Orange County & Orlando launch new small business program

ORLANDO, Fla. — The city of Orlando and Orange County are each moving forward with a new program open to all small businesses.

This comes after last summer when diversity, equity and inclusion-focused programs abruptly ended across Central Florida, following executive orders from President Donald Trump.

That included the Minority and Women Business Enterprise Program in the county and the city. Now, Orange County’s new Small Business Enterprise program is in its place.

Orange County leaders have received more than 100 applications, many of those like Veronica Anderson, an attorney and owner at Anderson & Associates, who was in the previous program.

For years, Anderson had business with government contracts through Orange County, Orlando and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, but since they all abruptly ended, she has lost more than $100,000 in business.

“Normally I would get business to work with planners, architects, engineers, developers, who are doing maybe visioning plans for neighborhoods,” said Anderson. “I am just trying to pull all of my paperwork together so that I can apply.”

Sheena Ferguson, the business development manager at Orange County, says while there are many returning applicants, some are new.

“I am seeing things from engineering, from environmental, to services so it is a variety, so it means there is a lot more opportunities,” Ferguson said.

The goal is to have 15% of county contracts include a certified small business, keeping the money and business local.

“Once we get the firms certified probably in the summer, we will have, and we will start putting the language in the solicitations and at that time, we are going to look to see, do we have she’s available and if we do, we will set a goal on that specific solicitation,” Ferguson said.

One new applicant includes photographer Karen Kurta, owner of Karen K Photo.

“There are so many things I can help with. I can do property photography, I can do headshots,” said Kurta.

Kurta is getting her application together just like Anderson, adding to the growing list at Orange County to get certified.

“I would venture to say this [program] might be better than the old one so it remains to be seen. It depends how it is being implemented,” Anderson said.

For both the Orange County and city of Orlando programs, it is open to businesses located within the Orlando metropolitan statistical area, which includes Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties.

The applications are online, but for in-person help, there is a session the second Monday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon at the National Entrepreneur Center, where small business owners can talk to representatives from the county and the city to find out more.