Sarasota - Start a Business, Retire, Or Both


Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Florica was crowned America’s best seashore. Sarasota is a great place to start a business, or retire, or both, which is what my wife and I have done.

Here are some of the attaboys that have come our way over the past few years:

• Money Magazine calls Sarasota-Manatee one of the “Best Places to Live and Launch a Business.”

• Money Magazine, CNBC and Portfolio.com each awarded Sarasota-Manatee their top designation as “Best Place to Retire.”

• Money Magazine named Sarasota-Manatee the “Best Place to Retire Young.”



Sarasota Economic Development




Green energy composite materials manufacturer 5D Composite Inc. to create 120 jobs with move to Sarasota County from Canada


5D Composite Inc., based in Ontario, Canada, plans to relocate part of its manufacturing operation to Sarasota County in 2011 and create 120 jobs over five years, according to Mark Huey, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota.

Municipal Gift Catalog


Gift Catalog for a Community













You can create a simple Gift Catalog for your community. The Gift Catalog can be a simple one page flyer. You simply provide a way for a citizen who wishes to give a gift to the public a way to send money or real estate to the Village Clerk. 

The following is sample language for your own community gift catalog. Adjust the gifts to fit your community and add your own logo and graphics. Please feel free to use it.
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GIFT CATALOG
            Citizens can give gifts for public improvements for the people of their community. The gifts will enhance the community while providing a way for citizens to memorialize a loved one. The following are some possible gifts and estimated costs.

Trees $ 350
Park Benches $ 500
Landscaping, Evergreens, Flowers, Trees $ 750
Ornamental Lighting $ 2,500
Sculpture and Outdoor Art $ 20,000
Jogging, Bike and Nature Trails $ 100,000
Parks and Nature Preserves $ 700,000
City Hall Park Improvements with small fountain $ 900,000
Streetscape & Beautification $ 2,000,000
Swimming Lagoon Pool / Skating Rink $ 3,000,000
Farm $ 5,000,000


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The Village Manager of Beecher, Illinois just advised me that a citizen gave the Village $50,000 for a Veterans Memorial. The Village used that gift as the match for another State $50,000.   Nice to see the Gift Catalog work.