BBIF
Services
Memberships
Biz
Directory
Partners
Clients
Biz
Resources
BUSINESS
SERVICES
NEW BUSINESS ORIENTATION designed
to increase
knowledge
Of "How to get a
business
loan"
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
PROGRAMS
Designed to increase
management
capacity
and enhance
business
growth
LOAN PRODUCTS
BBIF provides:
Lines of Credit, contract & accounts receivable financing, commercial
real estate, equipment, and term loans
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Welcome
to the BBIF’s quarterly newsletter! Our goal is to be a
leader in facilitating “smart growth” for
Central
Florida’s Minority Businesses. We hope that you find this newsletter to be informative and helpful
to your business. ….Inez Long, President/CEO
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City of
Orlando
Commissioner Daisy Lynum Joins Business Members for Lunch, Discusses
Community
Venues Blueprint
Commissioner Daisy LynumCity of
Orlando
City of
Orlando Commissioner Daisy Lynum, Chief
Administrative Officer Byron Brooks and Assistant Purchasing Director/
MBE Official Kevin Walsh joined business owners at the monthly BBIF’s
Business Opportunity Luncheon to explore, in depth, The Community Venues
as well as to urge business owners to prepare and position themselves to
obtain contracts and expand their businesses.
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The Community Venues
Projects consist of the construction of a new
Events
Center,
a Performing Arts Center and the renovation of the Citrus Bowl.
Commissioner Lynum
spoke about her involvement in the drafting of “The Blueprint” which outlines the use
of the Community Venues Projects as a means of creating sustainable
economic impact for the community.
“The Blueprint” has the
following goals:
Goal 1- Assist the development
and support of local, small and historically disadvantaged businesses as an
important aspect of the continuing growth and development of the community.
Goal 2- Develop a local
workforce initiative to provide trained workers for Venues construction and
retail venues created by development.
Goal 3- Collaboratively work
with the Venue Partners and other community stakeholders to identify and
explore long-term business opportunities in the affected areas.
Goal 4- Explore the creation
of local vendor development/mentor programs through partnerships with
contractors, vendors and community based organizations.
Goal 5- Identify development
tools that will result in creating a wide variety of attainable and market
rate housing units that will ensure economic diversity for all residents to
work, live, and recreate in the area.
It is imperative for
minority businesses to certify with the City of
Orlando as a minority business enterprise
because certified businesses are preferred. The City will recognize
Orange
County’s Minority Business
Enterprise Certification specifically for the Venues project. For more information on the Community
Venues Project, visit:
www.cityoforlando.net/elected/venues
The BBIF holds
the Business Opportunity Luncheons to provide a forum for business
owners and professionals to meet with business and community executives,
public and private, in a roundtable format to discuss contracting
opportunities every 1st Thursday at 11:30 am. |
UPCOMING EVENTS
BBIF
Business
Opportunity Luncheons
Every 1st
Thursday
The BBIF Opportunity Luncheons provides a forum for
business owners and professionals to meet with business and community
executives, public and private, in a roundtable format to discuss
contracting opportunities. BBIF Business Opportunity Luncheons are held
every 1st Thursday at 11:30 am. Cost: Members are FREE, non-members $10.00
For more information contact Joy Clarke at 407-649-4780.
Orientations
- Every 2nd
and
4th Tuesday
Orientation sessions are held on the 2nd
and 4th Tuesday of each month. On the second Tuesday, Orientations
begin at 5pm and at 12 noon on the 4th Tuesday. Don't miss out on this
opportunity to find out everything you need to know about BBIF's services
and loan programs. Learn how to grow your business the smart way!
For more information, please contact
Duane Lewis at 407.649.4780.
Roundtables and One-on-Ones
Monthly roundtables are an interactive management development tool
which implements an applied
learning approach to assist business
owners. BBIF’s Technical Team works
intensively with roundtable business owners (company president) in a One-on-One
or group environment with other
business owners in non competing
industries and provides ongoing assistance by identifying and helping to
solve business issues and monitoring company progress.
To learn how to grow
your business the smart business way! Please contact Duane Lewis at
407.649.4780.
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BBIF
CLIENT FEATURE STORY |
 
The BRS Group, Inc.
989 West Kennedy Blvd
Orlando,
FL
32810
Phone: (407) 661-9090
www.thebrsgroup.net
The BRS Group, Inc., founded by
Warrnon Bell in 1995, provides diversified services in the electronics
industry, such as: design and installation of CCTV, MATV, Access Control,
Multimedia, VTC, Audio/Video and Public Address systems. The BRS group has a diverse list of
clients that includes the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, City of
Orlando, Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority,
University of Central
Florida,
City of
North Miami Beach, State of
Florida, Department of Juvenile Justice, Skanska,
Cape Canaveral, National Football League, Scott Air
Force Base, ADT and Hanscom Air Force Base.
Knowledge Counts
Warrnon Bell has worked with
electronics for over 24 years and has held the position of Audio/Video
Technician, Supervisor of Audio/Video, Manager of Electronics, and
Production Administrator while employed with the Greater Orlando Aviation
Authority for 16 years.
Ana Bell joined the BRS Group in 1999
as Vice-President after working as the manager of Small Business &
DBE Concessions for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority for 10
years. Ana is responsible for the
day-to-day operations for the business, which includes estimating, trade
fairs, business development, and all financial matters. |
Experience Counts
The BRS Group currently has an
operations and maintenance contract with TSA (Tampa Sports Authority) to
provide services for the Raymond James Stadium in
Tampa,
FL. They were originally awarded the
contract on October 2001 for 3 years with two one-year renewal
options. Their responsibilities
under this contract include: audio
and visual surveillance for the stadium, live feed to ESPN, FOX, CNN or
whichever network is transmitting the event, provide audio to include
levels to be broadcasted over the air, setting up equipment and mic feeds
before games or events, setting up conferences and provide feed to jumbo
screen of the conference after games and events, and weekly maintenance
of the A/V equipment at the stadium. Some of the events that they are responsible for include Monster
Trucks, High School football games, Outback Bowl, Horse show, concerts,
USF football games, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers games. The BRS Group recently renewed their
contract with TSA this past April for an additional 5 years. The BRS Group is currently the only
African American firm that provides audio/visual technical assistance
within the NFL. The company is
positioning itself to bid on an installation contract with TSA to install
new hi-definition television’s in preparation for the 2009 NFL Super Bowl
that will be held at Raymond James Stadium.
The BRS Group has some Super Bowl
experience with their involvement at the 2004 event in
Jacksonville,
FL. However, it was the owners’ persistence
that allowed the company to participate in that event. “We met with the NFL MWBE contact at
the hotel lobby and reiterated our interest in doing work for this venue. We felt that we were a local company
and should reap some of the rewards for this event. Even though we had excellent references
from Tampa Sports Authority, we continued to persevere until we were
awarded a scope of work.” Ana Bell
stated. It’s this kind of
persistence that has allowed the company to persevere for over 12
years. The owners state, “The key
to business success is to provide quality service to your customers, be
persistent, and establish and nurture good networking relationships”. They also indicate, “for new
entrepreneurs it is important that they secure the service of a good
accountant and attorney, hire quality employees, establish a financial
budget and secure the proper financing to fit that budget, and take
advantage of community development organizations such as the BBIF”.
Growing…The
Smart Way
Future goals for the BRS Group Inc.
are to continue to grow and strengthen their position within the
industry, provide services nationwide, expand their national presence,
and expand into international business. |
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Maverick BBIF Business Member
Brindley Pieters, P.E.
President and Founder of
Brindley Pieters & Associates, Inc. |
On May 8, 2001, Brindley Pieters, P.E.,
President and Founder of Brindley Pieters & Associates, Inc. of
Altamonte Springs,
Florida, received an award from
President George W. Bush as the runner up for the 2001 National Small
Business Person of the Year. This award ceremony took place in the East
Room of the White House in
Washington,
DC.
Brindley Pieters &
Associates, Inc.(BPA) is a full-service, certified minority/disadvantaged
owned engineering consulting firm with offices in:
-
Altamonte
Springs,
Florida
-
Jacksonville,
Florida
-
Miami,
Florida
-
Deland,
Florida
-
Atlanta,
Georgia
Founded in 1991 by Mr. Brindley B.
Pieters, P.E., BPA has grown from a staff of three completing a handful of
projects to a skilled staff of more than thirty-five professionals successfully
completing over two hundred projects.
In 1992, BPA received its first commercial loan with the
assistance of the Black Business Investment Fund and SunTrust Bank. BPA offers professional
engineering services to an impressive list of repeat clients, which
includes city, county, and state agencies as well as private firms.
As a testament to Mr. Pieters’
corporate leadership and managerial expertise at
Brindley
Pieters & Associates, Mr. Pieters is the recipient of
the following awards:
- 2001
National Small Business Person Of The Year Runner-Up
- 2001
Small Business Person Of The Year For The State Of
Florida
- 2001
And 2000 Small Business Person Of The Year For The North Florida SBA
District
- 2001
Small Business Person Of The Year Award
- 2002
Top 25 African American Owned Businesses (
Orlando Business Journal)
- 2006
Eagle Award (African American Chamber of Commerce)
- 2007
Citizen of the Year (City of
Longwood)
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BPA’s staff includes registered
professional engineers specializing in civil, structural, drainage,
utilities, and transportation disciplines, along with construction
management and cost estimating, CAD/technical specialists, and
administrative personnel. The staff remains highly committed and responsive
which ensures quality and client satisfaction. BPA maintains in-house state
of the art CAD engineering and computer management programs to facilitate
quick and efficient client services.
BPA is currently certified to perform engineering services for multiple
agencies including the
Florida and
Georgia
Departments of Transportation.
BPA & Associates, Inc., has
been a BBIF Business Member since
1994 and Brindley Pieters is currently the BBIF’s Board Chairman.
BPA is currently involved with the
following projects:
ˇ BPA was recently selected to provide the structural
engineering services for the new
Events
Center.
ˇ BPA was selected as
the Prime Consultant by the Florida Department of Transportation District 3
to provide engineering services for the State Road 8 (Interstate 10)
roadway rehabilitation project, which runs from the
Shoal
River
Bridge
to the
Walton
County line in
Okaloosa
County.
ˇ BPA was selected as the Prime Consultant by the Florida Department of
Transportation District 5 to provide services under their 5-year continuing
services contract for utility coordination.
ˇ BPA was selected as the Prime Consultant by
Fulton County,
Georgia
to provide Design and Engineering Services for the Marsh Creek Pump
Station.
ˇ BPA is providing
construction management services for the Seminole County Program Management
Services contract.
ˇ BPA is currently part of the Joint Venture providing services to the
City of
Atlanta
for their Annual Contract for Engineering/Architectural Services. |
10 Ways for Businesses
to Cut Costs
During these difficult
economic times when sales are slow it is important for business owners to
reduce expenditures.
Here are a few ways to
help reduce cost:
- Budget, budget, budget. If you don’t have a budget, create
one. This will eliminate any
random, unnecessary spending. If you have a budget, take a closer look to reduce spending.
- Bank Wisely. Use banks that pay interest. Money can add up on checking account deposits. Also, remember to keep business and
personal accounts separate.
- Scrutinize expenses. Review variable costs with a great
deal of detail. Ask yourself if
you are receiving value for these costs, and if they are for comforts
or necessities.
- Limit nonessentials. Focus on items that will bring in
revenue and rethink other items or projects. So, perhaps painting your office
isn’t that important and can be put off for a year.
- Be patient. Where practical, wait for sales when buying items for both home
and office.
- Talk to your employees. They probably know better than you
where waste is occurring. Give
bonuses to those who offer the most productive cost-cutting tips.
- Don’t dictate. Communicate with employees about the
need to cut costs and engage them in the process. It is better to solicit help than
dictate a change without the proper setup.
- Save on paper. A good example of this is printing
on both sides of paper, saving paper expense. Also, use recycled paper in the fax
machine, where again, both sides of the paper can be used.
- Monitor shrinkage. Employers lose quite a bit of money
when supplies are “borrowed” from the office. Create or boost security to curtail
or eliminate the problem. The
little stuff adds up.
- Employ technology. Light rooms more efficiently by
replacing light switches with occupancy sensors. You can save up to 28 percent
annually on your total electricity bill, assuming 40 percent of your
expenses are related to your electric bill.
BLACK
BUSINESS INVESTMENT FUND
315 East Robinson Street, Suite 660 -
Orlando,
FL
32801
Telephone: (407)
649-4780 - Facsimile: (407) 649-8688
Website:
www.bbif.com |
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