LLSA Small Business Awards

Small Business o f t h e y e a r aw a r d s

The Observer LONGBOAT

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Th u r s d a y, JU NE 24, 2010

{ 11 E MPLOYEES OR MORE }

Beth Callans Management Corp.

Robin Hartill

Beth Callans, founder of Beth Callans Management Corp.

WI NNER In December 1998, Beth Callans Management Corp. consisted of just Callans and one assistant working out of the Northern Trust Bank building, on Longboat Key. After 10 years of working for other local

property-management firms, Callans had decided to start her own business. The early days were quiet, and Callans spent her time writing letters to let people know about the new venture. Eventually, she landed her first client, Portobello Condominium Association.

Eleven-and-a-half years later, Beth Callans Management Corp. is still managing Portobello — that and another 85 residential homeowner associations, condominiums, resorts and commercial properties, most of which are on Longboat Key. She has nearly 200 employees and

{ INS IDE } Ω Read winners’ and finalists’ profiles

total revenues of $8.4 million in 2009.

“It’s been 11 years of building,” Callans says.

Looking back on the early days

S ee CALLA

NS page 3

S ma l l Bu s ines s of th e Yea r A WARDS Ω View a collage of snapshots from the week’s Hob Nob event, seminars and awards breakfast

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Small Business Awards

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{ 11 o r m o r e e mpl o y e e s }

Cornerstone Solutions Group FINALIST

Pam Lutz’s secret to success: Get to know your customers.

As business/marketing director at the Bradenton office of Cornerstone Solutions Group, Lutz knows that her clients need landscaping and maintenance services. Even in a slow economy, they count on these services, because they help maintain property values. But for Lutz, that’s not enough.

“It’s not just a job,” Lutz said.

“It’s really important to us that people feel valued.”

Cornerstone’s focus on personal relationships is, in part, what drew Lutz to the company.

In October 2008, she gave up her job as executive assistant with the West Florida Chapter of the Community Associations Institute to care for her grandchildren after her son-in-law became ill. When she resigned, Lutz sent out an e-mail to the companies she had worked with, letting them know about the

situation. Cornerstone employees stayed in contact with her.

Fortunately, Lutz’s son-in-law recovered quickly. In December 2008, she was hired by Cornerstone, which had opened its Bradenton office earlier that year.

For Lutz, the biggest challenge of the job has been building local name recognition for the company. Cornerstone has offices in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach, but the Bradenton office is the newest.

But so far, the company has succeeded in building its reputation, in part because of that emphasis on personal relationships. In just two years, the branch has grown from just seven full-time employees and one part-time employee to a staff of more than 35. Business has increased by 100% in the past two years. And Lutz sees success for the company in the coming year.

“I see business continuing to grow and possibly even doubling in the next year,” she says.

— Robin Hartill

BU SINE SS BASIC S Lo c atio n: 2712 63rd Ave. E., Bradenton Star t date : Early 2008 Nu mb e r o f e mp loye e s w h e n star te d :

Seven full-time, one part-time

Nu mb e r o f e mp loye e s to day: More than

35

Adv ic e : Getting to know your customers and your base is very important.

Big g e st c h alle ng e :

Getting Cornerstone’s name out as a newcomer to the area.

W h e r e d o y o u se e YOUR bu sine ss o ne y e ar fr o m now ?

Continuing to grow and possibly even doubling within the next year.

Robin Hartill

Pam Lutz is the business and marketing director of Cornerstone Solutions Group’s Bradenton office.

Congratulations Small Business of the Year 2010 Award Winners and Nominees Welcome to the Winners Circle!

SPECIALIZING IN Service, Repair & Remodeling

IC R T C E L E MILLER from all of u 09 ank yo20 Y!EAR ctric

42541

Th EOlFe THE r e S l S l i E N I S LL aBtUM As SMu

941.383.1008 | MillerElectricFL.com

Experienced Staff | Locally Owned | Family Run Business

MILLER ELECTRIC Office@MillerElectricFL.com

LIC# EC13003233

JUNE 2010 CA LLAN S from page 1 of the business, Callans admits that she tended to micromanage. But in 2007, with the help of a management consultant, she began to delegate responsibilities to top employees and created a detailed manual of policies and procedures for employees to consult. As a result, she learned to take advantage of her greatest resource.

“My employees are my greatest asset,” Callans says.

Callans’ employees have helped their clients weather the recession by controlling costs for the associations. Staff members have worked together to control inventory so that they don’t pass on costs to clients, and the only cost increases the company has passed on to clients have been from tax increases.

A “Green Team,” consisting of staff members, helps communities reduce trash and recycling costs by using environmentally friendly products. And the

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company isn’t just succeeding in spite of the recession, but also, in part, because of it. Callans used the economic downturn to hire talented property managers and contractors who were out of work.

In the next year, Beth Callans Management will continue to expand its green projects and its new resort-and- projectmanagement services that help with older buildings in need of capital repairs.

As for Callans, she plans to continue her increased community involvement, something that trusting in her employees has allowed her to do. She is involved in non-profit organizations, such as the Wellness Community of Southwest Florida Inc. and the New College Foundation and was recently elected to the board of trustees for the YMCA Foundation of Sarasota.

Another recent development: After years of making a 45-minute drive to work each day, Callans has moved to Longboat Key. — Robin Hartill

Small Business Awards 3

BU SINE SS BA SIC S Lo c a t i o n : 595 Bay

Isles Road

St a r t da t e : December

1998

N u mb e r o f e mp loye e s w h e n st a r t e d :

One

N u mb e r o f e mp loye e s t o da y: Nearly 200 A dv i c e : Empower your

employees.

B i g g e st c h a lle n g e :

Trying to control costs for the associations. The company didn’t pass on any management costs to associations over the past year that didn’t come from taxes, so staff members looked for ways to reduce overhead.

W h e r e d o y o u se e t h e bu si n e ss o n e y e a r f ROM NOW ?

Expanding the company’s green projects and its new resort-andproject-management services that help with older buildings in need of capital repairs.

Robin Hartill

Beth C allans stands outside of her company’s headquarters at Mediterranean Plaza.

It’s All About You! At Edgewater Contractors, we realize nothing is more important than making our clients proud. That’s why every project we construct is done with your dream in mind. From custom kitchens and luxurious baths to dreamy bedrooms and inviting living spaces, we don’t just remodel a room, we create a work of art.

Thank you to all of our wonderful clients! We look forward to serving you for many years to come.

CGC1509190

Sarasota-Manatee • Remodeling & New Construction • Condo & Residential • www.EdgewaterContractors.com • 941.809.4835

CGC1509190

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{ 10 EMPLOYEES OR FEWER }

Steve’s Fitness WINNER

Maria Amodio

S teve S chewe, owner of Steve’s Fitness

In an industry where trainers often follow a “nopain, no-gain” approach to fitness, Steve Schewe has a different mantra — “No pain, period.”

“You don’t need to cause pain to cause positive effect,” says Schewe, a certified personal trainer and the owner of Steve’s Fitness.

Instead, Schewe focuses on total body health by addressing the three facets of fitness: flexibility, nutrition and exercise.

“I conduct a full health history upon meeting someone and design an exercise prescription to meet their specific needs,” says Schewe.

Schewe prescribed one such plan two years ago, when he took on a client with a condition of decreased bone density known as osteopenia.

The client’s doctor told him he would have osteoporosis within a year, but after working with Schewe the man went back to his doctor not only osteoporosisfree, but he had also gotten rid of the osteopenia.

Schewe has an education in personal training from UCLA, which gives him an edge on his competition.

He also has the benefit of a lifetime of experience — 35 years, to be exact.

The former cross-country runner got into bodybuilding in Los Angeles in the early ’70s, when he trained at the original Gold’s Gym in Santa Monica alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.

By the late ’70s, Schewe realized that the fitness industry was heading into the home and got into personal training.

Schewe became one of the first personal trainers in the nation when he got

his certification through the Health and Tennis Corp. of America (now Bally’s Total Fitness) in 1978.

After 30 years as a personal trainer in Los Angeles, Schewe moved to Sarasota in 2006. He had so many clients back in L.A. that he had to find three separate personal trainers to take them all after he left.

Schewe works with many clients in their own homes or at his in-home gym on Anna Maria Island. The trainer also recently associated with Your Fitness Instructor, an exercise facility that opened this past January on Longboat Key. “This facility allows me to train more people because there’s no travel time back and forth,” says Schewe.

“I can help more people now and that’s what it’s all about, causing positive effect in people’s lives.”

—Maria Amodio

BUS INESS BAS ICS Ad d res s : 20 Ave. of the

Flowers, Longboat Key

S t art Dat e: 1982 (came

to Sarasota in 2006)

Nu mb er o f emp l oy ees wh en s t art ed : One Nu mb er o f emp l oy ees now: One Adv ic e: Learn about each client and design a unique routine based upon their health history and their goals.

Big g es t c h al l eng e:

Not having enough time Wh ere d o y o u s ee y o u r bu s ines s O NE y ear f ro m now? When

season starts up again in October I’ll be extremely busy. Eventually, I would like to write a book.

Congratulations

from one successful small business to another of North Sarasota WATER – FIRE – MOLD

Jeff and Monique Vermillion independently owned and operated

941-365-4614

6341 Porter Rd., Suite 14 Sarasota, FL 34240

www.Servproofnorthsarasota.com

42444

of North Sarasota

42488

Congratulations To the Winners, Nominees & Finalists In All Categories for

JUNE 2010

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Small Business Awards 5

{ 10 OR FEWER em pl oy ees }

Principal Financial Group La Playa Condominiums FINALIST Rhonda Coblentz approaches financial planning the same way she trains for a marathon — with extensive preparation and one step at a time.

“The sooner you get started training and saving, the better,” says Coblentz. “Retirement may seem like it’s far away, but like running a race, if you wait until the last minute and try to do it all at once, you run the risk of injury.”

As a financial professional with the Principal Financial Group, Coblentz works with clients to help them make smart financial decisions in the present in order to succeed in the future. Her client base extends as far north as Tampa and as far south as Fort Myers, with a primary focus in Sarasota and Hillsborough counties.

The athlete draws another fitness parallel when describing the services she provides her clients, which include everything from risk-management products, such as life insurance, to wealth-accumulation products, such as mutual funds.

“It’s a very individualized process, sort of like a personal trainer,” says Coblentz. “The key is determining what your client’s need is in order to form the best strategy. A personal trainer knows how to tune into what your specific needs are, and, ultimately, that’s why people hire a professional.

They know how to get results.

“Short of who a person decides to marry or spiritual beliefs, the decisions people make about money are the most important decisions they make in life,” says Coblentz.

—Maria Amodio

FINALIST

Maria Amodio

R honda C oblentz, of Principal Financial Group

BUSINESS BASICS Addr e s s : 4010 Boy Scout Blvd.,Tampa S t ar t Dat e : 2008 Nu mbe r of e mpl oy e e s w h e n s t ar t e d: One Nu mbe r of e mpl oy e e s now : One Adv ic e : You owe it to your-

self to seek out a professional for an integrated wealth strategy

W h e r e do you s e e you r bu s ine s s ONE y e ar f r om now ? I hope to bring on one

or two assistants.

While many businesses were suffering financially, 2009 was La Playa Condominiums’ most successful year to date.

The secret, says Manager Dick O’Dowd, is continuity.

“Our guests have been coming here for years,” says O’Dowd. “Some of them have been coming every weekend since the place was built in 1971.

It’s small, homey and people just love it here.”

The 21-unit luxury condominium association boasts an impressive 95% return rate among clients.

O’Dowd, who became the on-site manager at La Playa in 2005, says it’s the little things that make a big difference in improving their guests’ experience.

O’Dowd is constantly searching for ways to

make each guest’s stay better than the last, whether it’s equipping the resort with wireless Internet or planting an herb garden for guests to enjoy when cooking.

“My motto is: don’t compete, create,” says O’Dowd.

One of the resort’s most unique and popular features is its oversized outdoor chess set, which guests can play while soaking up the sun on the resort’s 200-foot stretch of private beach.

O’Dowd suggested that La Playa’s board of directors add the option of three-day rentals for their guests.

“We wanted to change with the times,” says O’Dowd. “If you’re out on the ocean and the wind changes, you’d better change your sail. It’s that type of flexibility that makes us unique.”

—Maria Amodio

Maria Amodio

Dick O’Dowd, on-site manager of La Playa Condominiums

BUSINESS BASICS Addr e s s : 4425 Gulf of

Mexico Drive, Longboat Key

S t ar t dat e : May 1974 Nu mbe r of e mpl oy e e s w h e n s t ar t e d: One Nu mbe r of e mpl oy e e s now : Three Adv ic e : Understand who

your boss is. My belief is that the customer is always the boss, period.

W h e r e do you s e e you r bu s ine s s ONE y e ar f r om now ? Growing.

Longboat Ace Hardware

We want to congratulate all the WINNERS AND NOMINEES for

2010 SMALL BUSINESS WEEK AWARDS

4030 Gulf of Mexico Dr. • Longboat Key • 383.1313 Open…

Mon. - Sat. 9 - 5 • Sun. 10 - 4 HOLMES BEACH HARDWARE 3352 East Bay Dr. • Holmes Beach, FL • 778.0999

42487

t a r g Con

i t lu a

! s n o

Small Business Awards

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{ 10 OR FEWER em pl oy ees }

Servpro of North Sarasota

Joy ... Beyond Freedom

FI NALIST Sara Hand was driving over the Howard Franklin Bridge early one morning in 2006, when she had a shocking realization.

“I was on my way to a conference and I suddenly thought, ‘I’m not breathing,’” says Hand.

“I began to ask myself, ‘What do I really want to do?’”

Hand was working as vice president of sales and marketing for a disaster-recovery company at the time.

“I spent some time figuring out what I like to do best, and that’s seeing people’s lives change,” says Hand.

Hand, who has a master’s degree in clinical Christian counseling, began writing a newsletter entitled, Joy …

Beyond Freedom. A year later, she launched

her career as a perspective coach by starting a business under the same name.

“I work with people who have great goals and plans, but they’re not sure how to get there,” says Hand. “I help them formulate a plan and stay on track.”

The perspective coach says that one of the biggest issues her clients face is breaking down their ultimate goals.

“Instead of just saying you’re going to write a book, start with a blog post, a short story or even a list of titles,” says Hand.

Hand says that of all the tools and guidance she provides for her clients, some of the best advice comes from what she’s learned in her own life: “Sometimes you just need to take a break, stop and breathe.”

— Maria Amodio

FINALIST Most of the clients who call Servpro of North Sarasota are in a state of panic. They’ve just experienced a flood or a fire and they’re worried about their home or business, so one of the first thing that owners Jeff and Monique Vermillion teach their employees is the importance of customer service.

“We train our employees to be like psychologists,” says Jeff Vermillion.

“Sometimes people call us in tears. You have to stay calm and make the process as easy as possible for them.”

Servpro of North Sarasota handles cleanup and restoration after fires, floods and mold damage in residential and commercial buildings. Jeff and Monique

Maria Amodio

S ara H and, owner and founder of Joy … Beyond Freedom

BUSINESS BASICS Ad d r e s s : 2344 Bee Ridge

Road, Suite 115, Sarasota

S t ar t Dat e : 2007 Nu mb e r o f e mp l oy e e s w h e n s t ar t e d : One Nu mb e r o f e mp l oy e e s now : One Adv i c e : Be aware that life is all about choices.

W h e r e do you s e e y o u r bu s i ne s s O NE y e ar f r o m now ? More

grounded and maybe with a couple more employees.

Congratulations to the winners & nominees

Vermillion bought the franchise in 2004, after seeing the success of Jeff’s brother, who owns a Servpro in Cape Coral.

The North Sarasota franchise is one of more than 1,500 Servpros throughout the United States; 105 are located in Florida. Vermillion says that being a small business that is part of a larger organization is the best of both worlds for a business owner.

Forward movement and constant improvement are two things that the Vermilions strive for in their business.

“You always have to try and do better each week, each month, each year,” says Vermillion.

“You can’t just sit still.

You always have to be evolving and looking toward the future.”

— Maria Amodio

Maria Amodio

Monique and Jeff Vermillion, co-owners of Servpro of North Sarasota

BUSINESS BASICS Addr e s s : 6341 Porter Road,

Sarasota

S t ar t dat e : August 2004 Nu mbe r of E mpl oy e e s w h e n s t ar t e d: Eight Nu mbe r of e mpl oy e e s now : Nine Adv ic e : Really be in tune with your business. Some people get out of touch with business because they have other people running it for them.

W h e r e do you s e e you r bu s ine s s ONE y e ar f r om now ? We’d like to grow

another 15% by next year.

UPSIDE DOWN?

in each category of the 2010 Small Business of the Year Award.

From the 1994 Winners...

The Area’s Leading Certified Short Sale and Foreclosure Specialist is Here to Help You. Call for your comprehensive and confidential real estate consultation today.

Andrew Bers

Ethna & Chris Lynch

941.383.2550 | andrew@andrewbers.com 42280

941-388-5550

19 B N. Blvd. of Presidents • St. Armands Circle

42282

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Small Business Awards 7

{ r o o k ie b u s in e s s }

Edgewater Contractors Inc. WINNER Jay Anderson learned the construction business from his father, Walter Anderson, who owned a Kansas City, Mo., construction company. Beginning at age 19, he sweated through the summers hauling 80-pound concrete forms off trucks.

“He tried to work me to death so that I wouldn’t go into the construction business,” Anderson jokes.

But the younger Anderson didn’t take that lesson to heart.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in construction. About 10 years ago, he moved to Florida and almost immediately went to work for a Longboat Key contractor.

Then, after more than six years with that company, Anderson founded Edgewater Contractors Inc., a full-service general contractor/construction management company. But Anderson did learn one lesson from his father that he has carried with him in the business.

“He taught me to be honest with everybody, whether it’s good or bad,” Anderson says.

Anderson admits that mid2008 wasn’t the easiest time to start a business. His company focuses almost exclusively on Longboat Key and also does work on Lido, St. Armands and Bird keys, an area that he said has become more crowded with contractors in recent years.

Anderson has also focused on keeping overhead low, something that he has been in a good position to do by working out of his home and having just two employees. He also uses the same subcontractors for projects that, after evaluating them, he found to offer the best value.

And he has distinguished himself by laying out expectations with clients, focusing on the preconstruction process as well as the construction itself.

“You don’t look very good when you tell someone you can do something and you can’t see it through,” he says.

BU SINESS BA SIC S Lo c a t io n: Home-based Bradenton office, but the business serves primarily Longboat and its surrounding keys.

St a rt da t e: May 2008 Nu mb er o f emp loyees wh en st a rt ed :

Two

Nu mb er o f emp loyees t o da y: Two A dv ic e: Treat every project as though it was your own.

Big g est c h a lleng e:

Putting the details of a project together and staying in communication with homeowners who are usually out of town.

Jay A nderson, founder of Edgewater Contractors Inc. Throughout projects, he keeps clients up-to-date even when they’re thousands of miles away by e-mailing progress photos so they can keep tabs on construction. The end result? Well, just look at this testimony from a couple who were in Connecticut

Robin Hartill

while their Longboat Key home was renovated.

“Thank you for approaching this project as if it were your home,” they wrote. “You have helped us make this house our home.”

— Robin Hartill

Wh ere d o y o u see y o u r bu siness o ne y ea r F ROM NOW? Con-

tinuing to grow on Longboat Key and become the premier contractor on Longboat Key.

Beth Callans ManageMent Corp.

“Meeting and Exceeding Clients’ Expectations Since 1998”

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, RESORT AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Administrative • Consulting Financial • Project Management Maintenance • Access Control (941) 387-3442 • (941) 387-8883 fax

595 Bay Isles Road, Suite 200 Longboat Key, FL 34228 • www.bethcallansmanagement.com

42455

Beth Callans

Small Business Awards

JUNE 2010

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{ ROOKIE b u s in es s }

Stephanie Dubsky Photography

Secur-All Insurance

FINALIST The competition is bigger.

Secur-All Insurance Longboat Key branch owners George and Sandra Ceshker don’t deny that fact.

“The competition is intense,” George Ceshker says. “There’s a lot of bigname competition, and for a new guy to come in and try and compete, it’s a challenge.”

But although owning a small company was a hurdle for the Ceshkers, it has also turned out to be an asset.

“When you call here, you’re talking to us,” George Ceshker says.

Just a few years ago, neither Ceshker could have imagined sitting side-by-side together selling insurance. For most of his life, George Ceshker’s office was a cockpit, having worked

as a commercial pilot since age 23 and later as a private pilot for the Rev. Paula White, pastor at Without Walls International Church, in Tampa.

Sandra Ceshker’s career had included work in retail and property management before she became a tennis coordinator on Longboat Key. Her parents ran an insurance business, and her brother, Adam Smith, followed them into the business. When Without Walls International Church went into bankruptcy in 2008, the idea of opening an insurance branch began to appeal to both Ceshkers.

“We establish relationships with our clients so that they can make the best financial decisions throughout their lifetimes,” Sandra Ceshker says.

— Robin Hartill

FINALIST Stephanie Dubsky was born in Sarasota to a circus family that performed and traveled around the country. Her first job was as a trapeze artist, although she also pursued her passion for photography, taking pictures for the circus’ commercial materials.

After Sept. 11, business decreased, and the family closed its business. Dubsky left the trapeze behind and began to work as a professional photographer. She did freelance work before establishing Stephanie Dubsky Photography in October 2007.

Dubsky does engagement and wedding photos, along with professional portraits and headshots. But her favorites are family beach

Robin Hartill

Branch manager/agent George C eshker and office manager/agent Sandra C eshker

BU SINE SS BASIC S Ad d r e ss: 4134 Gulf of

Mexico Drive

Star t date : June 2009 Nu mb e r o f e mp loy e e s w h e n star te d : Two Nu mb e r o f e mp loy e e s to day: Two Adv ic e : “Be honest, work

hard, do your job with due diligence and you will be rewarded,” George Ceshker says.

Jim and Jimmy Seaton Congratulate the Winners and Nominees for Longboat - Lido - St. Armands Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year 2010 Awards

portraits. She’s a regular at sunset on Siesta Beach, where she can often be seen snapping away.

“I really love working with people,” Dubsky says.

“In the circus, I was surrounded by people and happiness. With photography, it’s the same thing.

I love the family dynamic.”

Dubsky currently contracts with an album designer and another photographer. But over the next year, she hopes to increase business and hire a full-time Photoshop retoucher and another fulltime photographer.

And Dubsky could once again find herself working in a family business.

Her 17-year-old daughter, Julia, is learning Photoshop re-touching and is considering getting into the photography business as well.

— Robin Hartill

Robin Hartill

Stephanie Dubsky

BU SINE SS BASIC S Lo c ate d : DeSoto

Road in Sarasota, by appointment

Star t date : October

2007; prior to that, Dubsky did freelance photography.

Nu mb e r o f e mp loye e s w h e n star te d :

One

Nu mb e r o f e mp loye e s to day: Dubsky

works with two contractors.

Adv ic e : Learn photography itself inside and out before going into the business. Educate yourself and always update yourself.

HCPTC #231

The LLSA Chamber of Commerce has made positive strides this year in supporting local businesses. Thank you Chamber and congratulations to this year’s award winners.

Blue Dolphin Cafe Rookie Small Business Person of The Year 1999 383-3787

in The Centre Shops Longboat Key

383-3787

St. Armands Circle

"1994 Rookie Small Business of the Year Award Winner"

(941)

383-1235

42286

1-800-525-4661 www.longboatlimousine.com

42484

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Small Business Awards 9

{ ROOKIE BUSINESS }

Save Our Seabirds FINA LI ST Bird rescue isn’t a job for Save Our Seabirds Inc. Executive Director Lee Fox. Fox arrives at the City Island facility after commuting from her Wimauma home before 6 a.m. most days. When she returns home in the evening, there are usually injured birds that have been dropped off waiting for her.

“It’s a passion,” Fox says.

Fox began doing volunteer bird-rescue work in 1987, because her children were grown. In 1990, she founded Save Our Seabirds and opened a facility in St. Petersburg and later moved the facility to Wimauma. But she longed for a facility that could be open to the public and used for

education.

In 2007 she approached the city of Sarasota about the old Pelican Man’s Bird Sanctuary, approximately six months after it had closed. It took a year-and-a-half and five meetings with Sarasota officials. But, finally, on Oct. 15, 2008, the facility’s first residents arrived, and on Nov. 1, 2008, Save Our Seabirds Inc. was officially open to the public.

Fox and her staff of 13 who manage the daily operations of Save Our Seabirds could have a big challenge ahead: Fox and her staff members have been on 24-hour standby since April, when the BP oil spill occurred, and could be deployed to lead wildlife rescue efforts in Florida.

— Robin Hartill

Congratulations

Robin Hartill

Lee F ox, executive director of Save Our Seabirds

To All of the

BU SINE SS BA SIC S Lo c a t i o n : 1708 Ken

Winners, Finalists

Thompson Parkway

The Things and Nominees You DON’T See the 2010 Are TheforMost Small Business Important…

St a r t da t e : Nov. 1, 2008 N u mb e r o f e mp loy e e s w h e n st a r t e d : Two N u mb e r o f e mp loy e e s t o da y: 13 A dv i c e : Learn as much as

you can about the nonprofit you’re interested in, and find out what you need to accomplish it.

of the Year • Companionship • Transportation • Post Hospitalization Care • Shopping, Errands • Light Housekeeping • Mental Health Support • Dementia Care • Medication Reminders

In Home Companion Services

Awards!

Congratulations

2010

Small Business Nominees andWinners

25 Years of Scaling and Clogging

941-383-2466 CIPP (Cured

A Cleaned CastGulf Iron Pipeof 5570

In PlaceDrive Pipe) Mexico lonGboat Key, fl 34228

Locally Owned & Operated 19 Years Experience

941-925-2433 42542

2009 Rookie Business of the Year Nominee

www.abridgeforindependence.com FL License 230517

800.849.4610 www.sleuthpt.com

FIX

CFC58001

Don’t Speculate...

Investigate!

42480

Kimberly Stanford - RN, BSBA, QMHP

10

Small Business Awards

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ENTERPRISING EVENTS by Robin Hartill and Stephanie Hannum | Observer Staff

LLSA Chamber holds big week for small businesses Who said you can’t mix business with pleasure? The Longboat Key, Lido Key, St. Armands Key Chamber of Commerce did just that during the 11th annual Small Business Week, held from June 14 through June 17.

The week kicked off with the Business After Hours “Hob Nob” Monday, June 14, at Sarasota Yacht Club, and continued with two days of seminars held at the Longboat Key Club and Resort. The grand finale was the Small Business of the Year Awards Breakfast Thursday, June 17, at Holiday Inn Lido Beach.

James Maslen, Dan Jasmer and Allen Hovis at the Business After Hours “Hob Nob.”

Photos by Robin Hartill and Stephanie Hannum

Anita Comisky and Jeremy Bradshaw at the Business After Hours “Hob Nob” Monday, June 14, at Sarasota Yacht Club.

Dick O’Dowd and Nick Luman at Andrew Vac’s “Working a Room: How to Maximize Your Meet & Greet Effectiveness” seminar Tuesday, June 15, at the Longboat Key Club and Resort.

Norm Mallard, Kimberly Stanford and Shelia Lewis at the “Working a Room” seminar.

Salute to the Builders of Business Business historian Richard Tedlow describes the seven entrepreneurs below as America’s “Giants of Enterprise.” Tedlow wrote that they were “all risk takers, innovators, experimenters. They were all more hungry for success than they were afraid of failure. They all had the courage to change not only when things were going badly but, and this is much more difficult, when things were going well.”

In the spirit of these “Giants of Enterprise,” we congratulate the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Person of the Year winners and finalists. In the tradition of the Giants of Enterprise, the Small Business winners and finalists are doing what Tedlow says Americans do best — “founding and building businesses.”

We salute your courage, conviction and character.

George Eastman founder of Eastman Kodak

Thomas J. Watson Sr. Andrew Carnegie builder of tycoon/founder of IBM Carnegie Steel

Robert Noyce co-founder of Intel

Sam Walton founder of Wal-Mart

Charles Revson founder of Revlon

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Henry Ford founder of Ford Motor Co.

JUNE 2010

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Sally Daisomont, Tom Aposporos and Mary Ann Frees at the Business After Hours “Hob Nob.”

Small Business of the Year award finalists Rhonda Coblentz and Sara Hand at the Small Business of the Year Awards Breakfast Thursday, June 17, at Holiday Inn Lido Beach.

Cal Bonnett, Rookie Small Business of the Year Award winner Michael Riter and Kimberly Ross, Ross Riter Marketing, spoke Jay Anderson, of Edgewater Contractors Inc., and Small Busiat the “Getting the Word Out: Press Releases, Media and Social ness Council Chairman Dennis Hassell at the Small Business of Marketing” seminar Tuesday, June 15, at the Longboat Key Club and the Year Awards Breakfast.

Resort.

Thank you to the

FLORIDA VACATION CONNECTION

LONGBOAT KEY • LIDO KEY • ST. ARMANDS KEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

from

Congratulations

for supporting and encouraging Longboat Key businesses for 52 years. Stay strong!

Supporting member of the Longboat Key Chamber for 53 years!

Longboat Key, Lido Key, St. Armands Key Chamber of Commerce

Small Business Week 2010

Cannons.com 383-1311

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* 1995 Rookie of the Year and or visit us on

Winners and Nominees for the

6040 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key Open 7 days a week, 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

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COMPETITIVE • QUALITY • COMMITMENT SINCE 1955

Jan Jordan & Michele Knuese, Principals

* 1999 Small Business of the Year

3720 Gulf of Mexico Dr. • Longboat Key 941.387.9709 Toll Free 877.705.2460 www.flvacationconnection.com

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Pam Lutz and David Swain at the seminars Tuesday, June 15, at the Longboat Key Club and Resort.

Beth Callans, Marnie Matarese and Peg McQuade at the Business After Hours “Hob Nob.”

Small Business Awards 11

12

Small Business Awards

JUNE 2010

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ALL HERE. ALL YOURS. ALL ASHORE. Located at Latitude 27º22.36N, Longitude 82º36.96W at ICW Marker 15, Longboat Key Club Moorings is a luxurious, private setting with direct access to Sarasota Bay, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico.

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291 slip, storm-protected marina Nightly, monthly, seasonal and annual dockage available Slips accommodate vessels up to 150’ “Fee simple” slips available for purchase Yacht Club membership available Onsite yacht maintenance and repair service Onsite yacht brokerage services Fuel dock Dockside pump-out service Harbour Master and full-service staff Marina concierge services for all your boating needs Mediterranean Marina Village Deep water entrance channel at -7 MLW

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