The Florida Veterans Entrepreneurship program, made possible through a grant from the Florida legislature, allows active duty military and Florida veterans to start their own business. The training is state-of-the-art lean startup methodology meaning use of a business model canvas and customer development principles to throughly test an idea to ensure it has a strong market demand and will succeed.
The program will be delivered over three phases. The first phase consists of an eight-week online class to help participants build their venture on a strong business foundation. The second phase consists of six days of on-site training at one of the five participating institutions of higher education -Universities of West Florida and North Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Atlantic University, and Hillsborough Community College. This phase will be held on three consecutive weekends, and the final phase of the program consists of six-months of ongoing mentorship with instructors and business consultants.
The Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program provides veterans an opportunity to gain a high-quality entrepreneurship education at no cost. The goal is to help our state’s veterans navigate the path towards entrepreneurship to fulfill their passions and create jobs and wealth for Florida’s economy. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2016. For more information, and to apply, please visit www.FloridaVetBiz.org.