FROM THE EDITOR
BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE
EVOLVE Palm Coast Region is published by TouchPoint Innovative Solutions .
PUBLISHER Howard M . Holley
EDITOR Greg Blosé , II
MANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Gravel ART DIRECTOR Leslie Proctor MEDIA & AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Alejandra Galan
After owning your own home , becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own business is one of the ways Floridians strive to achieve the American Dream . Locally , 80 % of all businesses have 10 or fewer employees . So , Flagler County has its share of entrepreneurs . But simply starting a new business doesn ’ t guarantee success . It ’ s quite the opposite , we confirmed .
This month we asked ourselves :
• What steps are entrepreneurs taking to make sure their businesses succeed ?
• In what ways has technology helped entrepreneurs ?
• What are the keys to ensuring entrepreneurs continue to find success year after year ?
• Which business trends that started in response to the pandemic will continue after COVID health protocols are reduced ? ADVERTISING SALES Jeanne Coates EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Cindy Dalecki • Marketing 2 Go Jacqueline Jones • Heaven Hill Brands Dolores Key • Flagler County Economic Development Aaron London • Journalist / Writer Joseph Roy • Coastal Entrepreneurship & Innovation Institute
The EVOLVE Magazine team set out to better understand what drives the entrepreneurial spirit in Palm Coast . The result is the following comprehensive series of articles that offer a wide-variety of perspectives on entrepreneurism and elements to ensuring business longevity in our area .
It ’ s an exciting time in our region for several reasons : tourism season is under way ; mask mandates are gone and the “ new normal ” is beginning to reveal itself .
What ’ s also revealing is looking back at data from one year ago , when we found ourselves at the bottom of the COVID-19 recession . From April 2020 to April 2021 , Flagler County has regained nearly 7,000 jobs lost during the global pandemic , but more progress needs to be made as our region still has 1,366 fewer jobs than our highest pre-pandemic employment level .
Entrepreneurs typically cause disruptions in the marketplace , usually via innovative products or practices . Better understanding how entrepreneurs responded to the ultimate global disruption that was COVID-19 could shed light on secrets to business success . We hope you discover those secrets in this edition of EVOLVE Magazine . Sincerely ,
TouchPoint Innovative Solutions
All rights reserved . No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without the express written consent of the publisher . TouchPoint Innovative Solutions assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions .
© 2021 TouchPoint Innovative Solutions . All rights reserved .
GREG BLOSÉ , II President / CEO , Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber
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