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Broward County February 2022 Jobs Grew Nearly 5 Percent year over year
Broward County’s job report indicated a 3.2 percent unemployment rate in February 2022. This rate was 2.9 percentage points lower than the region's year ago rate of 6.1 percent. The labor force was 1,041,649, up 27,531 (+2.7 percent) over the year. Nonagricultural employment in the Ft. Lauderdale-Pompano Bch-Deerfield Bch Metro Division was 868,100, an increase of 40,500 jobs (4.9 percent) over the year.
“We’re very pleased to see that Broward County’s February unemployment rate has reached pre-pandemic levels and are confident that the strong interest from companies looking at Greater Fort Lauderdale as a location of choice and the local expansions in our target industries will continue supporting the overall year-over-year job growth trends,” said Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance President and CEO Bob Swindell. “We thank our many partners, investors and leaders at Broward County and our cities, who have been working with us to grow and diversify our economy over these recent challenging years.” |
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Data and AnalysisIn the month of February, all industries gained jobs compared to the previous year in Broward County.
The information (+9.2 percent) and government (+0.4 percent) industries grew faster in the metro area than statewide over the year.
Non-Agricultural employment shows month to month growth in the majority of sectors except for Construction with showing a slight decrease (-200, 0.4%). |
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Ready to Put Your Idea to the Test?Apply today and ignite your idea! The City of Hollywood and the Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce have partnered to present the SPARK Hollywood Pitch Competition and are seeking entrepreneurs at any stage of development to pitch their big idea.
The ‘quick-pitch competition’ will feature entrepreneurs and new ventures competing for cash prizes by giving a three-minute presentation of their innovative business proposal to a panel of judges comprised of local investors and business professionals. SPARK aims to bridge the gap between investors, businesses, and entrepreneurs.
The Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the City’s Office of Communications, Marketing and Economic Development SPARK Hollywood events are designed to support and grow entrepreneurship in our City. Finalists will present the day of the SPARK Pitch Competition in person on May 26.
If you have the next great idea or business apply today! Applications must be submitted by April 14, 2022. For more information, visit: www.sparkhollywoodfl.com
Apply: https://airtable.com/shrWQ1axdKwUiGguc |
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Apply Now! Jim Moran Institute Small Business & Nonprofit Executive ProgramsApply now for the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurships' 2022 Fall programs in Broward County and gain the clarity and knowledge to turn challenges into opportunities. The training is only two days a month and there is no cost.
Invest in yourself and plan the next chapter of your business! Learn More.
Application deadline: March 31
Apply here |
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Are You Ready to Scale Your Business?
Miami Dade College in partnership with the TD Bank Charitable Foundation is launching its 7th Cohort of Scale Up Miami. Scale Up Miami is a program designed to support small business owners with growth. The 12-week experimental business program will help guide small business owners to tackle their daily challenges in all the areas of operations including leadership, marketing, finance and strategy. Learn more
Deadline to Apply: April 1
• Program: April 19th to June 30th 2022
• Length: 12-weeks
• Format: Hybrid (Online & In-person)
• Requirements: Business located in Miami Dade or Broward County | At least 6 months of business operations | Annual revenue between $50,00 and $150,000
Apply: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/applicationscaleupc7
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Complimentary Invitation LGBT+ Roundtable with GFLGLCC, the SBA, and EEOC
The Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce, along with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Miami District, and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), South Florida District, is pleased to host a roundtable discussion. Join to discuss protections against discrimination in the workplace, the business equality movement, and the resources that are available to help your small business prosper in 2022!
Roundtable Participants: - Keith Blackburn, President/CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce
- Miguel Escobar, EEOC Miami District Office Enforcement Manager
- Althea Harris, SBA South Florida District Office Deputy District Director
PLEASE NOTE:
Advance registration is required for this complimentary event. Please click here to register.
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Want to Get Your Exclusive Dining, Shopping, Attractions and Services Offers in Front of Visitors and Residents?Visit Lauderdale, in partnership with TravelHost of Greater Fort Lauderdale, has announced their 20th annual 2022/2023 Pocket Saver, which will also include LauderDeals. Pocket Saver will feature exclusive dining, shopping, attractions and services offers.
This handy, pocket-sized print guide and map offers valuable incentives. Participants can showcase their establishments in half-page and full-page ads. Please note that Visit Lauderdale’s annual LauderDeals program remains FREE for you to sign up and register your deals.
The pocket guide and map is a paid enhancement offered exclusively by TravelHost to help you increase the reach of your LauderDeals offers or other deals. There is no requirement to put a “deal” in your advertising message.
For more information, contact Ina Lee at (954) 463-4733. |
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Walmart’s 9th Annual Open Call Application Period is Open for All Entrepreneurs with Products Made, Grown or Assembled in the U.S.Small business owners and entrepreneurs with a dream of selling their U.S. made, grown or assembled products to millions of customers now have their chance. In addition to sourcing new products, Open Call also aims to expand work the retailer is already doing with current online sellers.
Applications for the two-day hybrid event will be accepted through April 8.
Applicants who receive a one-on-one product pitch meeting invitation will be given 30 minutes to showcase to Walmart and/or Sam’s Club merchants why their product and business should join the Walmart family. Entrepreneurs can secure deals ranging from supplying products to a handful of local stores to supplying hundreds of Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs as well as Walmart.com.
In addition to the product pitch meetings, Open Call includes breakout sessions featuring Walmart and Sam’s Club leaders and special guests to provide suppliers and sellers with valuable insights and to offer additional resources available.
Businesses wishing to apply for this year’s Open Call event can apply here. Anyone wishing to learn more about becoming a Walmart Marketplace seller can click here. |
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Available Grants and/or Loans and Credit Program |
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Paycheck Protection Program borrowers: If your loan is $150,000 or less, you may be eligible to apply for direct forgiveness through the SBA, using their online portal. Follow the steps below. 1. Find out if your lender is participating. 2. Watch a video about how to use the portal. 3. Apply for forgiveness.
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Women, Minority & Veteran Certification It’s no myth…women, minority and veteran certification could present opportunities for your business. But there is a process to becoming certified. In this class, you will learn how to complete the State of Florida certification application and discover how you can use it to seek business with the private sector and government.
Tuesday, March 29 • 10AM • Webinar • Free • Register Here
Sell Online with Google's E-Commerce Tools
Learn about some of the best (and free!) ways to sell your products on Google, even if you don’t have an e-commerce website. In this presentation, you’ll get an overview of how to promote your products on Google for free.
Topics covered::
- How to showcase your products on your Business Profile on Google Search and Maps.
- An introduction to the Google Merchant Center. That helps you showcase your products on Google for free.
- How to create a “product feed” so you can showcase a number of products on Google as well as e-commerce platforms like Shopify.
Tuesday, March 29 • 1PM • Webinar • Free • Register Here
Quickbooks Desktop for Small Business
Keep track of what is going on...this is not just an accounting tool, it can help you run your business All you need to know about managing customers, selling goods & services, recording expenses, and creating reports. This workshop gives you an overview of QuickBooks to avoid common mistakes and potentially wasted effort and time. If you already have QuickBooks, learn the basics: invoice customers, track receivables and receive payments, enter and pay vendor bills, receive and monitor inventory, reconcile accounts, and prepare financial statements.
Tuesday, March 29 • 6PM • Webinar • Free • Register Here
HR Series – Getting Things Done in The Gig Economy Today’s entrepreneurs have immediate access to unlimited skills and some of the best minds on the planet - yet most make little use of this. Contracted work sites like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer.com allow you to outsource parts of your projects for less, while popular information-sharing crowdsourcing sites like Quora allow access to professionals in many fields, from Law to Technology, often at no cost. This facilitates entrepreneurs to bootstrap their businesses and turn dreams into reality. Wednesday, March 30 • 12PM • Webinar • Free • Register Here
Business Finance De-Mystified If you're looking for an easy-to-understand introduction to business finance concepts, this is the workshop for you! Even if you have no prior experience with financial statements, we'll use plain English, simple examples and pictures in a way that will allow you to better understand: - the difference between an Income Statement and a Balance Sheet
- how those documents can help you manage your business and make it more profitable
- tools you can use to keep track of how your business is doing.
Thursday, March 31 • 6PM • Webinar • Free • Register Here
Women's Business Summit
In celebration of Women’s History Month, join the SBA's Office of Women’s Business Ownership and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center for the virtual Women’s Business Summit on March 29-30, 2022. The free event will include power-packed panels, inspirational fireside chats, and 'Ask an Expert' workshops to help you build, scale, and grow your business. Panels and discussion topics include: - Innovation and Investment
- Building an Equitable Recovery Framework for Women Entrepreneurs
- From Essential Worker to Essential Entrepreneur: CARE Economy Entrepreneurship Opportunities
- The $100B Marketplace: Contracting Opportunities for Women-led Firms
- Exporting & E-Commerce
- The Changing Landscape for Entertainment and Hospitality Industries
Tuesday, March 29 - March 30 • 11:30AM - 5:00PM • Webinar • Free
Register Here
Small, Minority & Women Owned Business Workshop
Grow your business with the city, state, and other agencies. Become certified as a Minority-and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (EBE) Locally-based Business Enterprise (LBE). Companies that become certified obtain greater access to contracting opportunities with government and private corporations. Learn about the benefits of certification.
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Noise Regulations
Now in EffectEffective June 1st, select Hollywood businesses must have a Noise Level Detection Device installed. Learn more about the new rules in effect for residents, business owners, and vacation rental property owners HERE.
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