Holiday Forecast: Shoppers Are In A Buying Mood
Forecasters are predicting lots of shopping in the coming weeks. Florida Retail Federation officials said the state’s shoppers are in a “buying mood,” as evidenced by an early start to the holiday...
View ArticleBlack Friday Starts Holiday Shopping Season With A Bang
Black Friday’s long lines and mega bargains draw out early morning shoppers every year the day after Thanksgiving, and this year some stores even opened as early as Thursday night. Black Friday gets...
View ArticleLocal Willy Wonka Dreams Of A Chocolate Factory
Last year, Florida passed a law that allows people to make food in their homes and sell it without a license. One guy who’s taking advantage of the law is Tallahassee chocolate maker Bob Williamson....
View ArticleFlorida Food Trucks Becoming Big Business
Today, it seems almost any random gathering of people is likely to attract at least one food truck. Tom Flanigan reports the number of these restaurants-on-wheels is growing in Florida, as well as...
View ArticleStudent PSA Videos Warn Floridians About Unlicensed CPA's
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants presented prizes on Tuesday to the winners of a public service video contest....
View ArticleSpace Lobby Docks At Fla. Capitol, Hoping For More STEM Education
Wednesday is the sixteenth Florida Space Day. In the Capitol, NASA and the Florida Space Day group are presenting the current and hopeful future of the Space Industry in Florida. And both the agency...
View ArticleManufacturing Sales-Tax-Exemption Bill Moving Through Both Chambers
A bill that makes it easier for manufacturers to get a sales tax exemption has started moving in the Florida House. Supporters of the change say it will create high-paying jobs, but some lawmakers are...
View ArticleHertz Relocation Should Grow Economy 'Throughout The State,' Business Group Says
A Fortune 500 company’s relocation to Southwest Florida has business groups applauding Gov. Scott for attracting new jobs to the state. The Hertz rental car company is expected to bring at least 700...
View ArticleTourism Still Big Business In Florida
Tourism is still Florida’s number one industry with places like Disney World a crowd favorite. But Visit Florida CEO Will Seacombe says some other spots are attracting more attention these days: “We’re...
View ArticleMiami Lawmaker Wants To Do Away With 50-Year-Old Beer Regulation
Craft beers from microbreweries are steadily increasing their share of the alcohol market throughout the U.S. But, one lawmaker says the Sunshine State’s archaic beer regulations are holding Florida’s...
View ArticleAs Planes Fill Up, State Expects Less Transportation Revenue
The state’s chief economist, Amy Baker, says the state’s transportation trust fund – that’s the money pot funded with fuel, tag and license taxes, will have an extra $200-million to draw from this...
View ArticleThanksgiving Doesn't Add Much To Sales, Smartphones Do
The Florida Retail Federation originally predicted 2013's holiday shopping season would net 3.5 to 4.5-percent more sales than 2012 and officials say they’re on the way to meeting that goal – handily....
View ArticleFlorida Retail Federation Backing Tax Holidays, Proposals To Expand...
The Florida Retail Federation is gearing up for the 2014 legislative session by throwing its support behind a series of proposed sales tax holidays and proposals to expand the duties of pharmacists....
View ArticleInstitute Targets 'Dirty Dozen': Professions Prime For Deregulation
Over the past several years Governor Rick Scott has touted Florida as a refuge from “burdensome regulations” and has made it a goal to promote job creation in the state. But as Florida’s unemployment...
View ArticleLegislature Approves Process For Funding For Private Sports Stadiums
Florida lawmakers have approved a plan that would steer state tax dollars to fund stadiums for privately-owned sports teams. The move is a reversal from last year, when stadium funding for the Miami...
View ArticleUber Promises To Continue Push For Taxi, Limo Deregulation
A plan that would negate local transportation rules in major Florida cities didn’t get through the legislature this year, but supporters of the deregulation made big waves in the process. Uber—an app...
View ArticleFlorida Unemployment Rate Continues Downward; Some Question If Trend Will Last
Florida’s unemployment rate has dropped by a tenth of a percent since October. But some question if the downward trend in the unemployment rate will continue. At 6 percent, unemployment is the lowest...
View ArticleUber Preps For State Regulation
The ride-hailing app, Uber, has been operating in the state for the better part of 2014 despite statewide concerns over safety, insurance coverage and legality. While a patchwork of regulation has...
View ArticleClass Gives New Biz Owners Crowdfunding Kickstart
With the new legislation passed this year, crowdfunding is taking another step forward. The University of West Florida and the Florida Small Business Development Center are working to help new business...
View ArticleFlorida Chamber Of Commerce Makes Jobs Top Priority For Session
The Florida Chamber of Commerce announced its legislative priorities for the 2016 session Tuesday. The group is putting economic expansion at the top of the list.
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