New coalition unites South Manatee business community

MANATEE COUNTY — Local businessman Gregg Anderson is determined to help local businesses help themselves.

And to that end, he has launched the South Manatee Business Coalition, an organization dedicated to creating a unique identity for South Manatee County and create a positive business environment in the area.

The coalition, which launched Sept. 17, announced its new board of directors late last month.

Anderson, the coalition’s chairman, wants to promote broad-market initiatives focused on increasing revenue and creating jobs through the growth of small businesses. The coalition will use a unique electronic media platform that includes search engine marketing, brand development and more to allow member companies to market and promote their businesses and products while generating sales leads.

“This program is built to strengthen the businesses that are here first,” Anderson said. “It’s all about how do we promote the business? We can either pull together or we can tell each business they’re on their own.”

The idea for the coalition developed while Anderson was helping Manatee County Commissioner Robin DiSabatino with her District 4 campaign two years ago. One day as he looked out his office window, he realized there were hundreds of businesses around him tied to a geographic area without a sense of identity.

Anderson decided to pursue his idea for unifying those businesses, after DiSabatino was elected, about a year ago. The coalition’s coverage area, which includes the 34203, 34208 and 34243 zip codes, among others, stretches east to Interstate 75, south past University Parkway, north to the Manatee River and west of U.S. 301.

“These zip codes really represent the industrial and commercial core of Manatee County,” Anderson said. “We have all the elements of a metro location.”

After evaluating the services offered by other business organizations, Anderson decided to focus on using the Internet to improve business for coalition members.

Anderson’s company, Digital Image Business Solutions, has been working to develop an electronic media platform to help create an identity for South Manatee businesses and to showcase each member’s specific products on a local, regional and national level, in part by providing each coalition member with its own landing page, as well as other tools.

Anderson also said the coalition is working to secure funding for a software platform over the next month, and soon will be developing a comprehensive marketing strategy for the organization.

Moving forward, the coalition will offer two educational seminars for members annually, as well as annual online and physical trade shows and other events.

For more information, visit www.smbusinesscoalition.org.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

By the Bumbers
7— Number of zip codes represented by the Coalition.
18.7 — Percentage of Manatee County businesses that have sales of more than $500,000 annually.
92.8 — Percentage of Manatee County businesses that have 10 employees or less
9,941 — Number of businesses located within the South Manatee Business Coalition’s boundaries.