Pro-business group seeks to grow profile behind membership surge

Entrepreneurs by nature are individualists with independent streaks and go-it-alone ethics often buttressed by a belief that the only plan needed is a great idea and hard work, and the only connections necessary are with clients and customers. But that same nose-to-the-grindstone obsession can be a tunnel-vision blinder that frequently backfires because, ultimately, passion is not enough and no business — like no individual — is an island.

“A rising tide lifts all ships,” says Chrissanne Long, CEO of Maximize Digital Media in Lakeland. “If we’re going to be successful as small businesses, we have to take responsibility for how we’re going to raise the tide not only for ourselves but for our local economy.”