Growing Small Businesses in Southwest Florida

WE OFTEN HEAR THAT SMALL AND MICRO BUSINESSES ARE THE BACKBONE OF THE ECONOMY. SMALL IS USUALLY DEFINED AS EMPLOYING LESS THAN 500 PEOPLE. MICRO LESS THAN 10 WORKERS THAT ARGUMENT IS ESPECIALLY STRONG RIGHT HERE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. NOW A LOCAL EFFORT IS UNDERWAY TO HELP SMALLER ENTERPRISES GROW. WGCUS MIKE WALCHER HAS DETAILS IN THIS WEEK'S BUSINESS REPORT. >> EVEN THE TINIEST COMPANIES LEARNED YEARS AGO. YOU MUST HAVE A WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE. BUT IT'S TO A POINT NOW THAT INFORMATION IS OVERWHELMING. CONSUMERS CAN TELL OR CROSSED WHO'S BEST IN A GIVEN FIELD OR SERVICE, AT LEAST THAT'S THE BELIEF OF THIS VETERAN BUSINESS WOMAN. >> 95% OF BUSINESSES, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY, THE INFORMATION I YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA, THEY'RE STILL NOT BEING ABLE TO GET TO THAT NEXT LEVEL. >> BUSH TAKING YOU ON A SAYS THE RULES OF SURVIVAL HAVE CHANGED AND BUSINESS OWNERS MUST FIND THEIR UNIQUE DIFFERENCE TO STAND OUT OF THE AVALANCHE OF HEY, LOOK AT ME MESSAGES. AND ONCE YOU FIND CLARITY WHETHER ITS THROUGH MENTORSHIP OR COACHING OR GUIDANCE OR DIRECTION. >> YOU THEN START TO FIND THOSE UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITIONS THAT MAKE YOU ON MATCH A BULL. >> WE WONDERED WHY A MALL >> OKAY. DEALNEWS SAYS IT'S A GREAT PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO MEET AND TRAIN AND SHE SAYS THERE STILL ARE A LOT MORE CUSTOMERS AND MALLS THAT YOU MIGHT IMAGINE. AND THAT'S WHY KENYA ONUS IS STARTING THE BUSINESS ROSE GALLERY AND EDISON MALL IN FORT MYERS, THE RECENT OPENING DREW DOZENS OF BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS FROM ALL OVER THE REGION. WE SAW THAT OURSELVES ON A RECENT RAINY THURSDAY NIGHT, A FORMER CLIENT OF CANADA'S BELIEVES THIS LOCATION TO NOT ONLY TRAIN BUSINESS OWNERS, BUT ALSO DRAWING MALL GOERS. >> FOR SOMEONE THAT CAME IN AND WHAT SPEAKERS IN. HAPPENS TO WALK IN. THEY MAY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SOMEONE FROM MY POINT IS THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE. SO ONE THAT CAN MAYBE HELP THE SET UP THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME LIKE YOU TAKE THEM BY THE HAND AND HAVE THEM BY THE FIRST HOLE. >> UNISON, SOME INVESTORS ARE PAYING FOR THE SPACE AND SHE SAYS SHE WILL OFFER FREE INTRODUCTORY SESSIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. THEN SHE WILL CHARGE FOR MORE IN-DEPTH TRAINING THE CALORIES AMBASSADOR BELIEVES IT WILL SUCCEED. AND ALSO BENEFITS THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. A LOT OF STUFF AND IT'S PEOPLE NEED HELP. >> GUIDANCE. AND WHO SAYS KIND OF HAVE THAT HERE. SO I HAVE GOOD HARD ABOUT IT. WE'RE FEELING A BODY. >> OF EVERETT AND LOCAL REAL ESTATE SAYS CAN YOU NOTICE IS THE REAL DEAL? AND OUR MISSION IS VITAL. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE, HALF OF THIS KEELED FULL THING THAT THESE THIS BUT THE FOOD SEAT UNIQUE, THE KNICKS THAT ARE IN A BOWL OF PAINTING COACHING AND ABILITIES. AND I BELIEVE THAT IS WHAT YOU THINK. YOU KNOW, THE COMPANY DOING SOME OF THESE THIS THAT MAYBE THEN THEY'LL HAVE THE SPEED IS HOW TO DO IT. >> CAN YOU HONESTLY ACKNOWLEDGES SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO MAKE THIS EFFORT? >> BUT I'VE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT I'VE BEEN CALLED TO DO MORE. AND I REALLY BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOU COMBINE YOUR KNOWLEDGE, YOUR TRAJECTORY WITH A PURPOSE THAT WILL DRIVE YOU AND A VISION THAT WILL MAKE YOU PASSION US THEN PROFITS JUST COME BY >> THEY COME ON THEIR OWN LUCY Q WHERE SHE'S KNOWN TO MANY SAYS SHE'S PLEASED TO PUT HER COACHING TO THE TEST AND HELPING SMALL PLACES GROW BIGGER AND STRONGER. WITH VIDEOGRAPHY BY ANDREA MELENDEZ. THE WGCU YOUR NEWS.