Over 40 small business owners came together last week for a business expo at the Southwest Florida Enterprise Center in the Dunbar neighborhood of Fort Myers.<\/p>\n
The purpose of the event was for new entrepreneurs to showcase their products and services, and network with other small business owners and customers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can help grow the community that lives here year round and support the businesses that are here, I\u2019m gonna do that 10 times out of 10,\u201d Andrew Winland, co-founder of 3D Entertainment and event organizer, said.<\/p>\n
Located on the edge of the Dunbar neighborhood of Fort Myers, the Southwest Florida Enterprise Center exists to accelerate the growth of local small businesses. The center offers office spaces, strategic mentorship, and other related business services.<\/p>\n
Martin Byrd, Operations Manager at the Enterprise Center, says the proximity to areas like Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres and Downtown Fort Myers make the center an ideal location for people to start and grow a business.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey [small businesses] can transform this area,\u201d Byrd said. \u201cAnytime somebody starts a small business, they\u2019re creating a job which is stimulating the economy and creating a way for them to support their family\u201d<\/p>\n
For many small business owners, their business is their only source of income. That\u2019s why Byrd believes networking is critical for their success.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have this rule that whenever I go to a conference, if I get one thing that I can take back and apply, it was a valuable time for me,\u201d Byrd said. \u201cYou may be able to say \u2018I just met this person\u2019 and at the time you may not need that person, but in nine months, that relationship can become valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nadaud Jacques-Louis is one of the Enterprise Center\u2019s newest business owners. She launched her Caribbean cuisine food truck during last week\u2019s business expo.<\/p>\n
Her path to becoming a small business owner began after Hurricane Ian in 2022, when Jacques-Louis started to prepare and distribute food in her community from her car. That led to her realizing that she would be needing a bigger vehicle.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod blessed my hands to cook. I wanted to cook to feed the community,\u201d she said. \u201cBut then I\u2019m like, you know what? I can\u2019t go around and serve the whole neighborhood out of my trunk \u2014 I need a food truck!\u201d<\/p>\n
Eliannis Santiesteban is another new small business owner based in Cape Coral. She worked as a marine scientist until December 2025, when she left the lab and pivoted to selling handmade arts and crafts. As a new full-time craftsperson, Santiesteban believes her experiences at the business expo event can lead to better opportunities for her in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201c[The business expo] has been great for making connections,\u201d Santiesteban said. \u201c[Vendors] can learn from each other. I\u2019ve gotten a lot of tips and met a lot of people that can open a lot of doors for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Enterprise Center currently has 37 people in its business incubator program, 27 on the property and 10 virtually. But Byrd says that\u2019s not enough. He believes the issue is that up-and-coming entrepreneurs aren\u2019t aware of what resources are available to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 100 percent could benefit from more traffic,\u201d Byrd said. \u201cWe want to know that [small business owners] are out there and they want our support. We want to be a force multiplier for the work other organizations are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
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