They may have just been movie characters, but Jerry McGuire and Rod Tidwell would be proud.
After a successful “Getting Down to Business in St. Cloud” event in April 2024, the City of St. Cloud Economic Development Department hosted a “Show Me the Money” business finance expo on Tuesday.
“This effort came from the input we received from the April event. We wanted to show all of the different commercial options for business financing, including different types of loans available, such as for capital equipment, and startup costs,” said Antranette Forbes, the city’s Economic Development Director.
Over 25 different financial institutions, non-profit lenders, agencies that provide business development and coaching, and other business resources were on hand to greet the many small business owners and entrepreneurs attending during the mid-morning.
“While we provide lending, as a Community Development Financial Institution, we also provide financial and business management consulting to our clients. We are more like a financial partner to our customers,” said Karlon Johnson, a community loan development officer for BBIF.
Also on hand was Prospera, an economic development, nonprofit organization specializing in providing bilingual assistance to Hispanic entrepreneurs. Another exhibitor was Operation Hope, which is also a nonprofit that strives for financial literacy for all, with specialized programs for a variety of financial situations, including financial recovery after a disaster, and a focus on youth and young adults.
Several exhibiting credit unions, including United Community Credit Union, indicated they were looking to expand into high-growth Osceola County. MidFlorida Credit Union, which has a branch in Buenaventura Lakes, is actively searching for real estate in St. Cloud to open a branch.
Oct. 9, the St. Cloud’s Economic Development Department is hosting a no-cost webinar on “How to do Business with Florida’s Turnpike and the Orlando Airport.” The webinar starts at 10 a.m., and participants can register at https://bit. ly/3XAAvbu. More information on business information and resources in St. Cloud can be found at https://bit.ly/3zgjDPe.
