Ted's background includes owning and operating several service related companies over a span of thirty-five years. During that period, Ted was also serving as a mentor to small inner city business owners in the Boston area, and facilitating a number of FastTrac entrepreneurial programs at Springfield Tech Community College. Over the last thirteen years with the SBDC, Ted has specialized in advising entrepreneurs in the areas of business start-ups, financing (with emphasis on SBA guaranteed loans and non-conventional financing), and marketing.Ted served as the liaison with the Office of Small Business Assistance (of Palm Beach County) where he developed and delivered special workshops for small businesses as well as coordinating counseling services for OSBA clients for whom the SBDC provided these services. As a certified facilitator and administrator for FastTrac entrepreneurial programs, Ted also provided a special program for Veterans.In addition to intensive one-on-one counseling, Ted teaches seminars and workshops on nearly every aspect of small business operation. He has written several seminars and, like his colleagues, is constantly reviewing the entrepreneurial landscape in search of new topics to offer clients.As part of an ongoing commitment to teaching and counseling excellence, Ted regularly attends professional development events. So far this year, he has attended classes given by the IRS, the Small Business Administration, Kauffman Foundation (FastTrac recertification) as well as at the annual Florida Small Business Development Network conference. All of these events also provide networking and exchanging of ideas with colleagues.