Contributed Content 
By John Flanagan, president and chief executive officer, CareerSource Tampa Bay When our One Stop Operator for CareerSource Tampa Bay, Paul Casebolt, first heard about virtual reality job training plans, he was skeptical. “How realistic can this be if it’s built around a video game-type platform?” he asked. Then, he tried it. After putting on … Read more
By Roxanne Chance-Chin, Bank Secrecy Act Officer and Fraud Investigations Manager at The Bank of Tampa Businesses are tempting targets for fraudsters because they possess a wealth of information and access to capital. As business owners, it’s important to know exactly how to spot and avoid scams, so you can properly protect your assets and … Read more
By John Weatherford, senior vice president, M.E. Wilson Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) are complex transactions that require a great deal of planning, due diligence and execution. One aspect of M&A that is often overlooked is the insurance expense. Insurance plays a crucial role in the success of any M&A transaction and insurance expenses should not … Read more
By Michael Carr The numbers are overwhelming. Currently, the average Major League Baseball, National Football League and National Basketball Association players’ salaries range from $3.26 million to $8.32 million, annually. The average career is 2.7 years for a MLB player, 2.5 years for an NFL player and 4.5 years for an NBA player. Yet, we … Read more
By Dr. Amy Derick Winter in Florida can be brutal on us, and comical to the rest of the country. But we all know what happens once the temperature hits below 70 degrees. The boots and scarves come out and the fire pit gets lit at night. But the natives will tell you to dress … Read more
Yacht Starship Dining Cruises, LLC Troy Manthey, president and CEO & Jill Manthey, vice president of sales & community relations/owners Year won SBOY: 2016 Number of employees: 225 Year business established: 2001 What does your company do? What makes it unique? Yacht Starship Dining Cruises is the largest operator of dining yachts in Florida, with … Read more
By Kevin Gilligan, SBA Lending Director at The Bank of Tampa Thanks to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Small Business Administration (SBA) has become a household name—at least within the business community. In actuality, the SBA offers business owners so much more than the PPP. Since its inception, the SBA’s primary mission has been … Read more
By Sean Marcil, Managing Partner, CirrusTel Businesses are faced with more risk from disastrous events today than any other time in history. Moreover, these risks have evolved to include more points of exposure. The risks are ever-present, and they never stop. “The State of Ransomware and Disaster Preparedness: 2022″ survey identified that of the 79% … Read more
By Brian Carter, CPA The end of the year is nearby, leaving taxpayers only a short window to take financial steps that could alter their 2022 tax situation. By now, you probably have a good idea of where you stand in terms of income and potential tax liability for the year. Even so, it is … Read more
Eric Maier and Courtney Koch, OLDER LUNDY KOCH & MARTINO Pondering how, and when, to ask the love of one’s life, “Will you marry me?” often generates huge anxiety for the proposer; often it can pale in comparison to pondering how, and when, to subsequently ask the same love, “Will you sign a prenuptial agreement?” … Read more
