Florida is a great place to be a young entrepreneur!

Every senior has heard the advice to follow their passion. It sounds great, but what it actually looks like IRL might be messier and not exactly a straightforward path. Florida has several programs and initiatives to help you navigate the path to entrepreneurship.

Young Entrepreneurs Academy
Young Entrepreneurs Academy, or YEA!, is a nationwide program designed to help students turn their ideas into viable businesses. It has local chapters in Boca Raton (co-sponsored by Florida Atlantic University) and Clearwater.

YEA! brings in guest lecturers, hosts field trips and offers classes and workshops designed to teach you everything from presentation skills to financial literacy. By the end of the program, you’ll have a brand identity, elevator pitch and a complete business plan ready to launch. They’ll also connect you with potential funding sources and scholarships for entrepreneurs.

One Floridian, Rachel Zietz, developed and launched her business, Gladiator Lacrosse, with the help of YEA! while she was in middle and high school. She’s now a CEO, Ivy League graduate and associate at a private equity firm.

SCORE
SCORE is a network of business and finance professionals (many themselves entrepreneurs) who have volunteered to help future small business owners on their quest for success. This free service links you with mentors who offer advice and provide support in all areas of business creation, launch and ownership — even to students with no previous experience!

SCORE is run by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and anyone can apply for a mentor in one of its 19 Florida chapters. They also host numerous no-cost workshops throughout the year, both online and in person.

Weeki Wachee Springs native Eric Ducharme started making mermaid costumes at age 6; by 14, he and his mother had launched a small business, Mertailor LLC. SCORE mentors helped them expand their production and develop their collections to be competitive with overseas manufacturers.

The Real Real
None of these stories are about a shortcut around high school — they’re about using it. YEA! programs, SCORE mentors and the SBA’s resources for young entrepreneurs exist precisely because starting something now, while the stakes are still relatively low and the support is free, is a legitimate use of your last year of structured schooling. You don’t need to become the next Shark Tank success story. But if there’s a problem you’ve been quietly frustrated by, this might be the year to become the one who fixes it.