EASTON, MARYLAND — Talbot County is recruiting small-business owners for the fifth class of its free Talbot Works Business Academy, an eight-week training program that begins Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2027.
Owners who want to learn more can attend an information session Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or from 5 to 7 p.m. at Building African American Minds, 31 Jowite St. in Easton, the county's Department of Economic Development and Tourism said in an Oct. 19 announcement.
The academy is open to owners whose businesses have operated for at least two years and bring in less than $1.5 million a year. Applicants must own a Talbot County business with the potential to expand operations, hire employees and positively impact the community, according to the announcement, and selected applicants will be invited to a short Zoom interview. The class is limited to 15 Talbot County business owners.
Classes meet by Zoom on Tuesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. The curriculum covers cash flow, budgets that support growth, attracting customers and preparing to access capital, along with hiring and managing employees, strengthening operations and selling to consumers, other businesses and government agencies. Owners also meet with senior advisers in law, accounting, human resources and marketing.
To graduate, participants must attend and take part in class, complete weekly homework, meet with the senior advisers, prepare cash flow projections and give a final 15-minute presentation outlining their business plans.
"The Talbot Works Business Academy gives them dedicated time, expert guidance, and practical tools to focus on where they want their businesses to go and how to get there," said Stephanie Mervine, director of Talbot County Economic Development and Tourism.
The academy launched in early 2024 through a partnership with the Mid-Shore Regional Council. Will Holmes Consulting, a Baltimore-based business management and technology consulting firm, developed the program. The academy's page says it is made possible by a grant from the Maryland Rural Economic Development Fund through the Mid-Shore Regional Council, and lists four cohorts completed and more than 50 graduates so far.
Source: TalbotWorks
Also: TalbotWorks (2)
Drawn from public records; drafted with AI and edited by Peter Gorman before publication.
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