Clearwater Business SPARK Announces Newest Partner

From the City of Clearwater Public Communications:

February 4 2020

CLEARWATER, FL - Clearwater Business SPARK is proud to announce Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council as its newest partner to support entrepreneurs and small business owners.

As a partner of Clearwater Business SPARK, Florida State Minority Supplier
Development Council's team assists business owners in becoming a certified
Minority Business Enterprise, provides opportunities to receive technical
assistance, national/international market access, access to educational
programming and matchmaking events and much more.

Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council joins network partners
Amplify Clearwater, Florida Small Business Development Center at Pinellas
County Economic Development, the city of Clearwater's Economic Development and Housing Department, Clearwater Public Library System, Pinellas County SCORE, St. Petersburg College, Prospera and Tampa Bay Black Business Investment Corporation in fostering the development of businesses throughout the region.

Clearwater Business SPARK is a network of service providers dedicated to small
business development, entrepreneurship and innovation. The network offers
customized solutions to support its clients in every stage of development
offering one-on-one mentoring, coaching, seminars, workshops, market research tools, and other business development resources, many in both English and Spanish.

Clearwater Business SPARK also offers free access to hands-on tools and
workshops through Studios@Main and Studios@Countryside, unique maker studios located within the Clearwater Library System. The maker studios can be used to design, prototype, and create works using library equipment, software and shared resources such as 3-D printers, design and production software, audio and video equipment, and green screens.

"We are thrilled to expand the Clearwater Business SPARK network to include
Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council. The Council helps us meet
a need in the community to support minority-owned businesses," said Denise
Sanderson, the city of Clearwater's director of Economic Development and
Housing and Clearwater Business SPARK Executive Committee Co-chair. "With 45 years serving the Florida market, The Council has the expertise to support the growth of small businesses throughout Clearwater."

Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council was founded in 1975 by the
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Miami Progress Foundation for the purpose of fostering the development of minority-owned businesses throughout South Florida. The Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council is one of 23 affiliate councils of the National Minority Supplier Development Council. The Council is a liaison between corporate America and government agencies and Minority Business Enterprises whose goal is to increase purchasing from minority businesses by corporations and government entities, while increasing Minority Business Enterprise's operating capacity through hands-on business assistance, training and access to technology and capital resources.

"We are excited about our partnership with the Clearwater Business SPARK. The
partnership will help us to continue to link corporations and government
agencies with Minority Business Enterprises in order to foster business
development and expansion," said Beatrice Louissaint, president & CEO of the
Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council.

To learn more about Clearwater Business SPARK, visit
ClearwaterBusinessSPARK.com, call (727) 443-0217 or email at
info@ClearwaterBusinessSPARK.com. To learn more about the Florida State
Minority Supplier Development Council, visit fsmsdc.org or call (305) 762-6151.

This press release was produced by the City of Clearwater Public Communications. The views expressed here are the author’s own.