Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 4-22-16 Edition

Features
School District Sponsored Master Business Class Helps Take Businesses To Next Level
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Nicola Johnson’s in a tough position.
She’s built up her busi- ness, Arconial Architecture, for three years and now is poised to expand it to the next level and add more employ- ees.
But like many business owners, Ms. Johnson is wrestling with navigating that process.
“I’m at a point where I’m trying to find someone so that I can clone myself,” she said. “Am I looking for someone who’s seasoned or do I want someone fresh?”
Ms. Johnson was one of dozens of small business own- ers seeking guidance Tuesday at a master business class of- fered by the Hillsborough County School District’s Of- fice of Supplier Diversity.
The class – the latest in a series – is designed to be a re- source for small business owners where they can net- work and connect with their peers, said Colette Glover- Hannah, one of the class co- ordinators.
But most importantly, each class features a lecture from a local business owner who shares his or her “pivots and points of pride” experi- enced while building their en- terprise, she said.
Past speakers include George Tinsley, successful KFC franchiser and owner of TGI Fridays at Tampa Inter- national Airport, Barbara Manzi, president and CEO of
HUGH CAMPBELL ...Master Class Instructor
Manzi Metals, and Victor Young, president and co- owner of Lamborghini Sara- sota and BMW of Sarasota.
Organizers deliberately se- lect local business owners as speakers to show attendees that success in the Tampa Bay area is within reach, Ms. Hannah-Glover said.
“They know the ropes and they know what it takes,” she said. “They know it doesn’t just happen overnight.”
The lecture series is the educational component to the variety of resources offered by the Office of Supplier Diver- sity, said class co-coordinator, Atty. Bob Morrison.
Atty. Morrison, owner of Morrison & Associates, Inc., said the business owners aren’t the only ones who ben- efit from the classes.
“The district is a winner because it means these poten- tial vendors are smarter, more prepared, and more respon- sive and everyone wants that in their business partners,” he said.
Additionally, the classes allow the District to not only
ATTY. BOB MORRISON ...Class Coordinator
be an advocate for small women and minority-owned businesses but also help those businesses be better, he said.
On Tuesday, former mili- tary veteran-turned-telecom- munications entrepreneur Hugh Campbell closed out the series with his lecture on using past experience to build future success.
Mr. Campbell, a gradu- ate of West Point and founder and owner of Advanced C4 Solutions, offered up more tidbits of information in a question-and-answer session, including how to find busi- ness grants and best practices for merging businesses.
The former requires everyone adopting a team mentality, he said.
“Structure the business so everyone feels they are better together,” he said.
Ms. Johnson said it was Mr. Campbell’s suggestions to business owners that they duplicate themselves to move ahead that struck a chord with her.
“That was a big take away,” she said.
COLETTE GLOVER-HANNAH ...Class Coordinator
CDC Of Tampa, Inc. Breaking Ground For New Homes In East Tampa
ERNEST CONEY ...President/CEO CDC of Tampa, Inc.
MAYOR BOB BUCKHORN
CDC of Tampa is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony for its latest construction venture – Beacon Homes. The project will spread across 14 lots along North 34th Street and East 28th Avenue in East Tampa, boasting 13 new homes on the lots, leaving one lot available for green space.
The homes will have three or four bedrooms, two baths, a front porch and attached garages. This is a joint pro- ject with the Tampa Housing Authority. It is financed through the City of Tampa and the Florida Minority Im- pact Housing Fund (FMIHF), which helps revitalize com- munities across the state. The fund is managed by Tampa- based Neighborhood Lending Partners.
“This is the first new con- struction project for CDC of
Tampa since the recession,” said Ernest Coney, Jr., CDC of Tampa CEO. “It means a great deal to us be- cause it not only builds upon having that sense of commu- nity, but it also establishes East Tampa as a community of choice. We are excited about the partnerships that are making this vision possi- ble.”
Refreshments from Inside the Box Café will be provided. The groundbreaking will be held on Tuesday, April 26, 2016, 10 a. m., corner of N. 34th St. and 28th Ave. Participating in the ceremony will be: Ernest Coney, Presi- dent/CEO, Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa, Inc.; Debra Reyes, President/CEO, Neighborhood Lending Partners; and Mayor Bob Buckhorn, City of Tampa.
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