Cover Story
SURVIVING SHRINKING ECONOMY
BUSINESS LEADERS
SHARE THEIR
STRATEGIES
Headwinds in housing and finance have held back the local economy, but they haven't blown away smart business owners. Those who are prepared for economic storms will outlast others vulnerable to sudden shifts in credit availability and investment opportunity. While inexperienced entrepreneurs need a fast-growing economy to do well, smart business owners will navigate the current recession without coming to a dead stop.
Change has come to America and American business. The historic decline in housing prices has clobbered the collateral value of mortgage loans and triggered a national surge in foreclosures, and many banks have responded by tightening their lending policies. read more...
Features
FILLING A NICHE
BERNARD WOLFSON HAS A KNACK FOR
BRINGING MID-PRICED LODGINGS TO THE RIGHT PLACE
AT THE RIGHT TIME
Hotel developer Bernard Wolfson's formula for real estate success is an astute variant on the conventional wisdom that declares the three most important factors in real estate are location, location, and location. read more...
CityWatch
VIRTUAL VISIT
Companies looking to relocate or expand to Miami can get a good look at potential locations with a click of the mouse, thanks to new street-level imaging technology available through The Beacon Council's website. The service, available only to companies who are working with the Council in their process of evaluating Miami-Dade County, provides high-density 360- degree views in a format similar to driving down the street. Users can also view surrounding neighborhoods and explore other areas of the county.. read more...
the observer
EASY COME, EASY GO.
OR MAYBE NOT SO EASY’Äî BUT GOOD IN THE END.
This month's issue offers some wise words from local business leaders on how to survive these challenging times. Beyond the financial aspects of the recession, however, most Americans are feeling a heightened sense of anxiety;. read more...
Straight Talk
As the world turns
A few predictions for the new year
Manny Diaz Goes To Washington. Unfortunately for Diaz, it will be as a tourist after he is passed over for a Cabinet position in the Obama administration because of complaints registered by the AFL-CIO over Diaz's treatment of union demonstrators during the 2003 FTAA Summit in Miami. read more...
Letters
City Responds to Critics
In response to Stuart Sorg's letter, 'Waterfront Inaction,' in your November issue, the City of Miami wishes to clarify that after three years of planning efforts and more than 40 public meetings, the Coconut Grove Waterfront Master Plan was approved by the Planning and Waterfront Advisory Boards, and the City Commission, in July 2008.. read more...