LAKELAND, Fla. — More and more people are moving to Lakeland and bringing their business ideas with them.
In 2022, Benny Smith, owner of Granny Mac Beverage Co., took his grandmother’s sweet tea recipe and turned it into a business.
“She’s 92 years old. She’s been making this tea for us for over 25 years,” Smith said.
Granny Mac Beverage is currently available at 10 convenience stores and restaurants around Lakeland.
“Mango cranberry is our flagship product. It’s the first thing my grandma actually brought to my family,” Smith said.
Smith said the Tampa Bay Black Business Investment Corporation has allowed him to take small businesses to the next level.
“They’ve helped me a lot. The resources they provide just show new companies how to properly scale their company,” he said.
The Lakeland Chamber of Commerce said there has been a significant increase in African American and Latino entrepreneurs as people are rapidly moving to the city.
Amy Wiggins, CEO of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, said: “We have recently introduced services such as the Black Business Investment Corporation and Prospera USA in the past year to expand into the region. “We are now supporting entrepreneurs even more.”
They support entrepreneurs like Natalia Calderon, who started a web design business last year.
“I work closely with my clients to design visually stunning websites and customize them to fit their brand identity and target audience,” said Natalia Calderon, owner of Natalia Calderon Design. I am.
Small business owners believe it’s an exciting time to be an entrepreneur in Lakeland.
“The community has been great. We support a lot of Hispanic business owners,” Calderon said.
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