• FineMark National Bank & Trust
• First Citizens Bank
• Regions Bank
• Synovus Bank
• TD Bank Foundation
• TIAA Bank Truist Bank
• US Department of Housing & Urban Development
• Wells Fargo Bank
• Zonta Foundation of SWFL
Finding a job you love can be difficult - so why not be your own boss instead? Goodwill's MicroEnterprise program provides aspiring small business owners with the skills they need to succeed as entrepreneurs and become more independent.
Services are offered to residents of Charlotte (including North Port), Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee counties.
Microenterprises are the backbone of our economy.
A microenterprise is any type of small business that has fewer than 5 employees and requires $35,000 or less to start-up, generally much less.
• Microenterprises represent 90% of all businesses in the Southwest Florida.
• There are more than 26 million microenterprises in our country.
• 1 out of every 6 private sector employees in our country works for a microenterprise.
Sandra Plazas
Director of Community Education
(239) 995-2106, ext. 2304
sandraplazas@goodwillswfl.org
Many thanks to Zonta Foundation of SWFL for their support:
The Zonta Foundation of SWFL provides small grants to empower Lee County women in business and help them to launch or strengthen their businesses.
The Zonta grants awarded through the Southwest Florida MicroEnterprise Institute, are solely for graduates of the MicroEnterprise Institute.
For more information about the Zonta Foundation of SWFL,
visit zontasancap.com/zonta-foundation-swfl
Our MicroEnterprise program is designed to help individuals with low to moderate income levels and other disadvantages to start or stabilize their own businesses. If you have a great idea for a new business, the Goodwill SWFL MicroEnterprise Institute is available to aspiring small business owners who live in the Southwest Florida area.
An administrative fee may apply depending upon your income level. This pays for your course materials-but the rewards you reap will give you far more value!
Services are offered to residents of Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Lee, Hendry, and North Port counties.
Classes meet Monday and Thursday evenings for 6 weeks. In the Goodwill MicroEnterprise program, you will work with an instructor as well as a small business mentor who helps guide you through planning your business and shares their personal experiences. These classes will assist you in developing a feasibility plan that focuses on cash flow - the first and most critical step in creating a business plan. A strong business plan will help you not only run your business, but also apply for financial assistance.
After completion of the class and based on ability to repay, participants may be eligible to apply for a small loan through the Kiva Zip program, with Goodwill MicroEnterprise matching some funds.
In-person classes implement social distancing.
West Cape Classes for 2025:
May 19 - June 26, 2025
August 4 - September 11, 2025
West Cape Coral Community Resource Center
1499 SW Pine Island Rd.
Cape Coral, FL 33991
(Located inside the Goodwill Retail Store)
For application assistance or schedule information, contact:
Sandra Plazas
(239) 995-2106 ext. 2215
sandraplazas@goodwillswfl.org
Counselors include SCORE representatives and experienced small business owners
Southwest Florida Enterprise Center (SWFEC)
3903 Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard Suite 5
Fort Myers, FL 33916
Classses are Monday and Thursday 6 pm - 9 pm
For application assistance or schedule information, contact:
Sandra Plazas
(239) 995-2106 ext. 2215
sandraplazas@goodwillswfl.org
Counselors include SCORE representatives and experienced small business owners
Naples Classes for 2025:
February 24, April 3, 2025
September 14 - October 23, 2025
Collier Library
2385 Orange Blossom Drive
Naples, FL 34109
For application assistance or schedule information, contact:
Sandra Plazas
(239) 995-2106 ext. 2215
sandraplazas@goodwillswfl.org
Counselors include SCORE representatives and experienced small business owners
April 21 - May 29, 2025
Peachland Promenade Shopping Center
King's Highway CRC
24123 Peachland Boulevard
Port Charlotte, FL 33954
For application assistance or schedule information, contact:
Sandra Plazas
(239) 995-2106 ext. 2215
sandraplazas@goodwillswfl.org
Counselors include SCORE representatives and experienced small business owners
June 23 - July 31, 2025
Computer & high speed internet required for this class
For application assistance or schedule information, contact:
Sandra Plazas
(239) 995-2106 ext. 2215
sandraplazas@goodwillswfl.org
Counselors include SCORE representatives and experienced small business owners
More than 943 entrepreneurs have graduated from the Goodwill SWFL MicroEnterprise Institute, and many have successfully started their own businesses with education and other assistance from Goodwill and our partners. Please support our programs by supporting these businesses.
Major Funding Provided By:
• Bank of America
• Bank OZK
• BankUnited
• Charlotte State Bank
• CIT Bank
• City of Cape Coral
• City of Fort Myers
• City of North Port
• Comerica Bank
• Fifth Third Bank
• FineMark National Bank & Trust
• First Citizens Bank
• Regions Bank
• Synovus Bank
• TD Bank Foundation
• TIAA Bank Truist Bank
• US Department of Housing & Urban Development
• Wells Fargo Bank
• Zonta Foundation of SWFL
The SWFL MicroEnterprise Institute and its partners are mission-driven to help people become more independent
