Think small: Town Center event celebrates small businesses of Palm Coast

Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce plays host.

By Brian McMillan
| 2:05 p.m. April 29, 2023

Magdalena Piekarz and Oksana Ivanov visited the event on April 29. Piekarz is owner of Elite Dance and Travel, which hosted a graduation for 45 students the night before.

Kailey, Troy, Reanna, Hayley and Lily Schultz.

Ken May, of Rolling Green Photography. Visit www.rollinggreens.us.

Joe Chaney and Joe Smith, of McElfresh Roofing and Solar

Diane and Bob O’Day, of Palm Coast

Jon and Liz Miles visited from Vermont and decided to attend the event and Town Center.

Janie Gilbert is an events volunteer for the Flagler Humane Society.

Eden Forguson owns Garden of Eden Esthetics, at 25 Old Kings Road N.

Al Knoll teaches official Bob Ross classes. Call 978-501-3483.

Family Life Center Domestic Violences Services Advocate Tanya Harper, volunteer Lynn Student and Sexual Assault Services Advocate Joy Hammang

Robyn Gardner's jewelry and knob creations were on display. The items are made of coquina sand, Florida seashells and epoxy resin.

Robyn Gardner represented her two businesses the event: A Plus Restoration and Repair LLC, as well as Positively Beachy, which makes jewelry and knobs out of coquina sand, Florida seashell and epoxy resin.

Irina Schilkina, Solomon, Ivan Repov and Varvara

Nathaniel Tallent, with family members, Emily, C.J. and Barbie, at the Fernandes Realty event, hosted by Denise Fernandes.

Bunnell City Manager Dr. Alvin Jackson and County Commissioner Andy Dance

Sydny Herring, Brandon Cutkomp and Aaron Golfo say hello to a dog who is cared for by Janie Gilbert, events volunteer for the Flagler Humane Society.

Palm Coast Observer
Neighbors

When you own a small business, you get it.

Magdalena Piekarz, owner of Elite Dance and Travel, had a graduation event with her own business the night before, so she didn’t plan on participating with a booth on April 29, at the Small Biz Expo, at Central Park in Town Center. But she went to the event anyway.

“We love to support local business,” Piekarz said.

Reanna Schultz walked around the lake with her children and handed out slips of paper with the name of her business on it, King Kong Junk Removal, which was launched just two days earlier.

“We just got a trailer done and got a couple jobs already,” Schultz said.

Meanwhile, Joe Chaney and Joe Smith, of McElfresh Roofing and Solar, showcased their offerings for new roofs. The company has offices in Jacksonville and Daytona Beach, but they are getting more and more business in Palm Coast. In this city, they said, it’s expected that people will maintain their homes and keep property values up. In Smith’s experience, Palm Coast is a rare city in Florida, with no “bad section” of town. He said Palm Coast is more receptive to small businesses than anywhere else he can think of in the state.

The Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce put the event on, thanks to the efforts of President and CEO Greg Blose, who also was master of ceremonies. CareerSource Flagler Volusia and the city of Palm Coast also helped make the event possible, with Flagler Health Care Plans as the main sponsor.

About 130 businesses had booths.

"Small businesses are 80%-90% of our local jobs in this community, so we’ve got to treat them as real, economic partners, and work on making sure they’re successful in our community," Blose said. "People can relate to small businesses. It’s America. You risk money, you’re out there trying to do business, and you work hard, and, hopefully, you're rewarded for it. It's not guaranteed."