ADRIAN — Launch Lenawee’s Entrepreneurial Action Program (LLEAP) recently graduated eight new entrepreneurs in its eighth class and is now recruiting students for the ninth LLEAP class, which will begin on Saturday, July 12. 

An orientation will take place on Tuesday, June 24.

The course will be held in the lower level of the Adrian Armory, 230 W. Maumee St., Adrian. The full schedule for the course will be built around students’ schedules. There will be eight sessions over 16 weeks.

“The time goes by so fast,” said Sheila Blair, instructor for the class. “People might look at these 16 weeks of class and think ‘that’s a long time,’ but, in reality, it flies by. It’s only 24 hours of in-person class in total.” 

Blair said the classes are spaced out every two weeks to allow participants, who usually work full time, the time they need to complete the coursework. 

LLEAP uses a curriculum from Kauffman FastTrac and resources and mentorship from the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE).

The cost of the program is usually $599 per student. However, for years, scholarships have been made available through the generosity of local entrepreneurs Mark and Mary Murray, reducing the student fee to only $99.  

“The class guided us step by step through every element of building a professional business plan from vision to financials,” said Brian Slusarski, a graduate of the most recent class, who attended to develop Slusarski U-Park and Storage. “I was thoroughly impressed by how comprehensive and well-structured the LLEAP program was.” 

Over the past year, Launch Lenawee has expanded its offerings to include:

• The Ask the Experts panel discussion series,  a networking opportunity and a one-hour Q&A session with local experts on a variety of subjects, where business owners and managers can ask their questions and get a response before they invest in a consultant.
• Business owner education classes, which are held at various times of the year and include topics that plague many business owners.
• Technical training programs that focus on upgrading technical skills, including QuickBooks and artificial intelligence.
• The Red Tire program, a program that connects business owners who want to retire with prospective buyers and assists with the transition.
• Business mentoring and support.

Launch Lenawee’s mission is to impact the community in a positive way by connecting resources to entrepreneurs. Anyone interested in the ninth LLEAP class can contact Blair at [email protected].