Thirteen small businesses from across the Keys successfully completed a six-week business course designed to equip entrepreneurs with skills to expand operations, improve efficiency and grow revenue.
The no-cost Scale to Grow cohort training program was held weekly from Sept. 11 to Oct. 16, at the DoubleTree Grand Key in Key West and was sponsored by Truist Bank.
Delivered by the Florida Small Business Development Center at Florida International University, the course was facilitated by market growth specialists Bonnie Barnes and Nancy Hull. They work one-on-one with businesses across the Keys, offering personalized support in areas such as business planning, capital access, marketing strategy, accounting systems and financial forecasting.
The Scale to Grow program provided participants with hands-on learning and weekly challenges focused on customer journey strategies, productivity, branding, financial health and pitch development. The final session featured business pitches from 11 of the participating companies, showcasing their individual plans for sustainable growth.
“This program provided cohort participants with intensive support on how to scale their business while balancing profitability,” said Brian Van Hook, regional director for the FIU center. “That is a big obstacle to growth, so we appreciate the support of Truist to make this Scale to Grow available to these Keys businesses.”
Graduation day was marked by presentations to a panel of community and industry leaders, including Dale Bittner, Truist commercial team; Kerry Baker, president, Key West Chamber of Commerce; Julie Brown, community outreach specialist for EXP; and Sam Steele, Monroe County tax collector. Each business received tailored feedback from the panel and their peers.
“Truist is proud to support the SBDC’s Scale to Grow series. Helping local businesses thrive strengthens our entire community,” said Bittner. “The SBDC at FIU is an outstanding partner in that effort, equipping our local business owners with the knowledge and confidence to take their next big step.”
Participating businesses included: Kevin Bowes, Community Foundation of the Florida Keys; Carla Burns, Conch Republic Marine Army; Allison Calhoun, the Paddle Hut at Geiger Key; Patrick Garvey, Grimal Grove; Michael Hartley, Michael Stack LLC, or Stack’d Events; Kelly Hopkins, the Concierge Girl; Denis Lebedev, LaGrignote Key West; Steven Martin Jr., Martin Artworks; Tony Martinelli and Lucas Wheeler, both of MRI of Key West; Kenneth Mickler, Fazisi Restoration LLC; Maria Protopsaltis, Green Alchemy Consulting; and Stacy Tomlinson, Swimline Pool Products.
The center at FIU is part of a national network of over 1,000 centers partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and hosted by universities. The center serves Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, offering no-cost, personalized consulting to help local businesses start, grow, and succeed. More information is at sbdc.fiu.edu.
