Money Talks Tampa of Hillsborough County
Latisha Christensen started on her entrepreneurial journey back in Baltimore, Maryland, where she first opened Money Talks Baltimore, a financial and therapeutic consulting practice. “Money Talks Tampa is where emotions and finances meet,” Christensen said. “I saw that there was a gap in services, therapeutic services for those who struggle with financial distress or money related disorders, so I provide counseling and treatment for individuals who want to have a healthier relationship with money.”
After successfully running her business in Maryland, Christensen decided that she wanted to bring her service to the sunny state of Florida in the form of Money Talks Tampa.
As a licensed clinical social worker with more than 20 years of experience, Christensen knew that the Tampa Bay region needed her services. The only problem? Christensen wasn’t familiar with Florida laws pertaining to starting a business, stating, “as a new resident of Florida and the Tampa area, I didn’t know what to do and where to start.”
Once Christensen decided she was moving forward with her plan to start a private practice in Florida, she contacted the Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at University of South Florida for help. The business owner was then paired with Florida SBDC at USF business consultant, Simplice Essou, to guide her through the process of starting a business in Tampa Bay while adhering to the state’s business laws.
“Simplice was really instrumental in helping me set up the business, get registered, and making sure I know about deadlines, how to set up my entities. So, the foundation was built with his help,” Christensen said.
Since working with the Florida SBDC at USF and Essou, the business owner states that her business has been able to grow in business certifications and opportunities. “I’m still in the infant stages but happy to say that I am certified in the state of Florida as a minority and woman owned business with Simplice’s help,” Christensen said. “Also, I am certified in Hillsborough County to bid on contracts, so the Florida SBDC at USF was very instrumental in helping me get certified in these areas so now I can do business with the government.”
The entrepreneur added that she was also able to take advantage of the Florida SBDC Network’s vast network of consultants and partners. “With Simplice’s help I was able to connect with Robert Pierce [Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County business consultant] and he talked to me about connecting with chamber of commerce in Hillsborough County. And also, I was able to connect with Scott Carpenter [Florida SBDC at USF business consultant] to develop a marketing strategy and because of him, now I’m blogging on my website. I was also able to connect with a local non-profit, BBIF,” she said.
Christensen goes on to mention that the biggest success so far is, “being able to feel like a part of the Tampa Bay area, and Florida SBDC at USF was able to provide that for me with the strategies and the connections that I’ve made.”
As the business continues to grow within the Tampa Bay region, Christensen mentions that she will continue to use the Florida SBDC at USF to grow her business capabilities and expand her knowledge on different aspects of business. “Since Simplice is a specialist in this area, I’ll be asking his expertise on how to do QuickBooks and how to do the bookkeeping aspects and also as I grow, I want to do some more business strategies with the other networks and mentors here,” she said.
Christensen’s advice to other small business owners, looking to start or grow their businesses, is to take advantage of the resources available. “I would say to other small businesses to really connect with the Florida SBDC at USF because they set the tone and they set the foundation for your business and its free, and with the inflated prices today, who doesn’t want free but from experts that are able to help you.”
