Program Overview 

The Sunrise Small Business Academy (SSBA) is a FREE program designed to help Sunrise small businesses grow and thrive. It can also help prospective Sunrise entrepreneurs better prepare to launch a small business.

Participants will learn about important business-related topics, including City and County resources, accounting, finance, human resources, marketing and more.    

Interested in Participating?

Applications for SSBA Cohort 8 (Winter 2025) is CLOSED. The next cohort will take place in May 2026. For more information, please contact Sady I. Diaz, Public Engagement Manager, at (954) 747- 4662 or SDiaz@sunrisefl.gov.

Participation Requirements

In order to promote interactivity and engagement, each cohort is capped at 20 participants. Under the SSBA guidelines, participants must:

• Have an active Sunrise Business Tax Receipt (*with the exception of prospective start-ups that are not yet conducting business); 
• Submit a completed SSBA application/video release/background check;
• Be interested in learning about small-business tools/resources;  
• Have 30 or fewer employees (including founder/owner/co-owner); and 
• Commit to attending at least four (4) of the program's five (5) sessions.

Selection Process

Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-qualified basis with a successful background check from our third-party vendor. However, some program space will be prioritized for the following groups:

• Five (5) spaces will be allocated for prospective *start-up businesses being launched by Sunrise residents; and 
• Ten (10) spaces will be prioritized for Sunrise businesses located east of University Drive (in the East Sunrise Improvements Master Plan area).

If by the end of the application period, these spaces are not filled by priority groups, we will consider all other complete applications on a first-come, first-qualified basis. Additionally, only one (1) person per business will be accepted for each cohort. 

Session Topics

Session 1: City Resources City of Sunrise employees will provide an overview of their department/division and how it interacts with local businesses. Representative departments/divisions include Community Development (Zoning, Permitting, Building), Business Tax Receipts, Community Enhancement and Code Compliance, Fire Life Safety, and Economic Development.

Session 2: Business Development + Resilience
Subject-matter experts will discuss such topics as hiring best-practices, economic trends/resiliency, and preparing for uncertain times.

Session 3: County and State Resources
Speakers will discuss County and State resources available for small businesses, such as funding, preferential bidding opportunities, and mentoring/education. Participating agencies may include: Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development (OESBD), Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and SCORE.

Session 4: Finance
Business professionals will share tips on enhancing and monitoring your business’ financial health. Topics may include bookkeeping software, cash-flow planning, forecasting, contingency funds, taxes and payroll - as well as how to ensure that your business is "bankable."
  
Session 5: Marketing
This session will feature marketing experts discussing ways to attract clients and help grow your business. Topics may include demographics, social media platforms and analytics, the effective use of photos and videos, and grassroots campaigns.
 

Be Part of the SSBA!

For information, please contact Sady I. Diaz, Public Engagement Manager, by phone or email: (954) 747- 4662 or SDiaz@sunrisefl.gov.