TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — Hillsborough County has extended the application deadline for its popular Self-Employment Workshop Program to Friday, Feb. 20, at noon, giving aspiring business owners additional time to apply for the comprehensive no-cost entrepreneurship training.
The spring session will mark the 12th class since the program launched in 2021, operated through a partnership between Hillsborough County's Economic Development Department and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the Entrepreneur Collaborative Center.
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Business consultant Shawn Ferguson said the program often has waiting lists for each cohort due to growing awareness of the structured pathway it provides for entrepreneurship.
"We dispel a lot of the common misnomers about business. One, you need a bunch of money," Ferguson said. "You do need money, but you don't need a whole bunch."
The program has already produced success stories such as Stephanie Hopkins, who participated in the September 2022 cohort and now operates Blaque Wall Street Title through her nonprofit, Embracing Lyfe Development Inc. Hopkins, who became a title agent after nearly losing her life to COVID-19 in 2021, credits the program with providing essential foundational knowledge.
"I told God, if there's anything that I can do for him to get me out of this, that I would do it," Hopkins said about her COVID-19 recovery experience.
Hopkins said the program provided crucial guidance that accelerated her business development timeline.
"The class gave me a phenomenal foundation as to what I could expect as a business owner, but I still had to do the work," Hopkins said. "It took off maybe about five to 10 years of learning."
Hopkins' organization assists heirs with property issues and aims to decrease new heir cases by 30% within three years.
She also now serves on the Equal Opportunity Business Committee and holds an at-large position for the Women Minority Business Enterprise.
The spring 2026 program begins with Small Business Idea Camp, running eight sessions from March 2 through March 25 on Mondays and Wednesdays. Additional workshops cover financing and banking, business startup procedures, marketing fundamentals, bookkeeping basics, and personal and business credit understanding.
The program concludes with a six-session Business Plan Series running from April 13 through May 18. All workshops and meetings are held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Microsoft Teams.
Each participant receives in-depth business training and a dedicated small business consultant for personalized guidance. The curriculum helps entrepreneurs confidently understand industry analysis, target market identification, competitive assessment, and business plan development.
Ferguson said the program's success extends beyond just launching businesses, as it also helps people make informed decisions about entrepreneurship.
"Sometimes we've had people go through the program and realize that entrepreneurship isn't for me, and we consider that a success," Ferguson said. "We don't want the entrepreneur to go out there, extend all their resources and then decide that, you know what, I don't want to do business."
The program targets individuals interested in self-employment who meet income eligibility requirements set at 200% of the poverty level. Applicants must provide documentation showing their household income does not exceed the maximum qualifying amounts for the calendar year 2025.
Income limits range from $31,300 for single-person households to $75,300 for five-person families. Two-person households qualify with incomes up to $42,300, three-person households up to $53,300, and four-person households up to $64,300.
Ferguson said the program helps entrepreneurs at the Entrepreneur Collaborative Center located at 2101 E Palm Ave in Tampa, where consultation services are available for both startup businesses and established companies facing challenges.
"Being able to say, I'm an entrepreneur, I have my own business, there's a lot of pride that comes with that," Ferguson said. "There's a lot of work behind that that most people don't see, but it's a very satisfying thing."
Hopkins encourages others considering entrepreneurship to overcome their fears and take action.
"When will you ever be ready? So you just have to do it," Hopkins said. "You have to believe in it before anyone else will."
Applications are available here, and space is limited for the program.
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