providers of the center. This combination of public and private financial support, combined with nationally recognized service providers and an abundance of passionate advocates for small businesses, has produced tangible economic results for our community and has begun to attract national attention. The August issue of Entrepreneur Magazine named Orlando as a “top 10 city” for starting a business and highlighted Disney Entrepreneur Center’s efforts, and the December issue cited the Buy Local Orlando initiative as a “top trend” for business in 2010.

While our region moves to diversify the local economy, embrace entrepreneurship and nurture high-tech development, it is essential that we continue to aggressively support and fund our “main-street gardening” efforts, which promote the growth and development of small and start-up businesses.

Remember, most Fortune 500 companies started out as small businesses. According to the Edward Lowe Foundation, 90 percent of Florida’s established businesses have less than 10 employees, so it is no surprise that the Disney Entrepreneur Center serves mostly small businesses. Like any good buffet, however, there are a variety of offerings for a second-stage company, too. Larger companies might engage in a CEO roundtable group, the Small Business Development Center’s Advisory Board Council, join the Disney Entrepreneur Center 100 Club or attend advanced training classes, like our upcoming Family Business Forum.

There is something for most every taste.

This variety of offerings, unique resources, creative programming and entrepreneurial approach to delivering assistance to local entrepreneurs has made the center a hub of entrepreneurial activity and economic development for main-street businesses. If you have not visited the center yet, drop in and see what might be available for you, or you can visit the Website (www.disneyEC.com) to connect with a business coach, take a class or attend an event.

Who knows? You might just become a regular visitor to Central Florida’s entrepreneurial buffet.

The quest: create an entrepreneurial ecosystem of business specialists that entrepreneurs could tap into as the needs arise.

2009 was quite a year. I heard a great analogy that captures how the year felt to me: “I was focused on flying the plane and ensuring that I stayed in the air as turbulence kept knocking me off course. All the while, I was in the back rebuilding the engine.”

I am sure many of you felt the same way.

For me, the engine is now rebuilt, the turbulence has died down a bit and I can breathe a little easier. I hope we can all enjoy a small, yet critical, breath of relief as we find our way back to our flight path for 2010.

The Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce has charted a new course focused on regional entrepreneurship. Moving forward, the Chamber will focus on initiatives that build business in Central Florida by connecting entrepreneurs to resources for Business Innovation and Growth. To reflect this new mission, we have enhanced the name of the Chamber to Orlando Inc. (Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce).

Orlando Inc. recently hosted The B.I.G. Summit. This exciting event captured and launched our new direction. The Summit provided an opportunity for nearly 400 entrepreneurs, growth companies and those that serve entrepreneurs to have a conversation about connecting entrepreneurs to another other and to resources for growth, fueling the entrepreneurial eco-system in Central Florida. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, provided insights about how to build a $1 billion business by creating a positive and empowering company culture. Entrepreneurs such as Harold Mills of Zero Chaos, Deborah Linden of Island One Resorts and Carol Craig of Craig Technologies shared their secrets of success and what they’ve learned along the way. For video clips and copies of The B.I.G. Summit presentations, visit www.orlando.org.

We already have some great resources for entrepreneurs in our community, but now it is time to take it to the next level through partnership and collaboration. How do we weave the fabric for an entrepreneurial support system? How do we build an environment that is the next “B.I.G.” thing?

Entrepreneurship is appearing in every Florida plan and project. Florida’s key agencies as well as public and private organizations are confronting the role of entrepreneurship in an innovation economy. Entrepreneurship has captured the imagination of people around the world as a means to economic and social development. Just think of India, Ireland, Taiwan, Israel or Singapore.

From our early days of agriculture and citrus in Central Florida, we have evolved in so many ways. We are proud of our tourism and convention industry, our sea and space ports, the significant impact of the high-tech corridor and the burgeoning medical city with the exponential innovation that medical research and healthcare delivery will bring to our region.

The next challenge in entrepreneurship is for our region and state to move from promoting entrepreneurship to creating a vibrant entrepreneurial economy that can produce region-changing and perhaps even world-changing companies. Creating an enduring high-growth company today requires the weaving of a comprehensive fabric of regional entrepreneurship.

In the past, our entrepreneurial economy has had to rely on the heroism of the rare individual entrepreneur to haggle and hustle to take products to market. But imagine that Central Florida’s fertile ground is strewn with a thousand seedlings, each finding its way into an interdependent ecology that can sustain and nourish a variety of new ventures and markets.

In our region, we have a number of wonderful resources through the Disney Entrepreneur Center, UCF Business Incubation Program and Venture Lab and the Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship at Rollins College, plus many others that provide access to education and services that entrepreneurs can tap into as the needs arise. We are beginning to build our entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Our entrepreneurial ecosystem also needs easy access to professionals who specialize in entrepreneurial support. This includes investors, attorneys and accountants; commercial artists and marketing professionals; experts who create prototypes and provide concept testing; experts who can assist in firm creation; company growth managers; franchise developers; IPO experts; business exit brokers; CEOs and more.

We have a unique opportunity to further diversify our economy by continuing to grow the entrepreneurial spirit and provide the needed resources to fuel growth in our region. A strong, interdependent ecosystem could have a significant multiplier effect on the economic vitality of our region.

With one year under my belt, I have come to recognize the greatness of this community and its strong desire to increase the quality of life and prosperity for the people who call Central Florida home. I am honored to work in partnership to advance the entrepreneurial eco-system and to transform Orlando Inc. (Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce) into a resource for the community to create a vibrant entrepreneurial economy.

Executives at three of the region’s leading business and community organizations share their views.

Renate Fox

Marketing Director
Teriyaki Experience

FM: What aspect of your business will you focus on improving the most next year?

Fox: “Success in the fast-food business is based on two primary drivers that work in tandem. One is to be in convenient, high-traffic locations. The second is to provide good food quickly at a reasonable cost. Our current Florida locations — The Mall at Millenia and University Commons Plaza in Orlando, Gardens Mall in Palm Beach and the Shops at Wiregrass in Tampa — have all been selected to meet the ‘strong location’ criteria. With that part of the equation in place, we can now focus on maintaining our high operational standards to ensure we’re meeting customer expectations with each and every visit.”

FM: Aside from that focus, what are your key concerns regarding your Business’s success?

Fox: “Although our franchise concept has been operating for over 23 years in diverse markets across the globe, Teriyaki Experience is a brand-new franchise concept in Orlando. Our key concern is the same that every new business faces, which is how to build brand awareness and establish a loyal customer base. Our Florida area developer, Fior Bresolin, is following our template for success in this area. He’s already opened four locations in just over a year. Based on our past experience, we’ve found that when you build a number of locations, you automatically build a brand presence. Once this is in place, everything else begins to fall into place.”

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Michael Jenkins

Founder and CEO
MarketLeverage Interactive Advertising

FM: What aspect of your business will you focus on improving the most next year?

Jenkins: “The general economic difficulties of the past year have increased the number of companies seeking new customers through interactive, performance-based marketing. This is a great opportunity for our company to grow by helping a broader base of clients realize their sales goals through the acquisition of new customers online. Our model is quite simple: Our clients only pay when they acquire a lead or sale; they never pay to simply advertise. The challenge we face is to effectively scale our team while continuing to provide top-notch results for our customers. We have to keep making it easy for them.”

FM: Aside from that focus, what are your key concerns regarding your Business’s success?

Jenkins: “The pace of change is accelerating. Our company was born amidst the great technological advances created by the Internet. New innovations continue to roll out each year. It is important that we remain highly focused on our clients’ needs and, under that lens, judge which changes merit our attention and which are likely to be distractions. Our valuable focus and resources must continue to be invested where they can most likely yield great results for our customers.”

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Ziad Y. Khoury

President
Frontline Performance Group

FM: What aspect of your business will you focus on improving the most next year?

Khoury: “We will focus on growing our core consulting business, which assists client companies, in maximizing their sales and revenue opportunities. We will do so through a more systemized sales and marketing campaign and speaking engagements related to my book, “Frontline Profit Machine.” We will also take advantage of social networking, a marketing channel that we have not previously utilized. This will include forums that we develop and lead on LinkedIn, as well as increasing our presence on Facebook and Twitter. We will also focus on a formal publicity campaign and targeted marketing aimed at identifying the potential client’s best fit for our services.”

FM: Aside from that focus, what are your key concerns regarding your Business’s success?

Khoury: “The key concern is client viability and confidence. As much as we can help companies improve revenue, they still have to have the ability to pay us and the confidence to move forward with the initiative to improve their frontline sales and service culture. The focus on marketing, therefore, would identify more clients that we would be able to offer contingency-based compensation plans to. Our message of selling ‘results,’ not ‘training or consulting,’ will be more important than ever.”

Executives at three of the region’s leading business and community organizations share their views.

Jim Cooper

President
Home Builders Association of Metro Orlando

FM: What has been your company’s key in weathering the economic storm?

Cooper: “The Home Builders Association of Metro Orlando, like many other businesses and associations, has had to make some adjustments in the way we were doing business due to the extreme economic downturn. Our leadership has cut and consolidated where necessary, and the office is officially open four days a week instead of five. Yet, the level of service is still very high, and the members feel they are still receiving a great return on their investment. We are financially one of the strongest HBA associations in the state. The key has been the ‘teamwork’ attitude of our staff and members.”

FM: How long will it take for market correction to reach a point where the housing industry can be described as healthy?

Cooper: “The housing industry will not be healthy again until the lending institutions release money to qualified buyers and the banks cease using ‘short sales’ and foreclosures as comparables during the appraisal process. The current excess inventory of finished lots and homes has to return to a normal level, and it is definitely moving in that direction. I think we have hit the bottom of the residential market, and my guess is it will take another 12 to 24 months to absorb the excess inventory then slowly return to pre-2003 absorption levels, which are healthy and sustainable levels.”

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David Kohn

President
ABD Development Co.

FM: What has been your company’s key in weathering the economic storm?

Kohn: “To weather the economic downturn, we instituted several critical measures, internally and externally. Internally, our strategy was to reduce debt, reduce operating expenses and defer new acquisitions. We made substantial use of more public relations and more-efficient advertising choices to market our homes. Externally, we made major changes to respond to new market demands. These include smaller, smarter luxury homes, lower pricing, more energy efficiency and more ‘lifestyle’ value.”

FM: How long will it take for market correction to reach a point where the housing industry can be described as healthy?

Kohn: “In some respects, the housing market is already healthy. Homebuyers are seeking smaller, smarter homes with more lifestyle value. This is a substantial improvement over the recent market bulge, when everyone was racing to buy the biggest home imaginable. In terms of volume, some areas of the market are improving rapidly. Baby-boom adults, who are seeking second homes and retirement homes in Florida, are increasingly active. People who delayed retiring are now feeling pent-up demand and will eventually create a surge in the market. We expect to pronounce the housing market ‘healthy’ again in 2010, possibly as early as the second quarter.”

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Suresh Gupta

Chief Executive Officer
Park Square Homes

FM: What has been your company’s key in weathering the economic storm?

Gupta: “Our ability to survive is tied to our employees multitasking and the ability to react quickly to an ever-changing environment. Maintaining a tight reign on overhead and cash flow have been critical, and the staff’s assumption of ever-increasing and broadening responsibilities allowed us to right-size the business to the available opportunity. Park Square Homes realigned the core business so that we could serve the first-time buyer and reduce the dependence on the move-up market, which is having difficulty selling their existing home.”

FM: How long will it take for market correction to reach a point where the housing industry can be described as healthy?

Gupta: “Orlando is a vibrant market that is temporarily suffering from reduced demand caused by the bursting of the national housing bubble and the increase of national unemployment. We are dependant on tourism [local and foreign] to drive our economy and both are suffering. New unsold inventory has declined, but recovery requires the absorption of a very high level of foreclosures. A healthy housing market will take a while; only after people can be secure in their jobs and the unemployment rate declines will the house market bounce back.”

Executives at three of the region’s leading business and community organizations share their views.

FM: With the calendar having turned to fall, specifically what’s atop your agenda?

Gilley: “Maintaining momentum and not letting our guard down! We plan to continue spreading the message that economic development IS economic recovery. The way out of this recession is through the attraction and expansion of companies that are in their growth cycles and are hiring. We’re already preparing for the 2010 Legislative Session, which is sure to be a tough one, by keeping our state legislators and elected officials abreast of what we’re doing and the feedback we’re receiving from companies with whom we’re working. While, undoubtedly, there will again be tough decisions to be made, it is critical that economic development remains a top priority.”

FM: Recent news reports have indicated that the population of Florida and perhaps even Orlando are declining. What’s your view of those findings?

Gilley: “From an economic development standpoint, the main attractor to a region is less the quantity than the quality of the workforce. What is most essential is having the right mix of educated workers in the industries that metro Orlando is strongest in — life science, simulation, digital media, film and entertainment, financial services, aviation, etc. And the key to attracting companies that are hiring in those high-wage industries is education. With a strong presence of colleges and universities, including UCF, the nation’s fifth-largest university, this region will remain a competitive place for businesses and an attractive place for people to locate.”

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FM: With the calendar having turned to fall, specifically what’s atop your agenda?

Hielema: “Providing market intelligence to entrepreneurs and preparing them for the rapidly changing regional and global marketplace is a priority for the Orlando Regional Chamber. And, that is what the upcoming B.I.G. Summit (Business Innovation and Growth) on November 19 is designed to do. The Summit will also be relevant for businesses and organizations that are advocates for business success in Central Florida. Featured speakers will primarily include Central Florida entrepreneurs but will also feature Tony Hseih, CEO of Zappos.com, who built a $1 billion business utilizing digital media. This sharing of strategies and resources by entrepreneurs will contribute to a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in Central Florida.”

FM: Recent news reports have indicated that the population of Florida and perhaps even Orlando are declining. What’s your view of those findings?

Hielema: “University of Central Florida economist Dr. Sean Snaith stated, ‘Coming out of this recession, we won't have what we've had to pull us through recessions before. One of those things has been population growth.’ Since population growth will not be a primary economic driver for Florida in the near future, we will need to effectively transition towards the economy of the future. In order to impact economic vitality, the Orlando Regional Chamber places emphasis on ‘Ready to Go’ infrastructure projects, preserving innovation and investments, reinforcing the talent base of tomorrow, credit availability and liquidity assistance, opening international markets to trade, protecting employees’ rights to private elections, and ensuring reasonable taxes and regulations.”

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FM: With the calendar having turned to fall, specifically what’s atop your agenda?

Sain: “Fall is traditionally a slow period for the destination, and our focus shifts to couples, getaways, grand-travelers and families with children not in school. Our ‘Free-for-Fall’ marketing program was developed to increase visitation during this need time. In 2010, we will take our ‘Orlando Makes Me Smile’ marketing campaign international. We expect international visitation to be a bright spot for our destination because of our increased international air-travel service. Finally, we are working with the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association and the U.S. Travel Association to ensure that Orlando continues to be a viable option for government meetings and that we have the same opportunities as any other meeting destination.”

FM: Recent news reports have indicated that the population of Florida and perhaps even Orlando are declining. What’s your view of those findings?

Sain: “Orlando is a great place to live, build a business and raise a family. Unfortunately, with the economic situation that we are in, it doesn’t surprise me that we may have lost some population due to the unemployment rate in our region increasing. People move to where they can find increased opportunities. However, I believe this is a temporary phenomenon and Orlando will see increased population growth in the future because of our location, highly educated population, innovation, creativity and leadership. I also believe that Orlando is one of the few destinations in the U.S. that will continue to offer a high-quality lifestyle at an affordable cost of living.”

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