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Contact Name: Carl Hadden Contact Email: carltonh@usf.edu Contact Phone Number: 863.678.4182, x227 SARASOTA, FL – Do you have a great business idea? Are you already in business and looking for money to expand your footprint? Need help communicating why your business rocks? BankUnited is sponsoring the Quick Start Series in Sarasota for small business owners, in collaboration with the Florida SBDC at University of South Florida, beginning April 29th. The Series, which can be taken in its entirety or as individual seminars, will be offered at Gulf Gate Library, located at 7112 Curtiss Avenue in Sarasota, at no cost. Series seminars include the following: Starting Your Business – Monday, April 29 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Financing Your Business – Monday, May 6 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Marketing Your Business – Monday, May 13 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Building Your Business Plan with Live Plan – Monday, May 20 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. (Includes a 6-month subscription to the web-based LivePlan software.) Quick Start Series seminars will be taught by Pat Gordon and Scott Carpenter, both business consultants with the Florida SBDC at USF, based in Sarasota and Manatee counties, respectively. There is no charge for the Series or individual seminars, but registration is required at bit.ly/manasotaquickstart. The Florida SBDC at USF assists existing and emerging businesses in Sarasota and Manatee counties, through no-cost confidential business consulting, information, and low-cost training. Learn more at SBDCTampaBay.com. About the Florida SBDC Network: For over forty years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy. Since 2011, Florida SBDCs have provided 624,331 hours of professional business consulting to 58,975 client businesses, resulting in 281,831 jobs impacted; $36.7 billion in sales generated; $2.7 billion in government contracts acquired; $1.6 billion in capital accessed; and 4,520 new businesses started. A statewide network of over 40 offices, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a 2016 recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org. ###