by Yomin Postelnik, Candidate FL House District 91: Just over two years ago, I started the Business Growth Trends project to help small businesses stay afloat and small business owners learn to recognize where potential was found. Many of the articles and advice are still available on
www.BusinessGrowthTrends.com. I encourage every business owner to go through the archives for expert advice on almost all aspects of running a business.
South Florida’s unemployment levels are above the national average. Given all that the State of Florida has to offer small business, this is hard to believe. It’s nothing short of insane that we haven’t managed to do more about this.
Small business used to be the bedrock of our jobs market. And we were a lot better off when it was. The State of Florida has more to offer budding businesses than almost any other state in the nation. As Michigan and New York falter under high taxation and shrinking growth, Florida should be absorbing the lion’s share of business emigration. But we’re not. And here’s why:
LOOK WHERE THE PROBLEMS LIE – AND FIX THEM
1) We Don’t Ask for Business: First and foremost, the major problem that challenges Florida’s economic expansion is so simple that everyone misses it. Decision makers in corporate boardrooms, when discussing relocation, think of Arizona and the opportunities presented there. They discuss New Mexico’s unused resources, and so on. Florida isn’t brought to the table. In fact, people in the Northeast and in states like Michigan still think of Florida as being synonymous with hurricanes, even though our natural disasters are far less of a problem than those faced by other states.
We need to change this dynamic. Other countries, with far less favorable business and taxation environments, advertise in business magazines and on well watched business shows. Their advertising pays off.
Few states in the nation have as favorable a business structure as Florida does and few places in the world can offer as much talent for employers to choose from. But nobody knows about it. Worse, those who do don’t think of it.
Targeted ads, that list all of what Florida has to offer, to Michigan based businesses and other areas from which business is fleeing, will pay off. It will change the dynamic and get people talking. It will get corporate boards and decision makers talking. That, in turn, breeds results.
2) Incentives: Tax breaks to C corporations that wish to move into recession stricken areas (areas with an unemployment rate of greater than 10% or that have seen a 15% drop in economic activity) will be the deal clincher in garnering new business to Florida.
3) Education: Business skills and financial literacy need to become a part of Florida’s public high school curriculum. I wrote a course on this subject, which was approved by the Broward County School Board and used by the United Way. We need to ensure that some kind of business knowledge is taught in Florida schools, in ways that students can relate to. Doing so has the added benefit of giving students clear reasons to finish school and to avoid crime.
4) Energy/Untapped Resources – Key to Florida’s Economic Development: Florida Atlantic University has been working on developing energy from the ocean. Wave technology as well as other natural water based forms of energy technology are areas that must be developed. The Northeast has used water-based electricity for decades and FAU and its Center for Ocean Energy Technology are leading the way in making this resource more efficient and reliable.
Ocean based energy is renewable, clean and cost effective. Its development should go in tandem with all other forms of sustainable and sensible energy development, including oil drilling (especially given the fact other nations are already drilling as closely to our shores as they can, without the protections to our coasts that we would enact).
Energy, agriculture and health innovation are key to the redevelopment of Florida’s economy and to bringing jobs to the state. There’s no reason why anyone should be moving away from Florida. We can easily harness our potential and revitalize the state.
5) Transportation vs. Wasteful Spending: Transportation projects need to make sense, be cost effective and streamline traffic in areas where congestion is an actual problem. Pure jobs creation projects can focus on other areas, first among them teaching – which is an investment in Florida’s future. Streamlining of transportation and solidification of existing bridges and similar structures are necessary works. We just have to be careful and sensible about where resources are spent.
Construction efforts can be augmented by using alternative sentencing for non-violent offenders. Doing so would not only save costs to the struggling construction industry, it would prevent first time offenders from become career criminals, leave them with hope and incentive to change and punish only the criminal, as opposed to the criminal’s family. It’s a recipe for a better society, plain and simple. And as always, doing the right thing makes economic sense too.
Government cannot and should not take over the free market. Not now and not ever. What government can do is use common sense free market principles to bring business and jobs to the state. This is what I propose to do.
All in all, we need to get back to the same small business based economy that helped propel America and the State of Florida to economic greatness. Civic mindedness and personal responsibility, not to mention passion and ingenuity, are best fostered in a climate of small business. As we struggle to come back to our founding principles of faith, family and good neighborliness, small business has an integral role to play in the above.
AND I’LL DO MY PART – AS A CANDIDATE AND THEN AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
I didn’t wait to get elected (or even want to get elected) when I wrote a business literacy / motivational course for teens to stay in school and got it approved by the school board. I’m not going to wait to get elected to do my part in helping alleviate South Florida’s unemployment crisis either.
A week and a half ago, I announced a Jobs Fair for the district, along with a list that immediately blasts offers to jobseekers. I encourage everyone who can to take part. Employers get in front of politically/civically inclined applicants and prospective employees are quickly made aware of job options within the district and its surrounding areas. . . . [
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Updated 2/26/- Comments by ALG: Yesterday, the long-awaited health care takeover summit at the White House took place, and it was not as was expected nor advertised. It was supposed to be a trap. Congressional Republicans were supposed to “compromise,” laying the groundwork for the government takeover of the nation’s entire health care system once and for all.
