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Contact Us At
(727) 443-0217
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Greetings!
Greetings! In the blink of an eye, we have transitioned away from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season to February. Hope everyone’s New Year is starting off great. For those of us that could use a little help getting back on track to meet our 2019 business goals, the Clearwater Business SPARK partners are prepared to support you with the resources you need to grow. Whether it is one-on–one coaching, training, consulting, workshops or networking opportunities,
we are here for you
.
Last month I was invited to join Pinellas County Economic Development along with the cities of St. Petersburg, Largo, Pinellas Park and Oldsmar at their booth for the Synapse Summit to represent Clearwater Business SPARK.
It was wonderful to see so many entrepreneurs and small business owners stop by to learn more and share their stories. The energy at the conference was amazing, and the Tampa Bay Region is proving itself to be a place for business vitality, growth and innovation!
We can already say that 2019 is kicking off to a wonderful start, and we are so grateful for your continued trust in our partners. We will continue our efforts to support the community and exceed your expectations in 2019 by enhancing the programs and services we provide, and we look forward to working with each of you this year.
Sincerely yours,
Audra Aja
Program Coordinator
Clearwater Business SPARK
Clearwater Business
SPARK
- Where Success Begins.
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Launched in 2016, Clearwater Business SPARK is a network of partners that support local small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to start or grow their businesses.
Clearwater Business SPARK provides business programs and services including business planning and coaching, educational programs, networking opportunities and guidance for doing business with the federal government and international markets. Clearwater Business SPARK also offers access to databases and market research tools, a variety of co-working, meeting and training spaces and hands-on tools and activities at Studios@Main, a unique makerspace located within the Clearwater Main Library.
Current network partners include St. Petersburg College, Tampa Bay Black Business Investment Corporation, Pinellas County SCORE, Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce, Clearwater Public Library System, Prospera, the city of Clearwater’s Economic Development and Housing Department, and Florida Small Business Development Center at Pinellas County Economic Development.
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Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Meeting & Dinner 2019
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On Thursday, Jan. 24, the Clearwater Regional Chamber hosted its 97
th
Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner.
The event was held at the Opal Sands Resort, 430 S. Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach.
Awards for the evening are listed below:
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RedRock Leadership "Small Professional Services of the Year"
Philip Dalimonte
Sponsored by Charles Curry Bayshore Trophies
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Empower Adventures
"Small Hospitality Business of the Year"
Presented by Don Ewing Florida Business Solutions
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Stephanie Smith "AchieveHERS Award"
Presented by Stephanie Schlageter Radiance Medspa
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FrankCrum
"Large Professional Services of the Year"
Sponsored by The Bank of Tampa
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Lisa Chandler
"Tourism Person of the Year"
Sponsored by Pier 60 Concessions
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Bon Appetit Group
"Large Hospitality Business of the Year"
Sponsored by Clearwater Gas System
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Clearwater Free Clinic
"Large Charity of the Year"
Sponsored by WestCMR
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Habitat for Humanity
"Clearwater Young Professionals"
Sponsored by Regions Bank
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Carlos Guerrero "Chamber Ambassador of the Year"
Sponsored by Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce
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Ambassador Al Hoffman, Jr. "Legendary Leadership Award"
Sponsored by Creative Contractors, Inc.
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St. Vincent DePaul Community Kitchen & Resource Center
"Small Charity of the Year"
Sponsored by WestCMR
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Debbie White
"Ms. Clearwater 2019"
Sponsored by Hill Ward Henderson
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Ultimate Medical Academy
"Large Not-For-Profit of the Year"
Sponsored by Valley National
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About Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce
Since 1922, the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce has been open for business. Its mission is to enhance economic growth in the Clearwater region by focusing on the development of its members in the business and tourism communities.
The group is Clearwater’s business resource, providing services and support to enhance the business climate. With more than 600 members, the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce is the Voice of Business in Clearwater and North Pinellas County.
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5G POWER SKILLS:
SOFT SKILLS AND MULTIGENERATION TRAINING
St. Petersburg College
5G Power Skills™ Certification
is a dynamic program designed to address the unprecedented complexity of today’s 5-Generational workforce (e.g. age, talent/skills, culture, attitude, behavior, etc.) while incorporating soft skills training which is vital to workforce success. Two workshop options are available at SPC'S Downtown Center, located at 244 Second Ave. N., St. Pete, FL 33701.
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MICROSOFT OFFICE CORE PRODUCTIVITY CLASSES
St. Petersburg College's Workforce Institute Microsoft Office Productivity courses are designed for individuals that have a basic understanding of Microsoft Office applications but want to learn the tips to work faster and with fewer errors. The classes will teach your employees the practical applications of the Microsoft Office suite and how to navigate the features to increase productivity. We also have the NEW Microsoft Office 2019.
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The SBA Business Recovery Center (BRC) for Pinellas County opened on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018 at the
St. Petersburg College EpiCenter
, Suite 2-200, 13805 58th Street N., Clearwater, Florida. The BRC will assist local small businesses affected by red tide.
The
Pinellas SBA Business Recovery Center
will be open:
- Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
SBA's Customer Service Representatives will be available to answer questions about the disaster loan program and help individuals complete their applications.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA's secure website (See Link Below).
The deadline to apply is June 4, 2019.
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Synapse Summit 2019
Clearwater Business SPARK was invited to share a booth with Pinellas County Economic Development along with the cities of St. Petersburg, Pinellas Park, Oldsmar and Largo.
In photo (left to right) Scott Talcott (PCED), Mandi Clark (Oldsmar), Audra Aja (Clearwater), Andrea Falvey (PCED), Sofia Solares (St. Pete) and Teresa Brydon (Largo).
Not pictured is Amanda Conte (Pinellas Park).
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Clearwater Business SPARK Visits Alliance BNI Dunedin Chapter
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City of Clearwater Economic Development staff was invited to attend a local BNI Chapter meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 5, to share what the city can do to help the local business community. Audra Aja, Marketing & Communications, and Christin Harris, Business Retention & Expansion, attended the meeting and passed out Clearwater Business SPARK swag to all attendees. There were about 70 members and guests in attendance, representing several small businesses in the greater community. The stories shared during the meeting inspired us, and we were so glad to be apart of "International Networking Week."
Thank you to Success Alliance BNI for having us!
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Clearwater City Hall Offices Have Moved
Offices of the City Manager, Legal, Council, Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), Official Records and Economic Development & Housing are now located at One Clearwater Tower, 600 Cleveland St., Suite 600, Clearwater, FL 33755.
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Five Ways to Connect with Clearwater Business SPARK
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The Clearwater Business
SPARK
newsletter is produced bi-monthly by the city of Clearwater Economic Development & Housing Department and Public Communications Department staff.
Christin Harris-Chief Editor, Jose Patino-Executive Editor, Audra Aja-Editor/Designer
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(727) 443-0217
info@ClearwaterBusinessSPARK.com
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