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Entrepreneurs

  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 16, 2007
A Shark Tale

Jim DePorre turned his personal adversityinto an American success story by balancing risks. He leans more toward taking them.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 16, 2007
Dating Problems? Just Ask April

April Masini wants to be the next Dear Abby. One lesson she learned: Don't confuse the search engines.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 16, 2007
Dollars for Cents

An inside look at how Sarasota governments conducted the sales tax extension campaign with a budget of only $41,900- a budget that did not include manhours.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 16, 2007
Customer Repo

A Sarasota auto-related business hopes to plug up its quarterly and yearly losses by buying a competitor. Big potential brings big risks.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 9, 2007
'Good Golly, Miss Molly'

Larry Thompson, known for overcoming big obstacles in big jobs, has a doozy on his hands: Infusing business principles into an arts-focused college.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 9, 2007
The Hotel Man

Lou Plasencia left brokerage Grubb & Ellis to start his own hotel advisory firm in Tampa in 1993. It now has several offices nationwide.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 9, 2007
Florida 'edupreneurs'

Donald Jones and his family have created and managed schools and career colleges all over Florida. Their formula for success has been based on this basic business tenet: Pay attention to the customer.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 9, 2007
e-Learning Entrepreneurs

Brent and Rachel Fisher have created a company that offers online education to businesses, non-profits and organizations, such as school systems.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 2, 2007
School of Steel

Ralph George transferred his military-trained mind to his business. The result is a textbook-like training ground for building from within.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 2, 2007
Sign of the Times

Creative Mailboxes and Signs does more signs these days, preparing its workers for the transition.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 2, 2007
High-Tech Shield

I.D. Rank Security began offering a suite of software this year that protects clients from information theft.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 2, 2007
Signs of Hope

Lee County is widely considered ground zero for the state's housing bust. But there are finally some tentative signs of the market's recovery.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 2, 2007
Focus on Fuel

A national power company chief executive - whose livelihood depends on more energy usage - publicly supports power conservation.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • November 2, 2007
Power Mower

Sarlo Power Mowers has slashed through Florida grass for decades. It's not afraid of cheap Chinese replicas.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • October 26, 2007
Beyond the Classroom

Rick Gallegos has found that training managers and employees about collaboration, leadership and selling is increasingly needed on site rather than bringing people to a training center.

  • Entrepreneurs
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