Business Briefs

Small businesses ready to hire

An upbeat sales outlook will prompt nearly one in three U.S. small business owners to add employees over the next six months as their optimism returns to positive levels unseen since before the ‘Great Recession’ of 2008-2009, according to the PNC Economic Outlook survey. The survey, which began in 2003, show expectations for sales and profits have rebounded from near-historic lows last fall, and that owners are optimistic about the U.S. economy, and their own company’s prospects. Nearly three in four plan to invest in their business in the next six months.

BJ’s donates to support youth

The BJ’s Charitable Foundation announced it will donate $12,500 to Intervention Services of Maitland. It will be used pay the direct service, program-related portion of the salary for the Career/Life Skills Specialists as well as food costs and program supplies and materials for youth in the Village Transitional Housing Program aging out of the foster care system. Intervention Services Inc. provides social services to the Central Florida community including Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Brevard counties.

Derfuss joins MyEduLife

MyEduLife Inc. has named Don Derfuss as director of sales. MyEduLife is a University of Central Florida Incubation company in East Orlando.