Small Business

Local Shops 1 is a social media resource for all things local in the Bay Area, helping connect customers with small business owners.

With construction in high demand and stiff competition to get contracts, the University of South Florida just launched a free small business mentorship program to help build diversity within the industry.

When the pandemic hit, working in the online fashion industry was no longer sustainable for Chantel Leavitt. She says COVID-19 forced her to reinvent herself so she could make a living.

A group of nonprofits and church leaders wanted to do something for the community, by the community, so they teamed up to help the neighborhood along 22nd Street South bounce back as part of the Deuces Rising project.

ARK Invest puts money into a portfolio of businesses know as disruptive innovation – start-ups in energy storage, blockchain technology, robotics, and DNA sequencing – and now the company will call downtown St. Pete home.

As Tampa Bay’s Hispanic population continues to grow, there’s a new way for Latin business owners in Pinellas County to connect, through the newly created Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Pinellas County.

Vending machines popping up around Tampa Bay are offering new choices for customers and the companies that fill them.

SCORE, a non-profit organization created in 1964, is made up of retired business experts who give free advice to those starting a small business.

1 Million Cups Tampa hosts a weekly free forum every Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the Entrepreneur Collaborative Center, in conjunction with other similar groups across the country.

George Hill has been selling and installing American flags for decades and, at age 95, the WWII vet has no plans to retire. "I fought for it. I don't have to say any more," he explained.

Red tide is a major concern for those living on Florida’s West Coast and now the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has detected low to medium levels of red tide algae off Pinellas County -- from Indian Rocks Beach all the way down to Fort De Soto.

Bay to Bay Hardware, which has been a staple in South Tampa since 1947, is changing hands and will become an Ace Hardware franchise this summer.

What started with a wrong delivery to a New Port Richey coffee stand ended with an 1,100-mile journey to hand-deliver 60,000 custom-branded beer cups to a grateful brewery in Texas. Even the mayor came out to greet them.

Mother’s Day is just days away and Linda Quinn is banking on people having trouble finding the perfect gift. She says she was inspired by her own mother's work ethic.

The pandemic hit restaurant and brewery businesses especially hard, but one community in Apollo Beach wasn't prepared to say goodbye to their local watering hole.

Relief is on the way for 100,000 small businesses across the country with the launch of the Biden Administration's Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

As part of a program called Restart St. Pete, the city told restaurants they could use concrete barriers to separate traffic from parking spots converted into outdoor seating areas. Restaurants and the city hope to continue the program past the pandemic.

Randall Thompson never made it to the major leagues, but this former Toronto minor leaguer's idea has. Dugout Mugs popped into Randall's head while sitting on the bench coaching at his alma mater, Florida Tech.