Disney Entrepreneur Center Earns National Recognition

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., August 14, 2009 – Entrepreneur Magazine’s August issue names Orlando as one of the “Top 10 Best Cities to Start a Business” and gives kudos to the Disney Entrepreneur Center for its efforts in mentoring small-business owners and directing them to the right resources.

“We are unbelievably fortunate to have community leadership that is creative, open to partnerships, and willing to give a new idea or a new business an opportunity,” says Jerry Ross, executive director of the Disney Entrepreneur Center.

Founded in 2003, the Disney Entrepreneur Center is a one-of-a-kind resource available to any small business in Central Florida and provides access to a variety of business resources, technology, research tools and support organizations. Since its inception, the center has facilitated $125,000,000 in small business loans, coached and trained 70,000 businesses and assisted with 700 new business start-ups.

According to Ross, the secret to growth isn’t in luring companies from out of state but is taking care to cultivate what you already have through “economic gardening.”

To learn more about the Disney Entrepreneur Center, visit http://www.disneyec.com/.