Local entrepreneurship program completes cohort, strengthens Keys small businesses

The Scale to Grow program concluded on November 4, 2025, after six weeks of free instruction and coaching for thirteen small businesses from across the Florida Keys. Delivered by the Florida Small Business Development Center at Florida International University and sponsored by Truist Bank, the cohort provided practical workshops on business planning, marketing, access to capital, accounting systems and financial forecasting. Graduates will receive one on one follow up support through the SBDC network, offering continued technical assistance as they apply the lessons from the program.

KONK Life reported the completion of the cohort and noted that the original story lists the participating business owners and includes statements from program facilitators. Those details remain available in the original KONK Life article. The local program represents a public private partnership model that combines nonprofit technical assistance with private sector sponsorship to tackle common barriers entrepreneurs face when seeking to scale operations.

For Monroe County residents the immediate impact is twofold. First, participating businesses gain practical tools to improve financial documentation and forecasting, key components lenders evaluate when extending working capital or small business loans. Second, the availability of follow up support through the SBDC network increases the likelihood that participants will implement changes to accounting systems and marketing plans, steps that typically improve firm survival and growth prospects. With thirteen firms completing the course, the program creates a small but tangible boost to the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

From a market perspective, training that improves access to capital can loosen a common constraint on small business investment. Sponsorship by a regional bank signals interest from the financial sector in underwriting local enterprises that demonstrate improved readiness. Over time, higher rates of credit approval and better financial management among small firms can support employment stability and strengthen the county tax base.

Policy implications for local leaders include scaling similar cohorts, expanding outreach to underrepresented entrepreneurs, and coordinating with local permitting and economic development offices to reduce nonfinancial barriers to growth. Investing in technical assistance complements other economic development tools and can yield a high return when it raises business survival rates and capacity to hire.

As Monroe County continues to navigate economic cycles and seasonal demand, programs such as Scale to Grow offer a practical route to build small business resilience. Continued collaboration between the SBDC, private sponsors and county officials could expand these benefits across the Keys in the months and years ahead.