PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
STATE’S ECONOMIC STRONG RECOVERY
POINTS SPOTLIGHT ON TREASURE COAST
Treasure Coast small
business owners and
operators must be feeling a
sense of déjà vu lately. With
the recent supply chain
issues, rising fuel cost and
other assorted economic
challenges, one cannot
help but think back to the
Great Recession.
With a zero-income tax
policy and its warm weather,
Florida has always been
a popular state to relocate
for people and businesses.
Even with its popularity,
the state is still susceptible
to economic cycles, but
since the Great Recession,
it has experienced strong
growth. The Treasure Coast has benefited from the state’s strong recovery and growth in the form
of increased exposure. The days of going unnoticed have ended.
The question for Treasure Coast small business owners and operators is how to leverage the
region’s recent growth. Small business success will come to those operators who can look beyond
the current economic situation and position the business to solve customer problems and take
advantage of the region’s new opportunities.
Opportunity is defined as an appropriate or favorable time or occasion, a situation or condition
favorable for attainment of a goal, a good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or success.
However, opportunity viewed through the lens of an entrepreneurial mindset will look like an
appropriate or favorable time to create new products, services and generate new business revenue.
In its most basic form, entrepreneurship is about recognizing problems and creating solutions.
Small business and entrepreneurial success does not come from creating the next big idea — it
comes from creating simple solutions to everyday problems. As new business and sometimes big
business begin to move into the region, there will be problems, or shall we say opportunities, requiring
simple solutions. Those who provide these simple solutions will reap the business benefits.
To position a business as a problem solver, a small business owner and operator needs to build
an intrapreneurial culture within the organization. Intrapreneurship, aka internal entrepreneurship,
is innovation within the organization. An organization that is consistently innovative will be
dynamic and attract creative people. The business will have a stimulating environment that will
be viewed as a great place to work. Hint, Hint — Looking for solutions to staffing issues?
Most importantly, a culture of intrapreneurship fosters business success by catching problems
before customers, by recognizing and identifying market needs, by challenging conventional
thinking and by engaging employees.
The future is here for the Treasure Coast marketplace. Even in an economic downturn, the
region will continue to prosper and grow because the region is truly a great place to live, work
and play.
To have a conversation about how to position a business as a solutions provider for the region,
email the Florida Small Business Development Center at FSBDC@IRSC.edu or call 772.336.6285.
2
Gregory Enns, Publisher
772.940.9005 or enns@indianrivermag.com
Tom Kindred Jr., Florida SBDC at IRSC
772.462.7087 or tkindred@irsc.edu
Publisher & Editor
Gregory Enns
772.940.9005
enns@indianrivermag.com
Florida SBDC at IRSC
Tom Kindred Jr.
772.708.3673
tkindred@irsc.edu
Associate Publisher
Allen Osteen
Assistant to the Publisher
Lauren Shott
772.672.9859
lauren@indianrivermag.com
Associate Editor
Judith Collins
Design Editor
Michelle Moore-Burney
Cover Photo
Michael P. Schneider
Copy Editors
Pattie Durham, Gaettane A. Paul
Contributing Writers
Nancy Dahlberg, Suzanne Seldes,
Anthony Westbury, Bernie Woodall
Advertising Representatives
Sunny Gates
772.204.5043
sunny@indianrivermag.com
Rue Kindred
772.708.2487
rue@indianrivermag.com
Jim McCabe
917.912.0040
jim@indianrivermedia.com
Distribution
Wes Holloway
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Treasure Coast Business is a publication
of Indian River Magazine Inc., 308 Ave.
A, Fort Pierce, FL 34950. Treasure Coast
Business magazine publishes four times
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All material contained herein is copyrighted
by Indian River Magazine Inc.
INDIAN RIVER STATE COLLEGE
Tom Kindred, regional director of the Florida Small Business Development
Center at Indian River State College, leads a panel discussion during the recent
inaugural Small Business Success Summit in Tampa.
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