ASSISTANCE ORGANIZATIONS
1201 Minuteman Street, Bldg. 423, Room C-110
Patrick Air Force Base, FL 32925
E-mail: linda.sherod@patrick.af.mil
Purpose: Counsel small businesses on how to do business with the Air Force at Patrick Air Force Base
Hours: Mon - Fri - 7:30 AM - 4:15 PM
Client Base/Fees: Serve all clients
Better Business Council (BBC) of the Melbourne-Palm Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
1005 E. Strawbridge Avenue
Melbourne, FL 32901
Ph: (321) 984-8454
Fx: (321) 725-2093
E-mail: bbc.melpb-chamber.org
Website: www.melpb-chamber.org
Contact: Chuck Galy or Lisa Rouede
Purpose: Provide membership referral services, free arbitration and consumer education
Resources: Member/complaint database
Meeting Date: Fourth Wednesday of each month at 8:00 a.m.
Client Base/Fees: Membership fees $150 per year. Qualifications to join include:
A current member in good standing of The Melbourne-Palm Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, properly licensed & insured, in business locally for at least six months, and no outstanding or unresolved complaints filed with the BBC against your business.
Brevard Community College Regional Small Business Development Center
3865 N. Wickham Road
Melbourne, FL 32935
Ph: (321) 433-5570 Fx: (321) 433-5708
E-mail: peakev@brevard.cc.fl.us
Website: www.brevard.cc.fl.us
Contact: Vicky Peake Ext. 5573 or Sandy Pfrimmer Ext. 5570
Purpose: Assist entrepreneurs through counseling, seminars, and workshops. Promote economic development by responding to the needs of small businesses in Brevard. Provide business professionals an opportunity to contribute to the community through volunteering as a consultant to business owners.
Resources: Counseling with certified volunteer business analysts, small group counseling, roundtables and training programs. Special international quality and electronic data interchange programs.
Meeting Dates: Various times at main college office and Melbourne-Palm Bay Area and Cocoa Beach Chambers.
Client Base/Fees: Assist business start-up and enhance existing businesses with FREE roundtables and coordinator counseling.
Brevard Manufacturers & Technology Association
751 North Drive
Melbourne, FL 32934
Ph: (321) 308-7265
Fx: (321) 308-7266
Website: www.brevardmta.com
E-mail: brevardmta@hotmail.com
Contact: Meg Vona
Purpose: To support and strengthen the manufacturing and high technology community of Brevard County.
Resources: Networking with other manufacturing and high technology companies and service providers, Internet WebPages Monthly Newsletter in Brevard Technical Journal.
Meeting Time: General meeting on third Tuesday of each quarter, 5:30 p.m. location varies.
Client Base/Fees: Any manufacturer or related business may join the association. Membership fees for manufacturing and high technology companies begin at $125 per year and depend on size of company. Membership fees for service providers are $300 per year.
Brevard Small Business Assistance Council
Hoyman Dobson & Company
215 Baytree Drive
Melbourne, FL 32940
Ph: (321) 255-0088
Contact: Debbie Bradley
Website: www.bsbac.org
Purpose: Promote the exchange of ideas, methods, experiences and general information among government agencies and contractor personnel in small business utilization programs.
Resources: Membership consists of federal, state, county, city, academic, legal, military or large private sector organizations interested in the development, operation, clarification, implementation and improvement of small business programs.
Meeting Time: Meet quarterly at various members’ facilities within Brevard County.
Brevard Workforce Development Board
1519 Clearlake Road, Suite A116
Cocoa, FL 32922
Ph: (321) 504-2060
Fx: (321) 504-2065
Website: http://www.brevardjoblink.org/
Contact: Linda South
Purpose: To facilitate and be the catalyst for training and educational services that are responsive to the employment needs of Brevard County.
Resources: Vocational/technical training; workforce development; business services; employee hiring; job preparation; resume writing; interview skills; employability skill training
Meeting Time: Board meeting - bimonthly, 3rd Friday, 8:30 a.m. at BCC Cocoa Administration Board Room.
Client Base/Fees: No charge for eligible customers; no charge for businesses hiring our customers
· Qualifications for Assistance: Laid-off workers or long-term unemployed; economically disadvantaged citizens and those with barriers to employment
Canaveral Port Authority and Foreign Trade Zone #136
P.O. Box 267
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
Ph: (321) 783-7831
Fx: (321) 783-6223
E-mail: portcan@aol.com
Website: www.portcanaveral.org
Contact: Dixie Sansom
Purpose: Operation of deep water port and Foreign Trade Zone
Resources: Deep Water Port with cargo and cruise facilities.
Meeting Time: Commission meets on 3rd Wednesday of each month at 2:00 p.m.
Client Base/Fees: Start up and existing international, domestic and FTZ businesses.
· Qualifications for Assistance: Desire for import/export information.
Central Florida Innovation Corporation (CFIC)
12424 Research Parkway, Suite 350
Orlando, FL 32826
Ph: (407) 277-5411
Fx: (407) 277-2182
E-mail: csantos@cfic.org
Website: www.cfic.org
Contact: Christa Santos
Purpose: Provide business assistance to start-up and existing companies in Brevard County.
Resources: S.W.O.T Analysis, Concept to Business Plan, Business Plan to Development, Product Development, Manufacturing Sales and Marketing.
