Month: August 2022

This story was originally published in the Fayetteville Observer.

FAYETTEVILLE, NC — From a young age, Chris Cruz had a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit.

He sold chocolate bars in elementary school. In middle school, he’d bring Capri Suns to sell to classmates for $1.

“I guess I kind of always wanted to be my own boss,” said Cruz, who medically separated from the Army at Fort Bragg last month.

The path to becoming his own boss continued with joining the Army — something he knew he wanted to be in since he was 5.

“I was born in Guam, before moving to Kentucky, and most people from Guam pretty much joined the military to get off the island,” he said. “But I joined for the service, too. Most of my family has been military.”

Cruz’s time in the Army led him to create his business, Anubis Design Groupin

The entire country is still reeling from the impact of the pandemic. Fortunately, businesses from Washington to Connecticut are eligible for small business grants to ease the burden. This week, several state and local governments and organizations launched new initiatives to support small businesses. Read about the latest small business recovery grants below.

Working Washington Grants

Washington State currently has about $70 million in recovery grant funding available for small businesses. The state has already provided more than $500 million in grants throughout the past two years. But the Working Washington grant program is still open for struggling businesses like entertainment venues, restaurants, hotels, and shops. The online application portal for this latest funding round opens August 17 and closes August 31.

Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant Program

The Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant Program supports Alabama businesses that received federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)

As a small business owner funding is an ever-present challenge. With that in mind, public, private, and nonprofit organizations are always looking to provide help by addressing issues of small businesses face. From grants to revolving loans, and tax credits, there are many options small business owners can take advantage of. The key is finding the best solution that will fit your particular set of challenges and applying accordingly to have a better chance of getting these funds.

In addition to grants, this week there are tax credits and revolving loans that are available across the country. So, take a look at what is available and apply to the grants you qualify for.

With grants starting at $5,000 and going all the way up to $50,000, communities across the US are offering financial help to small businesses. This includes everything from Strategic Initiatives Community Grant program to new brick-and-mortar business

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Another property insurance company announced Thursday it will be pausing new business in Florida “until further notice” amid the state’s ongoing homeowners insurance crisis.

According to a news release obtained by 8 On Your Side Investigative Reporter Mahsa Saeidi, American Traditions Insurance Company will temporarily stop taking new business starting next week. The pause impacts homeowners insurance policies, condo unit owners policies and dwelling policies often used by landlords.

In the release, the company noted that the changes are being made “in order to manage our exposure and remain consistent with our growth projections.”

The changes made to business are effective immediately, according to American Traditions. However, the company said it would honor any eligible quotes that were previously saved through the end of business day Aug. 5.

American Traditions is just the latest of

On the 54th anniversary of the first manned landing on the moon, Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Mattel plans announced to conquer a new universe…toys.

The companies offered few details of their plans or products, which leaves open the possibility that one of the items could be an action figure of the world’s richest man.

It was probably only a matter of time before toy SpaceX rockets and space stations hit the toy store shelves. There is, after all, a Tesla (TSLA) – Get Tesla Inc. Report kids cyberquad selling for $1,900.

Toy producer Mattel (MAT) – Get Mattel Inc. Report announced that it has inked a multiyear deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The very brief press release says that a line of toys and collectibles is to be released under Mattel’s Matchbox brand in 2023 but stays silent on precise timelines, product details and prices.

“We

CBRE Group, the world’s largest commercial real estate brokerage, pushed to develop new business in the second quarter as it predicts a recession by year’s end that could disrupt portions of the industry.

The firm’s forecast for the second half of the year — an economic slowdown in the third quarter followed by a recession in the fourth quarter — comes after CBRE reported the highest net per-share increase in stockholder equity in its history. Equity increased more than a third to $1.83 per share in the second quarter from a year earlier, revenue rose 20% to nearly $7.8 billion, and it boosted its expectations on per-share earnings for later this year.

“All three business segments posted double-digit revenue and segment operating profit growth, despite the significant currency headwinds that affected all US-based global companies,” Bob Sulentic, president and CEO of Dallas-based CBRE, told investors during Thursday’s earnings call. He