East Pasco Networking Group
Upcoming speakers for the East Pasco Networking Group include Zephyrhills City Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson and Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe, who will speak at the March 9 meeting, and Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco, who will speak on March 23. The group meets at 7:30 a.m., at IHOP, at 13100 U.S. 301 in Dade City. For more information, call Nils Lenz at 813-782-9491 or Vicky Jones at 813-431-1149.
Business & Community Expo
Network with 40 Pasco County businesses and community organizations at the first annual Pasco Business & Community Expo at The Concourse on March 20 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Concourse is at 11919 Alric Pottberg Road in Shady Hills. Admission is $5 and includes a grand raffle entry ticket. Email for more information.
Women-owned businesses
How resilient are women entrepreneurs feeling during COVID-19?
A study by FreshBooks reveals that women entrepreneurs are being harder hit by the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19.
Here are some of the key findings of the study:
- On average, women-owned businesses are taking nearly three times longer to recover from the financial setbacks brought on by COVID-19 compared to businesses owned by men.
- Self-employed women in industries that rebounded quickly are still under-indexing and recovering much slower than their male counterparts (for example, the construction industry).
- Nearly 60% of women say it will take them longer than six months to recover their business to previous COVID levels, compared to 47% of men.
- Industries with predominantly women-owned businesses (e.g., education, social assistance, etc.), were among the hardest hit industries during social distancing regulations.
- Women are more likely to be caring for children or the elderly during the pandemic.
The Business Resiliency During COVID-19 study combines survey data from 2,200 FreshBooks U.S. customers with business data from over 10,000 small businesses in the United States. Survey responses were collected online between July and September 2020. The FreshBooks data science team examined a range of metrics (e.g., revenue, expenditures, invoice amounts) to infer the impact(s) of COVID-19 on overall business performance in aggregate, as well as by gender and industry.
FreshBooks is the No. 2 small business accounting software in America, with paying customers in 100+ countries.
Grocery spending
A new data study found that while most Americans are spending more on groceries than ever before, Florida saw no change in grocery spending.
TOP Data analyzed spending at grocery stores across Florida and found that the average annual grocery bill was the same in 2020, with the average person spending $4,580.
The study also revealed that the biggest increase in spending has been on spirits, which was 33% higher in 2020 than in 2019.
Spending on meat jumped by 16%, with the meat alternatives subcategory seeing a 34% spike. The biggest subcategory increase was storage, which saw a huge 605% increase.
Key Findings from TOP Data’s study:
- There was a 9.4% increase in annual grocery spend in 2020.
- 33 states have increased their grocery bill during the pandemic.
- The average American spent $4,442 on groceries in 2020.
- People of Florida spent the same amount on grocery in 2020 compared to 2019.
TOP Data analyzed weekly spending data of 900,000 Americans. This spending was mapped to 55 grocery retailers, including Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Safeway, Kroger, Albertsons, Wegmans and Publix Super Markets, and others.
The data was cross-checked with publicly available information from each organization, and any correction provided was incorporated into the report.
Viewing this information in concert, TOP determined the weekly purchases at each merchant over the last 15 months by state.
16 million meals, and counting
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs distributed more than 16 million home-delivered meals last year following the onset of COVID-19. That number represents an increased distribution of over 200% for nearly five months, compared to the number of meals served during periods of non-emergency, according to a news release from the department.
As the department and the Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) increased the number of home-delivered meals, the Aging Network simultaneously partnered with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association to launch Feeding Older Floridians Restaurant Meal Initiative that contributed over 3.5 million meals to Florida seniors during the same time period.
Now, the department is reinforcing the successful home-delivered meal programs. An additional $12.7 million in federal funding has been distributed to the 11 AAAs throughout the state, to address the needs of older Floridians who remain affected by COVID-19.
“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our restaurants have stepped up to help fill the critical need for senior meals, and the extension of this program will continue to allow seniors to have increased access to hot, nutritious meals from the safety of their home while simultaneously helping to support Florida’s restaurants,” Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, said in the release.
The additional funding will allow extension of various meal delivery projects including the Feeding Older Floridians Restaurant Meal Initiative, drive-through meals, and grab-and-go meals for older adults who remain homebound.
Seven productivity hacks to help small businesses
The Better Business Bureau has published a list of seven tips aimed at helping small businesses succeed. In a nutshell, here are the tips:
- Know when to delegate. You are just one person; you can’t do everything.
- Set goals and track progress. Make lists of tasks you need to complete and keep track of how you are doing. Having a plan for each day and each week reduces the amount of time you waste.
- Work in time blocks. After setting your goals for the day, schedule a time for each task. For instance, if you schedule an hour to answer emails, stop doing that task after an hour and move on to the next thing on your list. Don’t forget to schedule in some 10-minute breaks.
- Avoid multi-tasking. Very few people can do more than one task at a time (Research says just 2.5%). Do one task at a time, and give it your full attention.
- Have short, impactful meetings. Every meeting should have a clear agenda.
- Hire the right people. It’s easier to delegate when you have the right people on the job. When choosing new team members, take your time to make sure the candidate is a good fit.
- Automate processes. Take a good look at your company. Automate, when possible.
For more information, visit BBB.org/smallbusiness.
