(MENAFNEditorial)
The Carrollwood Area Business Association (CABA) is a 32-year old networking group that focuses on assisting its 400 plus members grow their businesses through weekly networking events and by providing a vast array of business development tools and member benefits.
While CABA's origins began in Northwest Hillsborough County, CABA has become a regional organization with its signature special event, the Taste of Carrollwood, its annual CABA Golf Classic, and a far reaching media relations and social media presence.
As Margaret Mead wrote, 'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.'
In 1985, a small group of about 16 committed citizens and business owners in the Carrollwood area came together to address a 'growing' problem— specifically, Tampa was 'growing' faster than its roads could accommodate. Accordingly, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) had embarked on a number of roadway expansion projects to include the widening of North Dale Mabry Highway from two to four lanes. A few years earlier, business owners had been hurt by the widening of Waters Avenue; in some cases, businesses closed due to the lack of ingress and egress caused by the road construction on Waters.
Convened by John Baumann, CPA, the group of Carrollwood business owners organized to communicate with a unified voice to FDOT, and the widening of North Dale Mabry Highway became one of the first major road construction projects in Florida to be completed at night: when businesses were closed.
While this successful business advocacy initiative could have been the end of the CABA story, it was only the beginning. Months after the widening of Tampa's Northwest corridor, Dale Mabry's businesses were growing not only because of better roads but also due to the number of business to business (B2B) referrals that were being passed among the members of the advocacy group. Baumann and the other founding members of the organization decided to form the Carrollwood Area Business Association: a business networking group that adopted the slogan, 'We helped ourselves by helping others.' 32 years later, CABA members continue to grow their businesses by helping each other and by assisting the greater community.
'Our focus for 2017 – 2018 is to take CABA into the community; in fact, we have introduced the concept that CABA also means Community and Business Aligned,' said CABA's President Diane Stoddart, LTC Financial Solutions.
She added that CABA remains focused on business-to business (B2B) development, but she is encouraging the CABA Board of Directors to provide more opportunities for CABA members to reach out into the community as CABA itself further develops its business-to-community (B2C) capacity. Every member who joins CABA is provided with a vast array of member benefits to include the creation of their own, on-line profile on CABA's search engine optimized website: usecaba.com, which is now developing a marketplace feature where CABA members will promote their businesses directly to the public: shoptampa.com.
Ongoing training and technical assistance is provided to CABA members who want to increase search engine traffic to their own web sites and promote their products and services through the CABA business directory, the news media, social media, and special events such as CABA's annual Taste of Carrollwood and the CABA Golf Classic. While CABA is an organization whose members include businesses large and small, CABA has over 40 local restaurants
and many local golf courses on its roster. Accordingly, two of CABA's annual events focus on food and golf. Caba holds its annual Golf Classic in the fall, which focuses on raising funds for one of its many CABA member non-profits. From among 15 non-profit members, CABA selects one to receive a portion of the golf tournament proceeds annually. Last year's selected non-profit was Operation Helping Hand for whom CABA raised over $6,000, and this year's designated non-profit is Northdale Lutheran Church and School.
This Spring, CABA will be hosting its fifth annual Taste of Carrollwood, a free to the public event where over 30 CABA member restaurants and 50+ CABA member businesses provide a fun, family atmosphere in an expo environment. Last year's event was presented by Publix and hosted at George M. Steinbrenner Field where over 5000 members of the Greater Tampa community attended.
Whether tasting food, running the bases, or competing in a scavenger hunt where visitors learned more about CABA's many business vendors; CABA made a lasting impression with the help of media sponsors, Telemundo and Beasley Radio. With a vision of 'Community and Business Aligned,' President Diane Stoddart has created a Community Relations Committee headed by Director Jennifer Jenkins, Advocare Independent Distributor who has shared that her Committee is planning an exciting series of events that focus on bringing CABA into the community.
'Last year's CABA Holiday Tree Lighting, a collaborative between Elmcroft Senior Living, local schools, and the Jimmie Keel Public Library was a huge success, so we are planning more collaborative events where we will be working closely with the Northdale Civic Association, Hillsborough County Public Schools, and the OWLS: Older, Wiser, Lively Seniors,' said Jenkins who added that their goal is consistent with the founders' slogan, 'We help ourselves by helping others.'
As a 32-year-old organization, the never forgets its past or its founders who have been enshrined in CABA's Hall of Fame, housed in the 'CABA Room' at Carrollwood's Brunchie's Restaurant: one of CABA's many success stories that attributes its ongoing success to a group of concerned citizens who came together in 1985.
To learn more about the Carrollwood Area Business Association, 'The Best Business Address in Tampa Bay,' visit our Facebook page at or to become a member, visit our website at .
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SOURCE:Carrollwood Area Business Association
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