[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6229327,"mediaKeyId","3464124-a206f9dcb5bb5f8e1be27b0dfb662928","parentId",3464124,"title","Delray Beach Fire Rescue presents business continuity guide as hurricanes threaten local firms","audioSeconds",103,"startMs",2205000,"endMs",2308000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3464124-a206f9dcb5bb5f8e1be27b0dfb662928&start=2205&end=2308","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3464124-a206f9dcb5bb5f8e1be27b0dfb662928/thumbnail_2205000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6229327/Delray-Beach/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Delray-Beach-Fire-Rescue-presents-business-continuity-guide-as-hurricanes-threaten-local-firms","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229327-801cf08677a353dcc8821aa61eb92d12/orig.mp4?Expires=1775892308&Signature=cihoKpgtzJH5P7aWQmKaEzKAmmuDgt-ZcJ49XPEZC10QQcblB6fl-MZG~ohy52i5F53e5XMn0e52x74RyemcVC-fT51r4i6luuMbslYUIrCGDJbi9F0rngUASMhuucrFFXHfZFJUFZnNGW7H1iq0OPlOde27un6D~~juB2aFQteTGWTIgDbKpyw4PZcZq6RNo6dOLX1l5nKGNFN0b7L1uxKcc1-MW6DdxuyUNHM9re07fBsuQhAnZnplIvP4RD8XM5cBDPkQLR2eH0VGYBfEwCzA5ROKAav8hlAsY4qUr61s1z8zSJ8h7Iekw1CSnbGt~1P~0Vi24npHJi~JxqrMAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Delray Beach, FL","date","2025-05-23T15:24:56.177Z","article","Delray Beach emergency management staff presented a business continuity guide for hurricanes at the Small Business Expo and encouraged firms to prepare written plans to reduce the risk of permanent closure after storms.

David Garcia, assistant chief of emergency management and homeland security, said the guide provides checklists and recovery resources and is available in print at the Fire Rescue table and online. “We have a community guide that...takes you straight to the emergency management website,” he said, pointing attendees to QR codes and printouts.

Garcia warned of the consequences of inaction: “40 to 50% of businesses, actually will shut down post storm if we don't have a plan of inaction,” he said, urging owners to develop pre‑storm, during‑storm and post‑storm plans. Materials referenced federal and state resources, including ready.gov and the Florida Department of Emergency Management, for preparedness and recovery planning.

Expo organizers said emergency-management staff would remain at a back table to answer questions and distribute business cards and printouts. The presentation emphasized worker safety, contact lists, recovery steps, and sources of assistance after a hurricane.

The city advised attendees to take the guide, scan the QR code at the event to access digital materials, and consult Fire Rescue staff for follow-up questions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Delray Beach 2025 Small Business Expo","oneSentenceSummary","Fire Rescue and emergency management staff briefed small businesses at the Expo on a hurricane business continuity guide, distribution of print and digital resources, and post-storm recovery assistance.","taxTitle","Delray Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida","taxId",5598,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6229332,"FAU SBDC tells Delray Beach firms free counseling and contracting pipeline can prepare them for county, state and federal work",770,1237000,2007000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3464124-a206f9dcb5bb5f8e1be27b0dfb662928&start=1237&end=2007","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3464124-a206f9dcb5bb5f8e1be27b0dfb662928/thumbnail_1237000.jpg","/articles/6229332/Delray-Beach/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/FAU-SBDC-tells-Delray-Beach-firms-free-counseling-and-contracting-pipeline-can-prepare-them-for-county-state-and-federal-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229332-06482f9b67984b0fcc179ae48983734c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775892308&Signature=jLNIKkI10fQohOkYptqb~X8n5EaX8ley1Q~3rp1KlB1MEY~b78pua37DO96oiP-OhIkgFvEwCL5hmoByELkUmoC1rJxGaHlM81pKHIPwcsGFibSRlZ7hJDfe42KeZZl~paD-SRterba0e1m701YYN1Z3q33gR~w~78vMOrJHtlxrQ6Rg~wCDOeN11AJM~e5nMTyt2kNESd5-dKP3QK701I1gJw0t1oY28-0H~SFwvygqLW6DQuH6XQTxp~K1cjafaMG4t~EMZYEXlNCZfVp17W9j6vOAWQPEQWpzxKb5XdbNNYbN~v3PS6~H3bba-9STIr8Vx8HUBgyXBn7XORm9eQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jackie Ramirez, assistant director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Florida Atlantic University, told attendees that the SBDC provides free counseling, training and technical support to help small businesses prepare for contracting at city, county, state and federal levels.

“We see this as a flow,” Ramirez said, describing a funnel that starts with city-level contracting and moves to county, state and eventually federal opportunities. She said the SBDC assigns a lead consultant to clients and assembles additional consultants as needed to address marketing, finance, cybersecurity and other topics.

Ramirez described disaster recovery support, noting SBDC outreach after events such as hurricanes or the COVID-19 pandemic to help businesses reopen. She said the center’s services include marketing and web design consultants, capital-access staff that work with SBA‑approved lenders, and trade/export assistance for growing firms.

Ramirez told the audience the SBDC has supported capital and contracting wins for clients: “We've raised, in the last year, 36,000,000 in capital for these businesses, dollars 61,000,000 in government contracting,” as she summarized the program’s recent results. She urged attendees to use a posted QR code to submit event feedback and to contact SBDC intake staff on site for follow-up assistance.

The SBDC was presented as a no-cost local resource to help businesses register, improve financial management and prepare proposals for RFPs and other government contracting opportunities. Attendees were directed to SBDC staff at the Expo and to online SBDC and SBA resources for training materials and trade programming.","Representatives of the Small Business Development Center at Florida Atlantic University described no-cost consulting, capital access help and a contracting “funnel” that starts with city work and can lead to federal contracts.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6229337,"Delray Beach tells small businesses to register: purchases under $5,000 can be ordered directly",2485,5000,2490000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3464124-a206f9dcb5bb5f8e1be27b0dfb662928&start=5&end=2490","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3464124-a206f9dcb5bb5f8e1be27b0dfb662928/thumbnail_5000.jpg","/articles/6229337/Delray-Beach/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Delray-Beach-tells-small-businesses-to-register-purchases-under-5000-can-be-ordered-directly","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229337-6a727bd6e624ebf64e62f7575aac9479/orig.mp4?Expires=1775892308&Signature=bn5bSXFNABSXmqwSmjfGx8p2zrKR9jNexZdPff~2iSMpJvHlOmyTZCvv3pP9vrvNy~7iW1x6-OKBfSU2-zHOYs0Z2Zg-eXNgdcA6pa~PUG1vlFexbhtur8ZzWF0Tk8g~ycH6ogeYt40TDj7yqaD7lpzXEm9g7ahYRfvUL6sfw6RifvLeDhjI~O3TdAGy-iIUp2rcFXsMXS0RnCGoXa-XrvvDkdD8nu6mj0Tc61YLPiTE6ew6vryNlhJY9tDYs4Y6Yi6iP9YOPr8B5aMhyOcs-POwrbo5ImgNZzWG83Aq~zvG0nTAeq-vsJO4T2rOuPEWtYlGl-uIaY0U9V0xW88lNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Delray Beach city staff and procurement experts told local small-business owners at the 2025 Small Business Expo that registering with the city’s purchasing system is the fastest path to municipal sales and that purchases of $5,000 or less can be ordered directly by departments.

Rob Evans, a city staff member serving as master of ceremonies, opened the session by telling attendees, “if the order is under $5,000, people can actually call you directly from the city. They don't have to go through the RFP process, and they don't have to go through a 3 quote process.”

The guidance was repeated and expanded by Terrence Moore, the city manager, and by procurement consultant Kirk Buffington, who walked through basic procurement processes used by local governments. Buffington urged vendors to register in supplier portals and to maintain current state registration on Sunbiz. “You need to be registered in each of those portals,” he said, mentioning Periscope, BidsDirect/BidDirect.com, BidSync and OpenGov as examples of platforms businesses may encounter.

Jeff Horace, assistant city manager, summarized thresholds used by Delray Beach purchasing: “Up to $5,000, we just need 1 quote. Up to $65,000 of a purchase, we only need 3 quotes. We may put something out on the street, we may do a formal bid for that, but we only have to do it past 65,000.” He advised attendees to visit department tables so staff who make buying calls will know vendors and be able to call them when needs arise.

Speakers warned about legal and administrative requirements. Buffington explained that certain procurements are conducted through invitations to bid (ITB) — where the lowest responsive, responsible bidder wins — while requests for proposals (RFP) evaluate nonprice criteria. He also noted that procurement responses may be subject to public-records rules: “Florida has 1 of the broadest public records and public meeting laws in the country,” and pricing submitted in bids may become public record for several years.

Insurance, certificates of insurance, and sometimes performance bonds are required when agreements are signed. Horace stressed that vendors do not need to supply insurance to submit a quote but must have the required coverage before a contract is executed. Attendees were told the purchasing division can help vendors register and that supplier-portal registration is necessary to receive automated bid notices.

The city encouraged firms that cannot perform as prime contractors on large projects to pursue subcontracting with prime contractors, and emphasized the importance of performing well on awarded contracts to earn repeat business across municipal and neighboring agencies. For vendors needing technical help, staff and regional resources were made available at Expo tables and via online supplier portals.

For more information, vendors were directed to the City of Delray Beach purchasing page and to speak with procurement staff at the event.","City officials and procurement experts at the Delray Beach Small Business Expo urged local businesses to register with the city’s purchasing system, explained procurement thresholds and vendor requirements, and advised attendees how to connect with department buyers.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Delray Beach Fire Rescue presents business continuity guide as hurricanes threaten local firms

FAU SBDC tells Delray Beach firms free counseling and contracting pipeline can prepare them for county, state and federal work

Delray Beach tells small businesses to register: purchases under $5,000 can be ordered directly