“Banking with Benefits” is Topic of Seminar July 20 at UCF Business Incubator in St. Cloud

ST. CLOUD, Fla., – The University of Central Florida Business Incubator in St. Cloud will present Banking with Benefits, a lunch and learn seminar from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20 at the UCF Business Incubator located at Stevens Plantation Business Park in St. Cloud at 3201 Budinger Ave.

Jim Bowie, site manager for the UCF Business Incubation Program in St. Cloud, said BB&T Bank is hosting the lunch and learn seminar.

BB&T Bank officials Alicia Hermosa, assistant vice president, Sadie Marsch, vice president and Cynthia Snedeker, assistant vice president, will present a broad look at banking opportunities including:
• Banking product options, features and discounts
• Employee benefits: medical — prescription — vision
• HR programs: payroll — taxes — employment screening
• Retirement products: 401k — institutional services
• Bonus services: insurance — security — travel

Bowie said the Banking with Benefits lunch and learn seminar is free to UCF Business Incubation Program member companies and admission — $10 for members of Orlando, Inc. and $20 for all others — includes lunch.

To reserve a seat at the luncheon, email or phone Client Administrator Jessica Filter at 407-498-0432.

About the UCF Business Incubation Program
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 160 emerging companies (including more than 100 current clients) create over $800 million in annual revenue and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With eight – and soon nine – facilities opened across the Greater Orlando community, the Business Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, The City of Sanford, Lake County, the City of Leesburg, Osceola County, the City of Kissimmee, City of St. Cloud, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council and will be adding Volusia County. For more information, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.

Ride Green Scooters to Participate in Full Sail University Networking Seminar

WINTER PARK, Fla. Ride Green Scooters, the Winter Park dealership that specializes in low-cost, high mileage gas and electric scooters for commuters, will participate in a Full Sail University networking seminar Feb. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Brian Schwartz, general manager at Ride Green Scooters, said the networking seminar offers his company the opportunity to market its advantages to a large group of potential customers.

“Students and professionals in the creative community are prime customers for energy efficient transportation alternatives,” Schwartz said.

“As a group, they are more aware of the environment and typically they are more cost conscious as well, Schwartz said.

Ride Green Scooters, located on Fairbanks Ave. in Winter Park, sells scooters priced from $900 to more than $2,000 that boast average mileage that ranges from 50 miles per battery charge on the electric models to over 85 miles per gallon on the gas powered scooters.

Visit www.ridegreenscooters.com
* * *

For more information, contact: Brian Schwartz, Principal, Ride Green Scooters 407 467-3214; Ron Schwartz, Principal, Ride Green Scooters 407-342-3648

Lake Forest Realty to Host Free Home Buyer Seminar at Florida Bank of Commerce in Lake Mary on March 2

LAKE FOREST - Lake Forest Realty, which sells homes and home sites in Lake Forest, the luxury gated community located on S.R. 46 west of Sanford, will host a free seminar for potential home buyers on Tuesday, March 2 at 6 p.m. at the Florida Bank of Commerce, 1190 Business Center Dr. in Lake Mary.

Rick Bavec, a principal at Lake Forest Realty and Tolaris Homes, said CPA Lou Lauteria will offer seminar participants independent advice on how to buy a home; how to qualify for the $8,000 tax credit incentive for first-time home buyers; Lake Forest Realty Sales Manager Eleanor Bliss will discuss the home buying process – what happens between contract and close; Senior Mortgage Consultant Bill Siegrist of FBC Mortgage LLC will talk about the mortgage approval process and several other professionals will cover what to expect from appraisers, how to negotiate with mortgage lenders; and how and when to take advantage of short sales and foreclosure sales.

Bavec said the seminar is co-sponsored by Legacy Title, Inc. of Seminole County and the Florida Bank of Commerce.

Refreshments will be served, Bavec said. To register for the seminar phone 407-377-6323 or visit www.laura@legacytitlecf.com.

For more information, contact: Rick Bavec, Principal Lake Forest Realty/Tolaris Homes, 407-322-5253

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty to Host Workshop for Home Owners

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty to Host Workshop for Home Owners

ORLANDO, Fla. - Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty will host a free seminar for home owners facing foreclosure and in need of credit restoration starting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at Stirling Sotheby’s Dr. Phillips Gallery, located at 7722 W. Sand Lake Rd. across from the Marketplace at Dr. Phillips.

The seminar, which is open to the public, is sponsored by Boyette Law Offices and Wells-Fargo.
Frank Lavra, an associate with Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said seminar presenters include attorneys, lenders, credit restoration, rental lifestyle and real estate specialists.

“Many home owners are having difficulty meeting their mortgage obligations and our seminar will discuss all their available options, including loan modifications, deed in lieu, short sales, foreclosures and bankruptcy,” Lavra said.

“We will present strategies to avoid the consequences of mortgage foreclosure and how to fasttrack your credit restoration,” Lavra said.

Lavra said Stirling Sotheby’s associates Espe Almarza and Gloria Wong will participate in the seminar.

For more information please contact:
Frank Lavra, Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty-Dr. Philips 407.580.6863

Roger Soderstrom, Owner/Founder, Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty 407.588.1260; http://www.StirlingSIR.com

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407.644.4142

About Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty:
Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty is affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, the largest luxury real estate brand in the world. Stirling Sotheby’s exclusive services include luxury residential, new homes, commercial, property management, in addition to supporting builders, developers, lenders, and asset managers. The company operates five performance centers which serve all of Central Florida.

OC Grant Consulting Associates to Host Seminar at Disney Entrepreneur Center to Help Agencies Attain Non-Profit Status and Secure Grant Funding

OC Grant Consulting Associates to Host Seminar at Disney Entrepreneur Center to Help Agencies Attain Non-Profit Status and Secure Grant Funding

ORLANDO – OC Grant Consulting Associates, an Orlando-based grant consulting company, will present a series of informative seminars next month at the Disney Entrepreneur Center in downtown Orlando.

The first of five Capacity Building Seminar workshops will be from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Disney Entrepreneur Center, 315 E. Robinson St. The sessions are designed to help local organizations – including those still in the planning stages – learn how to attain nonprofit status and receive grant funding, according to founder Olivette Carter.

“The seminars are for executives, administrators, managers and other leaders of aspiring or new start-up grassroots, non-profit faith- and community-based organizations,” said Carter, who specializes in prospect research, grant proposal writing, grant review and grant writing training, as well as post-grant support services.

OC Grant Consulting Associates is a client company of the UCF Business Incubation Program and located at Orlando Business Development Center (OBDC) office on E. Colonial Drive.

The Capacity Building Seminar is comprised of five separate workshops:
How to Start a Non-profit and Obtain 501(c) 3 Exemption
Board Development for New Non-profits
Program Design and Planning
Strategic Planning
Introduction to Grant Writing

Additional workshops will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 26, Oct. 10 and 24. The cost of each is $25 per person and those registering for four sessions can attend the fifth one free.

To register, go to http://www.ocgrantconsulting.com/ online or send a check payable to OC Grant Consulting Associates to 3218 E. Colonial Drive, Suite G, Orlando, 32803.

For details, contact Carter at 321-281-8346 or ocgrants@obdc2.fdn.com.

For more information about this release, please contact:
Olivette Carter, founder/owner, OC Grant Consulting Associates, 321-281-8346 or ocgrants@obdc2.fdn.com
Melissa Wasserman, Site Manager/OBDC, UCF Business Incubation Program, 407-882-2296 or mwasserm@mail.ucf.edu
Charlene Hager-Van Dyke, Larry Vershel Communications, 386-837-8780, 407-644-4142 or chagervandyke@yahoo.com

About the UCF Incubation Program:
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 100 emerging companies (including nearly 70 current clients) create over $500 million in annual revenue and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With five facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, Lake County, the City of Leesburg and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit http://www.incubator.ucf.edu/

Coldwell Banker Commercial sponsors green information session at Chamber of Commerce of West Volusia

Coldwell Banker Commercial sponsors green information session at Chamber of Commerce of West Volusia

ORANGE CITY, Fla. – Nearly two dozen of city, county and state officials, as well as local business types, attended a recent “going green” seminar sponsored by Coldwell Banker Commercial AI Group.

The two-hour session – titled “Rebuilding the Local Economy through Sustainable Alternatives” – was intended to create awareness and a dialog between community leaders and elected officials, according to John Wanamaker, Coldwell Banker Commercial AI Group broker.

In addition to Wanamaker and CBC’s Stepan Babanin, who talked about the savings their own company has seen since they began using sustainable alternatives, several other speakers offered insight about recycling, water conservation, and electric company rebates available through their agencies.

The speakers were Darlene Keefe and Kathy Lapp, Progress Energy; Lindsey Roberts, WAV (Water Alliance of Volusia); Ann Benedetti, St. Johns River Water Management District; and Laura Raftery, Gel Recycling.

“We had about 20 people who attended and their feedback was fantastic,” Wanamaker said of the session held at the new Chamber of Commerce of West Volusia building in Orange City.

One such attendee was Andy Kelly, Volusia County Councilman for District 1, who also is a member of the Florida Association of Counties’ Energy Independence Work Group.
Kelly said he is excited about the positive results and hopes to see some of the ideas implemented at the county level.

“It was an excellent program with a lot of quality ideas,” he said. “I hope that everyone who attended will apply some of those ideas – even if it’s only changing out light bulbs or turning down the thermostat – in their own homes and businesses.”
Wanamaker said he thinks those attending were impressed by the way the session was all tied together at the end.

“It showed them how much money can actually be saved for a very small investment,” he said.

About Coldwell Banker Commercial AI Group:
Owned and operated by commercial real estate veterans John Wanamaker and Chuck Rudis, Coldwell Banker Commercial AIG is a leader in the listing, leasing and selling of properties, as well as a premier developer of community-friendly and LEED-accredited projects for small business owners.

For more information about this release, please contact:
John Wanamaker, broker for Coldwell Banker Commercial AI Group, 386-775-8633, john@cbciagroup.com

Charlene Hager-Van Dyke, Larry Vershel Communications, 386-837-8780, 407-644-4142 or chagervandyke@yahoo.com