March 8, 2010

MAKE YOURSELF COUNT; CENSUS FORMS TO GO OUT MARCH 15 -- The U.S. Census Bureau will mail census questionnaires to more than 120 million households in the United States March 15. Residents are required by law to complete and return the forms by April 1. The federal government will use the population data to determine how to allocate more than $400 billion a year to state and local governments. Data also will be used to draw school districts, establish state legislative districts and determine how many seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2000, 67 percent of Volusia County residents returned their census forms. We need to do better this time. For more information, visit www.volusiacounts.org.

FLORIDA ISN’T LOSING PEOPLE – In case you thought Florida is losing population, that’s not the case. The most recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau show that Florida actually gained 114,000 residents from July 2008 to July 2009. While 31,000 more people moved out of Florida than moved here, births outnumbered deaths in the state by about 58,000, and international in-migration brought another 87,000 residents. The net result is that Florida gained more than 100,000 people. These statistics show that Florida’s population is younger than assumed, as shown by the greater number of births than deaths. In addition, Florida remains a desired destination on the world map. Last year’s domestic out-migration trend could reverse itself quickly if a recovering economy prompts northerners to resume moving south.

SMALL BUSINESSES AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF ECONOMY -- A new report from the SBA Office of Advocacy stresses the importance of creating an environment that supports the creation of a wide spectrum of startup companies, and that small businesses play an important role in our labor market. This is evidenced by the fact that from 1993 to mid-2008 small businesses created 65 percent of the net new jobs in the private sector. Further analysis indicates that 31 percent of those jobs came from startups and the remaining 69 percent were from firms of all sizes that expanded.

STARTING A SMALL BUSINESS? HERE’S A RESOURCE -- Florida Trend and the Division of Corporations have a website that has the latest information on running a small business in Florida. The site includes dba Florida; Preparing a Business Plan; Choosing a Legal Structure; Forms, Permits and Licenses; Links to SBDC Offices in Florida, and much more. The site is http://www.floridatrend.com/small_biz.asp

MORE THAN 3,000 VOLUSIA JOBS TIED TO FORESTRY -- Forestry plays a significant role in Volusia’s economy. Volusia has 707,800 acres, 65 percent of which are forests. Crops account for 4 percent, and pasture 16 percent. Private landowners own 82 percent. Forest industry companies account for 9 percent and 9 percent are in public ownership. The tree industry provides more than 1,100 direct jobs; another 2,300 indirectly. Payroll receipts surpass $21 million.

TWO VOLUSIA CHARITIES GIVEN TOP FOUR STAR RATINGS -- Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.org) is a nonprofit group that evaluates charities on their organizational efficiency and how well they can sustain their programs and services. Locally, the LPGA Foundation in Daytona Beach and Global Servants Ministries in Orange City recently received the highest four-star rating. These are two of the 109 charities in Florida to have been so rated.

FLORIDA TAX CLIMATE AS GOOD AS THE WEATHER -- The Tax Foundation recently released its State Business Tax Climate Index for 2010. The index considers state corporate tax, individual state income tax, sales tax, unemployment tax, and property tax. Based on these factors, the Tax Foundation ranked Florida fifth best tax climate in the United States.

PUMP UP THOSE TIRES FOR FUEL SAVINGS -- Properly inflated tires could improve your gas mileage by up to three percent. The average American who drives 12,000 per year could save about 16 gallons of gasoline annually.

NEWS ITEMS WANTED! – Please send your business news items to Dave Byron, Volusia County Community Information Director, 123 W. Indiana Ave., DeLand, 32720-4612, by fax at (386) 822-5072 or by e-mail at dbyron@co.volusia.fl.us

Department of Economic Development
700 Catalina Drive, Suite 200, Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Telephone: 386-248-8048   FAX: 386 238-4761   Toll Free: 800-554-3801