Aug
29
Journey of a wiki-activist
Filed Under Technology, Trends | Leave a Comment
Shareholder drives an Internet stake into the heart of corporate complacency
by SARA FITZPATRICK
Associate Editor
Time to review and update your investment portfolio. Are you ready? Company prospectus. Check. Stock broker or online investing service. Check. Web cam. Che – What?
Does your portfolio management end at the click of the “Buy” button? With your stock purchase, you’re buying part of a company. As part owner, should you really just sit back and trust the management has your interests at heart? After all, if you own a meager amount of stock, your stake is probably not well represented in the corporate board meeting. And if it’s not, maybe you should do something about it. Perhaps launch a campaign to depose the current corporate leadership. Or nominate yourself for the board. But how to get such a brazen message across?
Aug
29
City votes to keep office going through fiscal 2009
By JESSICA HEHIR
Business Writer
A change in leadership will keep the Economic Development Office of Cape Coral up and running for the time being. In mid August, City Council members voted unanimously to maintain the office for fiscal year 2009. However, the office will be restructured, with City Manager Terry Stewart taking the helm.
The current director, Mike Jackson, accepted an early retirement buy out package he says he could not pass up. After five years with the city, Jackson will leave the EDO by January 1, 2009. As the EDO operates now, the director reports directly to the city manager. This new restructuring will simply eliminate the “middle man” and effectively cut the EDO budget allocated for staff salaries.
Aug
29
EXRT offers customers a royal flush
By BOB MASSEY
Editor
The Queen of England has used Executive Restroom Trailers. So has President Ronald Reagan.
So have celebrities from the world of entertainment – although company founder Tim Haszard can’t say who; he’s bound by non-disclosure contracts. (The Queen is different; she’s a public figure.) Still, he drops a few names off the record – and the list is impressive.
“I’ve done every major celebrity event on the East Coast,” Haszard said.
And he’s not just talking about Florida.
Aug
29
by BOB MASSEY
Editor
What began as one woman’s quest to learn more about her industry has turned into a successful networking group.
Trish Leonard, director of business development for Bonita Springs-based architecture and engineering firm Odle McGuire Shook, said didn’t know much about the profession when she started her job more than a year ago. And the only professional networking organizations were in Fort Myers and Naples.
So she called a colleague and said, “Why don’t we try to find people in the industry around here?”
Thus was born Construction Sales Industry Professionals of Southwest Florida (CSIP).
Aug
29
Financial information is a powerful management tool
Filed Under Business Builders, Editorial & Guest Columns | Leave a Comment
By BILL McCABE
Charlotte DeSoto SCORE Counselor
Financial statements are more than something you use every year to have your taxes done. They should be used as tools for managing your business. By keeping your financial information current you can review it monthly as an aid to running your business. Read more
Aug
29
FGCU forges a technology bridge
Filed Under Economic Development, Technology, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Southwest Florida innovation ambassadors seek to make the world a smaller place
by KATIE ROMANO
Guest Writer
The dollar may be underperforming, but American expertise in information technology (sets us apart from other nations. Better still, Florida Gulf Coast University and Southwest Florida businesses are leading the way.
For the past eight years, FGCU has hosted an IT forum, connecting area experts with MBA students from Würzburg University in Germany.
This year was no different. In July, FGCU’s James Vail, adjunct professor of computer information systems, took charge and assembled a panel of Southwest Florida’s leading technology experts to speak with the group.
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