Carolyn Babbas

Co-owner

Affairs in the Air

“We’ve been in business 23 years, creating lighting and décor for parties, weddings and special events—450 of them in 2011. Business is great. Nonprofits make up 30 percent of our customers, and 70 percent are weddings, and parties and promotions for companies. We have eight employees. We’re based in Bradenton but we’ve gone as far as Tallahassee and Miami. The St. Pete Times is a big client; we did the signage for their name change to the Tampa Bay Times, and we do their public events at Tropicana Field. My husband, Phil, is the secret to our success; his creativity and the personalization we give each client shows. “

Angelo Ragone

Owner

NBI Sun Control

“We are the authorized dealer for 3M window films in Sarasota and Manatee. The business has been here since 2003, and I bought it in 2009. Business has been very good for us. We doubled revenues between 2009 and 2010, and doubled again between 2010 and 2011. I attribute it to doing right by our customers; referrals are very big business for us. We’ve also been aggressive about keeping advertising while others pulled back. I also think the economy has picked up. Since last summer I’ve seen people buying up condos and homes and fixing them up, and a lot more new lower-cost housing is being built. Many people say we’ve cut their electric bills by 25 percent.”