A community that invests in these entrepreneurs , wins . They foster an environment where entrepreneurs can work together to create economic growth and collaborate .”
last takes a community , but it always starts with the entrepreneur . The person or persons that have made something out of nothing .
Zero-G Horizons Technologies founder and CEO , Dr . Sathya Gangadharan , invested in new ways to improve his business that will have a lasting impact . As a member of the GrowFL , and a graduate of the UCF ( University of Central Florida ) Incubator in Daytona , Gangadharan is taking advantage of the support and resources available for him . As a GrowFL member , Gangadharan is part of an exclusive group of Florida business leaders who all look to catalyze their company ’ s growth . GrowFL members have access to programs , which improve personal and professional leadership skills , trusted business experts in GrowFL ’ s network , and the opportunity to build long lasting relationships with CEOs in their region and across the state .
Dougherty Manufacturing is another example of a company prospering in the community . They were selected as a GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Honoree in 2017 , based on leadership , innovation , corporate community engagement , and their past and future growth opportunities . The company houses an extensive engineering , research and development team who have streamlined processes and saved millions of dollars for their customers .
As Jim Collins wrote in his book , Built to Last , the entrepreneurs who build visionary companies tend to be clock builders , not time tellers . He says , “ The primary output of their efforts is not the tangible implementation of a great idea , the expression of a charismatic personality , the gratification of their ego , or the accumulation of personal wealth . Their greatest creation is the company itself and what it stands for .”
A community that invests in these entrepreneurs , wins . They foster an environment where entrepreneurs can work together to create economic growth and collaborate . As a result , these homegrown companies are job creators . Data from youreconomy . org , shows that just 8-percent of companies in Florida are secondstage , yet they generate more than 30-percent of all the jobs in the state .
With support from organizations like GrowFL and the entrepreneurs they serve , Florida will be a stronger and more resilient state . In fact , a recent report by Florida Tax Watch noted that continued investment in GrowFL programs to help scalable growth companies would produce an added 43,000 private sector , non-farm jobs statewide , with an average salary of over $ 97,000 . Also , these efforts would help to produce more than $ 4.6 billion in added personal income for Floridians . Entrepreneurial support and advancement are indeed good for all of Florida .
As a sailor , I often think of this as Velocity Made Good ( VMG ). VMG is a measure of how fast you are closing in on your destination , not a measure of how fast the boat is going . Going fast in a direction that does not get you to the finish line before your competition is not the best choice . Choosing the right course for the conditions is what produces the win . With entrepreneurship , you cannot change the direction of the wind or the challenges you will face , but GrowFL can help you adjust the sails .
For more information on how to get involved in GrowFL and take advantage of the programs available , visit , www . GrowFL . com or contact GrowFL at info @ GrowFL . com or call 407-498-5323 .
Dr . O ’ Neal founded GrowFL in 2009 . His pioneering work in business incubation and entrepreneurial ecosystems has helped build Central Florida ’ s innovation-based economy and is being used across the globe today .
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