January 2021
From MBA Program Advisor, Sandler Training
Clint Babcock, Partner, Sandler Training Tampa Bay

Isn’t it great when we have the rare moments in our careers to be around a group of people who want only to learn and succeed! Do you recall a time in your career, or personal past, when you were a part of a selected team and how you felt to be around peers that made you want to be better? Now, imagine how the coach, team leader, boss, felt to be part of the development of that group and the feeling of genuine purpose to help someone grow and develop. This is how I felt when I was asked to support the Minority Business Accelerator program from its beginning.

At the genesis of the MBA program, I was contacted by the leadership at the Chamber to discuss how we might be able to support the selected participants. One of the great rules we have in our Sandler business is “Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice!” Meaning, we’ll perform a set of assessments of their communication skills as well as their leadership competencies so they have a clearer understanding of their strengths and areas of development. This information would then be shared with their mentors to help them throughout the entire program.

Clint Babcock, Sandler Training with Cohort ’22 for their Leadership Session Kick-Off. 
Cohort Spotlight
Cohort '21 Member, Ashley Butler of Ice Cold Air, was featured on WFLA News Channel 8 for how her company is specializing in cleaning cars to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Legislative Kickoff
The 2021 Legislative Kickoff presented by Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority is just about one month away. This is a great opportunity to meet and learn about our legislators and what their goals are while in office.

We are honored to have Sen. Danny Burgess, Rep. Linda Chaney, Sen. Janet Cruz, Rep. Fentrice Driskell, Rep. Dianne Hart, Rep. Traci Koster, Rep. Andrew Learned, Rep. Michele Rayner, Sen. Darryl Rouson, Rep. Jackie Toledo, and Rep. Susan Valdes.
Community Resources
Women’s Business Center

February 4 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Turning financial chaos into profits with bookkeeping tools to keep your financial on track. If you’re a small business owner, you’ll be familiar with juggling multiple tasks. As well as keeping things running you need to generate revenue, keep customers happy, and look after the financials. Tracking financials can be a chore though, and one of the biggest questions you might have is where do I start?

February 10 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
How do I get started with Government Contracting? Is this right for me and my business? What is the difference between commercial contracting and government contracting? What is a contract? How are “set-aside” contracts and goals determined? In this course, participants will learn the basic ins and outs about how the government buys goods and services. Participants will also be introduced to important websites, and external agencies such as the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). Marketing to the government will also be discussed.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Thank you to our Community Partners