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Results for:

  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • March 24, 2017
Vacation Rentals vs. Home Rule

The explosion of the online vacation rental business has many year-round residents wondering how their cities can protect their neighborhoods and sense of community.

  • Opinion
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Mark Gordon |
  • August 29, 2014
'Team Sport'

Innovation can be an obstacle at companies large and small. A fast-growth firm believes it's discovered the way to victory.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Mark Gordon |
  • February 7, 2014
A new awning

The business of shade, even in the Sunshine State, has been a sticky fight for one entrepreneur. His latest move: Shift into a new industry.

  • Industries
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Jean Gruss |
  • May 2, 2014
Fishing for Tourists

The Wells family's experience offers insights into how small lodges off the beaten path can compete with much larger hotel chains and resorts.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Matt Walsh |
  • August 12, 2016
'No' on Amendment 4

Property-tax breaks for solar-energy devices sounds and reads like an environmental Apple Pie issue. But with every new law, there are always winners and losers.

  • Opinion
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Kevin McQuaid |
  • August 26, 2016
Bounce back

Like many developers, Chris Deveso suffered through the recession last decade. But he also learned a valuable lesson about the value of timing and good customer service.

  • Manatee-Sarasota
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Steven Benna |
  • June 3, 2016
Flavor frenzy

Spend more to make more — sales and products — is an ongoing theme at a St. Petersburg ice cream making business. Growth has followed.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Kevin McQuaid |
  • June 3, 2016
'Heartbreaker' of a deal

A veteran real estate agent took on a failed car dealership site in Tampa. The result? A lawsuit, $12 million in debt, guns, drugs and seven contracts.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Jean Gruss |
  • June 10, 2016
Familiar twist

Purchased from Kraft Foods in 2012, Back to Nature has grown from a granola company to one with 117 products and more than $100 million in sales.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Jean Gruss |
  • June 24, 2016
Eat, sleep, dive

Wayne Hasson co-founded the Aggressor Fleet with one scuba boat in the Cayman Islands more than 30 years ago. Today, the fleet consists of 20 luxury yachts that ply 31 exotic destinations around the world.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Mark Gordon |
  • January 22, 2016
No barriers

A young entrepreneur's bold recession-era decision saved a company. Now she grapples with a new set of challenges.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Jean Gruss |
  • November 14, 2014
Healthy plans

Marion County doctors created their own health-insurance plan in 1981, and its popularity is spreading to other areas of the Gulf Coast. Such plans could be the cure for spiraling premiums.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • October 16, 2015
Michael Lake, 33

Director of sales, Turbine Generator Maintenance

  • Class of 2015
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Jean Gruss |
  • October 23, 2015
Stores of love

It takes discipline to manage growth. Chef Norman Love won't add stores until he's sure the quality remains superior.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Jean Gruss |
  • December 19, 2014
Major donor

Paychex founder Tom Golisano has given away more than $200 million of his fortune, including at least $29 million in Southwest Florida since he moved to Naples in 2009.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Laura Lyon |
  • June 21, 2024
The business of crane safety: From skyscrapers to zoos to toilet paper

The boom in construction over the past several decades has led to a boom in cranes operating across Florida. That, in turn, has boosted a company dedicated to training people how to use cranes safely.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Elizabeth King |
  • August 12, 2024
Forget pickleball: Entrepreneur brings indoor padel to Sarasota-Manatee

The Pad Sarasota offers space to play padel, a racket sport that is growing worldwide in popularity.

  • Manatee-Sarasota
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Mark Gordon |
  • April 9, 2025
Naples land, nature conservancy kicks off $70M campaign with $25M gift

Philanthropic family thinks big and long-term with a large donation to an environmentally focused conservation nonprofit.

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Elizabeth King |
  • May 2, 2025
Fast-casual franchisee grows to four SoFresh stores in region

"I like the challenge," says entrepreneur William Wolf, who started out as a professional gamer and recently turned around an underperforming restaurant in a matter of months. One lesson? Put customer service first.

  • Manatee-Sarasota
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Lesley Dwyer |
  • May 5, 2025
Manatee County considers buying $23.5M building out east

Staff is proposing to move the administration building to Lakewood Ranch.

  • Manatee-Sarasota
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