Seminars give Polk's aspiring entrepreneurs a boost

In Polk County, more than 13 percent of people are out of work. Some of them are creating their own jobs, and the local government is pitching in to give them a boost.

The Central Florida Development Council's Small Business Development Center hosts workshops to help people start their own businesses on a regular basis. Attendees don't have to pay to attend them.

"We took it before the Board of County Commission and said, 'We'd like to waive the fees we normally charge for these classes to see if we could get additional attendance,'" CFDC executive director Tom Patton said. "And wow, it exceeded our expectations. Over 300 people have signed up for this."

Patton said the full tables prove that Polk County is filled with budding entrepreneurs who are anxious to get to work.

One of those newly-minted small business owners is Michael Reeves, who recently purchased a mold removal franchise. He had been turned down for hundreds of jobs over the past two years, despite having an engineering degree. So he decided to hire himself.

"I have a pretty good business sense, but I've never sat down and done a business model and that's what I wanted here," he said.

Reeves said his two years of unemployment means he is no longer afraid of failure.

"If you go out there and meet the people, become a member of your community, and you do a good job and stand by your word, there's always somebody looking for somebody like that," he said.

The most recent two-day seminar featured several workshops aimed at helping aspiring business owners navigate their way around loan applications, writing businesses plans and understanding financial software.  It ends Tuesday afternoon.