The Hispanic Business Initiative Fund (HBIF) of Florida is teaming up with local Hispanic leaders in Fort Walton Beach to provide a two-day business workshop for Hispanic entrepreneurs on Feb. 27-28.

According to its website, HBIF's workshops "free orientations in Spanish designed to provide basic information and resources to help entrepreneurs start a business. Topics covered include: legal and tax structure licenses and permits, state regulations, financing options, and business development services offered by HBIF."

The move represents an expansion of territory for the Florida non-profit, which has been operating since 1991, and whose mission statement is "to strengthen the economy of Florida through quality business development and training to Hispanic entrepreneurs."

This will be the first time that the HBIF has held workshops in Northwest Florida. Currently, the strongest presence of the organization is in South, Central and the West Coast of Florida where the HBIF maintains regional offices.

"This is something that has been lacking in Northwest Florida as the Hispanic community continues to grow, and especially for the people who are not fully fluent," said David Triana, a local organizer, to the NWF Daily News. "There is no other option for them."

In addition to the workshop, HBIF will offer one-on-one consulting to Hispanic business owners attending the event. Time slots are available between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Reservations are required in advance. Interested persons should contact HBIF at 866-525-4243. The workshops will be held at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to seminars and consulting, the HBIF also routinely offers entrepreneurial grants as well as assisting in finding funding for Hispanic businesses through partnerships with a number of business resource organizations. According to a 2013 press release, during the 2012 fiscal year, 3,220 entrepreneurs were trained in diverse business topics at the seminars and workshops presented by HBIF.