Time to Say Goodbye
Well, this is it.
I have “retired” and moved to Ocala, and I can’t think of a way to attend the networking meetings from 5 hours away. So this is the end of the Business Buzz website.
It has been a wonderful 7 years for me, first writing this weekly in the Miami Herald, and then on this MiamiBusinessGroups.com website for the past three years. I have made many friends, and it is hard to leave.
I want to give special thanks to my silent partners in this website, Carol Simicich of Artege.com and technology consultant Wilson Alvarez.
Wilson had the idea of moving the column to a website when the Herald column ended, and I was reluctant. But he convinced me and provided the domain name from the more than 1,000 he owns, and he has been an important part of making this a success.
Carol designed the website and maintained it over the years, making it easy for me. If you like the Business Buzz website, send business to Carol.
Thanks, also, to Karen Nercess of All Star Event Photography, the photographer for so many of the business groups, for providing the special photos that I needed to go with the column.
I also want to thank the advertisers, over there on the left, for supporting this website, and the leadership of the various business organizations for making me welcome and providing me with the information that I have shared with you.
In particular, Mary Scott Russell of Chamber South, Jorge Pena of the West Kendall Business Association, Larry Barditch of the Pinecrest Business Association and Eleanor Winhold of the Palmetto Bay Business Association. Thanks, also, to Liede DeValdivielso, the incoming chair in Palmetto Bay, for selling our house in a month! It’s her fault that I had to move away and can’t write the column anymore.
A special thanks also to Michael and Grant Miller and David Berkowitz at Community Newspapers for offering the public a print version of this web column. It extended the readership to many more people and, let’s face it, people like seeing their picture in the newspaper!
I was hoping to find a replacement to take over the website before this sad day arrived, but it did not happen. Maybe sometime in the future. I do hope that someone steps up to fill the void, since this has been the only place where business people can find out what’s going on in the networking groups. I know the Herald is working on something, but I don’t know if it will ever be real.
I turn MiamiBusinessGroups.com back to Wilson to recycle. I think he will leave this goodbye message up for awhile until everyone knows about it, and then perhaps use it for another purpose. But if you ever need to access an old column in the archives, Carol will maintain this website at her www.artege.com website as an example of her work, so you can find it there. Also, I think it will continue to be available at www.edgorin.com.
So now I have gotten active in the Ocala chamber and I’m on the marketing committee and we have a meeting coming up about an idea I had for the chamber to do a new resident mailing with coupons from members. Maybe I will start a Business Buzz website here! I think Wilson already has OcalaBusinessGroups.com waiting for me!
To all of you who have been so supportive over the years, thank you for your friendship. I will miss you. Please keep in touch.