South Florida is marked down for companies looking for a new home

A corporate relocation study gives South Florida high marks in terms of affordability. Low taxes and depressed real estate prices help. The recession hammered South Florida’s housing and labor markets more than most, leaving at least one bright side amid the damage. Companies now find the region a cheaper place to do business. Thanks largely […]

Fort Lauderdale postmark soon to be history as postal centers close

Say goodbye to that smudgy black postmark reading “Fort Lauderdale.” Bid farewell also to speedier delivery of mail, at least outside South Florida. In an effort to address budget woes from a severe decline in mail volume, the U.S. Postal Service is closing Broward County’s two massive mail processing centers and shifting operations to a […]

Hispanic-owned marketing agencies grow in size, scope

Alma is a Hispanic advertising agency in Miami helping Americans see Latin culture in a new light. Consider an English-language TV commercial called Disfruta that Alma produced for McDonald’s to promote the restaurant chain’s fruit smoothie beverages: The 30-second spot shows a crowd of young Latinos and Latinas throwing paint-filled balloons at each other in […]

David Beall beallberry, llc Pinkberry Franchise

Just wanted to thank you for your help, and responsiveness with both me and Jayson. ALSO, your technology is UNMATCHED, we are very happy with our service and the results, thus plan to FULLY leave our AT&T DSL down at our other PINKBERRY (in Pinecrest Florida), and in addition we are opening two new pinkberry […]

The Whole Enchilada expanding in Fort Lauderdale

A building that was once an auto repair shop and before that a gas station, will soon be converted into a full-service Mexican restaurant on Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. The Whole Enchilada, a fresh Mexican grille restaurant, is opening its second location there in the coming months. The 1,200-square-foot space just north of Broward […]

Fort Lauderdale-New York among the few routes fliers will find summer deals

In a summer travel season with mostly higher airfares, the Fort Lauderdale to New York route will be one of the few that will cost less this year than last. Travel between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International and New York often ranks among the busiest routes in the nation, and 17.2 percent of the airport’s flights are […]

While others struggle, 1st United Bank of Boca Raton thrives

While many Florida banks have struggled or failed, Boca Raton-based 1st United Bank is thriving. It’s buying other state banks, has plenty of capital and is known for strong, experienced management. Since the financial crisis hit in 2008, 1st United has raised money twice on Wall Street and bought four small Florida banks, including Anderen […]

Plan to park in South Florida? Raid the piggy bank

Jay Rooney seeks out street spots, takes public transportation and stays away from valet — anything he can do to avoid the high cost of parking. “I love downtown, I love Brickell. I don’t go as often as I would just because parking is too crazy,” said the 27-year-old. “I used to work on the […]

Cyber-spying on the rise

When Linda Trottman’s husband landed a promotion at his company, a co-worker congratulated her on it a few days later. Trottman says she hadn’t even realized her colleague monitored her husband’s profile on LinkedIn, a professional-networking site, where he had posted his new title. “It hit me that he was targeting my husband’s previous position,” […]

Sales of Miami Marlins merchandise off to a strong start

Apparently no one wants to be the only fan in the stands wearing an old Florida Marlins jersey. Sales of Miami Marlins shirts, jerseys and hats at the first three games in the new ballpark eclipsed total sales last season, said Sean Flynn, senior vice president of marketing for the Marlins. “The fans have fallen […]

IBM chooses Miami for prestigious SmartCamp

Only two cities in the country — Miami and New York City — were chosen for this prestigious regional event in the technology startup world. SmartCamp KickStart Miami, with the theme of healthcare, will take place May 15 at Florida International University. The event will include a competition of startups in the healthcare space, keynote […]

3 hospitals rapped for McDonald’s in lobby

South Florida’s three largest hospitals came under fire Tuesday for letting McDonald’ssell burgers and fries on their premises, a few floors from where they perform heart surgery and treat sick children. The nonprofit consumer group Corporate Accountability International sent letters to Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Jackson Memorial […]

South Florida couples spending more on weddings as businesses vow to keep costs low

Heather Yurovsky, 28, recently got married at the Grove Isle Hotel, determined to have her dream wedding, complete with an enormous cake, a nine-piece band, fireworks, crystal candelabras and a sit-down dinner. But as both the anticipated and unexpected costs piled up — there was that sound system for the ceremony and her hotel room […]

DEA inspects 6 Walgreens in oxycodone probe

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said on Friday it is inspecting six Walgreens pharmacies and its distribution center in Florida, after the agency noticed a jump in purchases of the highly addictive pain killer oxycodone. The DEA issued inspection warrants on Wednesday to Walgreens’ distribution center in Jupiter and to stores in Hudson, Port Richey, […]

Lauderdale maritime school trains cruise ship staff to fight fires at sea

Two recent fires aboard cruise ships raise the question of how crews are prepared to battle potentially fatal blazes at sea. Schools like the Resolve Maritime Academy in Fort Lauderdale make it their mission to train seafarers for such events. Its firefighting and marine safety courses are designed to equip ship crew with the know-how […]

Miami event helps small firms start free websites

Hundreds of small business owners showed up Tuesday for the first of two days of free workshops and tutorials at the Florida Get Your Business Online event organized by search engine Google in Miami. The goal: to help entrepreneurs set up a site; teach them how to grow their business online and show them how […]

PortMiami eyes commercial development, yacht marina

With three big construction projects underway — a truck tunnel, a deep dredge and a rail link — the Port of Miami is steaming ahead to sharpen its competitive edge. But those pricey upgrades are just the start, as downtown Miami’s little island port dreams big about its future. A new 25-year master plan reveals […]

VoIP Service for Business

Next to email, the telephone is one of the most important tools for business communications. The transition to digital computer technology has revolutionized nearly all aspects of business. Now the digital age has come to telephone communications as well. Businesses of all sizes can benefit from switching to an Internet Telephone service, known as VoIP […]

Better Business Broadband

Two common mistakes that businesses make when selecting a broadband Internet provider are; not planning for their future communication needs, and not shopping around to find the best technology, service and price to meet their needs. As a result, they sometimes choose the wrong provider. It is important to consider what your technology needs will […]