Contributed Content 
By Sean d’Oliveira As the cruise industry beckons to restart business, Norwegian Cruise Line began taking sales for a new fleet of cruise ships called Prima Class. The new class of ships is the first redesign of its fleet in nearly 10 years, according to the company. “Despite not having sailed in more than a … Read more
By Ian Adair What originally, was thought in the beginning as a temporary separation from office life became a radical transition in our work culture today. After all of the government-imposed lockdowns, curfews, social distancing and quarantines—work became more remote, isolating and, some would say, socially disconnected. The aftermath of this dramatic shift has moved … Read more
By Mary Key, Ph.D. What is influence? The movies often portray influence as making a dramatic speech at the climax of the story (complete with music swelling in the background) or making a killer presentation that convinces everyone in the room they’ve underestimated you. It’s more complex than that. Influencing is a critical competency of … Read more
By Kathy Hargreaves, CPA/CFP/CPC & Dawn Morgan, CPA COVID has been a disrupter for change everywhere and it has permanently altered our expectations about the way physicians, and other providers, approach the delivery of health care. When the virus was recognized as a critical threat, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a mandate which closed, or … Read more
By Susan Mauer, Tampa Bay president, Axiom Bank We are in unprecedented times with how consumers interact with businesses. During 2020, many businesses and offices were required to shut down for an extended time. This forced most businesses to rethink how to serve their customers so as not to lose them to mega online providers. … Read more
By Christy Vogel Congrats! Your business survived the pandemic. Things are going well at your company. Revenue is steady, a niche has been established and you’re ready to take things to the next level. You want to further distinguish your brand from your competitors and grow market share, so you and your leadership team decide … Read more
By Brian Leidel, CPA, CFP, PFS, shareholder with Kerkering, Barberio & Co. On the surface, establishing and operating a law firm seems like any other business: hang a shingle, perform services for clients, bill and collect, pay staff and overhead, and share profits among the owners. However, many important accounting and tax issues need to … Read more
By Tim Coop The coronavirus is not derailing Tampa Bay’s economic growth in 2021. In fact, according to Tampa Bay’s Voice of Architecture Economic Outlook 2021, while other areas of the nation experience a downturn in real estate development-related activity this year, our region is positioned for expansion. The recent survey of Tampa Bay’s architects, … Read more
By Chuck Warrington, executive director, Clearwater Gas System Three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third common sense. This famous Thomas Edison quote is probably the most appropriate quote to describe the “why” behind Clearwater Gas System’s goal to form an ongoing Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West … Read more
By Roxanne Chance-Chin, Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) Officer and Fraud Investigations Manager, The Bank of Tampa Unfortunately, fraud is on the rise. In addition to existing schemes, fraudsters are using the health and economic uncertainties presented by COVID-19 to perpetrate fraud. As a consumer and/or business owner it’s important to be mindful of fraud trends … Read more
