Typically, the organization that puts together the trade mission assists the importer/exporter by identifying and scheduling the appointments with suppliers/buyers. Other services can include providing translators or meeting with key government officials in the foreign market.

Currently, there are two trade missions available to Tampa Bay Area Exporters:

Trade Mission to Colombia – August 9 – 14, 2010

This mission is organized by Enterprise Florida and includes visits to Bogota and Cartagena.

Trade Mission to Panama – September 6-9, 2010

This mission is being led by Manatee Economic Development Council and the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County. It includes a tour of the Panama Canal.

The Small Business Consultants can help you decide if a trade mission is the right marketing strategy for your business to expand internationally. It is recommend you do extensive planning before participating in a trade mission. Please contact our Certified Global Business Professionals for assistance.

Established in March 2009, Virginia C. Carter, P.A. is a small business that created two new jobs in 2009 and will soon be creating one more. Virginia, benefiting from the assistance of the Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida, received a small business loan to help her get started. Serving local clients as well as clients in Polk County, and soon clients in Hardee County, Virginia is providing valuable economic impact.

Virginia spent many years of her professional life working as an educator. She then decided to go to law school, and after graduation, worked at a larger law firm for five years. Raised by a single mother, Virginia realized that obtaining a good education would be the key to her success. She was the first one in her family to go to college and the first one to own a business.

Her experience as an educator made her aware of the needs of the families in the community. This was one of the reasons why Virginia decided to become an Attorney. She has a sincere passion for helping parents and children navigate through the difficult legal issues that many of them face today. Motivated by this passion, her faith and her confidence, Virginia was able to successfully accomplish the dream of helping the community when she opened her legal practice.

Business Plan Consulting Leads to Business Loan

Virginia came to the Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida to learn how to start and operate her business, and to seek assistance with writing her business plan. Thanks to the help of Certified Business Analysts Daniel Scott and Jim Parrish, she was able to create a business plan that impressed the five banks she applied to. One gave her the loan, which allowed her to sign a leasing agreement, purchase furniture and equipment and hire an employee.

?Thank you SBDC? said Virginia, ?from start to finish, you provided me the education, training, and assistance needed to accomplish my dream?

Virginia?s good spirit, professionalism and willingness to truly assist the community helped her build a successful practice. She ?thought about it, prayed about it? and when the time was right?it happened!

For more information about this company, contact:
Virginia Carter
vcarter@vcarterlaw.com
(813) 757-6548

The Hutchinson Studio LLC (THS) is a design firm that produces computer generated architectural renderings and animations as well as graphic design. THS was established in the fall of 2008 by Michael and Megan Hutchinson. Michael has over 10 years of professional experience in various graphic design industries and 5 years experience in IT network implementation and management. He has a degree in Drafting and Design Technology and has worked in several graphic design industries including video editing, computer animation, architectural visualization and web design. Megan is an accomplished singer-performer and has a background in office management and marketing. She uses the experience she gained on-stage to make presentations to potential clients, clubs and other organizations. Megan?s duties at THS include sales, service, and bookkeeping.

THS came into existence through a series of both disappointing and inspiring events. Michael and Megan moved to Hardee County from St. Petersburg to escape urban life and to try their hand at farming. Their efforts to enter the agricultural market with a wholesale landscape nursery were met with disheartening results as the new construction market plummeted and the endeavor took a complete loss. In the midst of their disappointment, an unexpected opportunity opened for Michael to take on a rendering and animation project. The project once again ignited the Hutchinson?s entrepreneurial passion as they geared-up to launch THS.

With the failure of their plant farm fresh in their minds, the Hutchinsons decided to seek assistance to increase the chances of success in their new venture. They were referred to the SBDC by the Hardee County Economic Development Office. The Hutchinsons met with counselors Bill McKown and Dave Noel. They entered their first counseling session with many ideas and a list of products and services to offer. Accompanying the list was a ?plan? that included an even longer list of equipment needed and retail space they wanted to occupy. Over the next few months McKown and Noel guided them through the process of developing a more comprehensive business plan. The Hutchinsons participated in a 12 week business planning course (Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning) that both complemented and gave practical application to the topics discussed in the private counseling sessions. During the REAL course there were many team projects and role play scenarios that allowed the Hutchinsons to explore their ideas and gain perspective from others attending the program.

This is how Michael describes their SBDC experience:

“Mr. McKown and Mr. Noel were very thorough in their analysis of our ideas and developing our plan. They directed us to research and analyze every aspect of our business from different angles. The detailed level of planning that we were guided through helped us discover our strengths and weakness. By the end of the REAL class and the many counseling sessions, we had a complete business plan with accurate financial projections and a refined goal for the direction of our business. We presented our business plan to the class and got a great response from our classmates. After the success of our class presentation we had the opportunity to present our business plan as an example for the REAL class to the board of directors of Heartland Workforce. This in turn opened doors in our local community to network with the Hardee Chamber of Commerce, the Wauchula Kiwanis Club, Wauchula Main Street Association and others.

As we look back on our first year of business, we can see how beneficial our relation with the SBDC has been.Thanks to the direction of Mr. McKown, Mr. Noel and other counselors from the Tampa office, we completed a successful first year. Despite the difficult economic conditions, our customer base has grown and we have continued to increase our operational equipment and marketing resources without any outside financial assistance. We look forward to continual mentorship from the SBDC as our business grows and overcomes different challenges.

When mentioning the SBDC to friends, family and business associates, Megan and I greatly encourage them to access the wealth of knowledge and resources available through the counseling and training programs. Many people often chase the illusion of Government grants of ?free money? and dive into a good idea without adequate planning. The SBDC is the practical application of government assistance for new businesses.”