CareerSource Suncoast and the City of Sarasota are presenting the 26^th Community Entrepreneur Opportunity (CEO) course beginning Tuesday, March 23. The free 10-week course will teach entrepreneurs how to create and launch a business. Classes will be held virtually every Tuesday from 6–7:30 p.m., and CareerSource Suncoast’s business accelerator, Thrive, will be providing instruction and support for the class. Over the past 26 classes there have been more than 400 graduates of the program; several have gone on to open businesses in the region.

Students will learn through a combination of live virtual sessions and an online self-paced platform about business planning, including market strategies, competitive analysis, financials, and operations and management plans. Through a combination of online classroom training and mentoring, participants will have an opportunity to assess their business acumen and determine the strength of their business concept.  While the course content is available 24/7, students are required to participate in the weekly session in order to complete the 10-week course. It is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.