Option C Foundation helps adults with prior felony convictions launch real, legal small businesses through structured mentorship, professional execution, and accountability. We don't run background checks. We don't ask about the offense. We evaluate readiness and commitment to building something legitimate — and then we help you actually build it. Free for qualified participants.
For most people with a felony conviction, the legal system has been served — sometimes years or decades ago — but the employment system continues to issue penalties indefinitely. Background checks, application questions, gaps in work history, and supervised-release schedules combine into a screening process that filters capable people out of the workforce regardless of who they are now.
Ban-the-box laws have helped in many states, but they've reduced the friction at the start of the application — not at the end. Employers still run background checks before hiring decisions are finalized, and a single record entry can override a strong interview, a strong resume, and years of consistent change.
The result is a kind of permanent post-sentence punishment that has nothing to do with public safety and everything to do with risk-averse hiring habits. People with records who want to work, contribute, and rebuild get pushed toward whatever's available — often unstable, low-wage, or off-the-books work — instead of the kind of stable, legitimate income that supports a real life. Self-employment is one of the few paths that takes that gatekeeping out of the equation.
Most employers run them. A single conviction can disqualify a strong candidate before any conversation about who they are now even happens.
Even without direct discrimination, employment gaps and references that hint at incarceration create invisible barriers that compound across every application.
Some sectors — government contracting, certain financial roles, some licensed trades — carry conviction-related restrictions that narrow options before you even apply.
When you're the owner of the business, the gatekeeping disappears. The same skills and work ethic that traditional employers screen out become the foundation of your own income.
There is no hiring manager to convince. There is no automated screening filter to clear. You don't have to disclose your record to a job board, an HR department, or a third-party screener. You set the terms of how you work and who you work with.
Customers care about quality, reliability, and follow-through. They evaluate you in real time, on real outcomes — not on a filter applied before they ever meet you. Reputation is built through doing good work, on time, in front of real people.
You're not waiting on a promotion or a raise. You set your own pricing, choose your own customers, and grow on your own terms. As your business grows, the asset — and the income it produces — belongs to you.
While some licensed industries have restrictions, the vast majority of small business categories — services, trades, online businesses, food, retail, e-commerce — have no conviction-related licensing barriers at all. We help you identify the businesses that are actually open to you.
Building legitimate self-employment is one of the strongest known reentry stabilizers. Stable, lawful income lowers risk on every dimension — for the participant, for the family, and for the supervising agency. Many parole and probation officers actively support entrepreneurial participants.
Some entrepreneurs choose to be open about their record as part of how they tell their story. Others keep it private. Either choice is yours to make. As a business owner, you control whether your past is part of the conversation at all.
Trust matters in this category, and we know it. Here is exactly how we approach the program for participants with a record.
We do not run a background check to admit you to the program. The interest form does not ask about your offense. Our team does not need that information to evaluate fit.
What you are building now is what we focus on — your skills, your idea, your commitment to a lawful path. The specifics of your record are yours to share if and when you decide to.
Program participation is private. We do not share participant information with employers, government agencies, or third parties. Your business is yours to disclose to the world on your own terms.
We only support 100% lawful businesses. Anything that requires deception, regulatory evasion, or that puts the participant or customers at legal risk is something we will not help build. This is non-negotiable.
Many of our participants are still on supervised release. We help structure work, reporting, and milestones around real-world conditions of probation or parole — and many supervising officers actively support this kind of legitimate self-employment.
You receive the same complete launch package every other Option C participant receives — no separate, lower-tier track, no compromise on quality.
Qualified participants get every service below at no cost. Built specifically for the business you're launching, by real people, with you in the loop.
A real mentor through the entire process — not a hotline, not a forum.
Real, written, usable for clarity, funders, or licensing.
Original, professional, yours to keep. Brand identity built around your offer.
Pages written for your audience, mobile-friendly, fast-loading, structured to convert.
No monthly bill. No surprise renewal fees. Site stays live as long as you're an active participant.
Keyword targeting, meta data, headings, internal links — so customers can actually find you.
Created and verified for Maps, the local 3-pack, and right-side search panel.
Installed and configured so you can see what's working and where the customers come from.
Branded with your logo, linked together, and prepared so you can start posting day one.
There are a handful of issues that come up more often for participants with prior convictions than for other applicants. None of them are deal-breakers — but it's worth understanding what they are before you launch, so you can plan around them with your mentor.
Some industries — certain financial services, healthcare, transportation, security, legal services — have conviction-related licensing rules. Most small-business categories do not. During Stage 0 of the Business Building Machine, your mentor helps you identify business directions that are actually open to you in your state, given your specific situation. We will not steer you toward something you cannot lawfully obtain a license to operate.
Some banks decline business checking accounts for applicants with certain conviction histories. There are credit unions, second-chance banking programs, and online banks that work specifically with small business owners in this situation. Knowing which to apply to first saves time and avoids unnecessary rejections that show up on financial records.
If your business needs to be bonded — common for cleaning, contractor work, and any service inside a customer's home or property — the federal Federal Bonding Program provides fidelity bonding at no cost specifically for individuals who have difficulty obtaining commercial bonds because of background factors. We can help you find your state's coordinator.
Many of our participants are on active probation or parole. We strongly recommend talking with your supervising officer about your business plans early — most POs support legitimate self-employment because it lowers risk on every dimension. We help you understand reporting requirements and structure the business in a way that fits your supervised-release plan, not against it.
Depending on your state and offense, parts of your record may be eligible for expungement, sealing, or set-aside. Eligibility rules vary significantly by state. We are not legal counsel and cannot provide that advice — but if it might apply to you, it's worth talking to your state's legal aid organization or a reentry attorney before launching.
Many participants come to Option C with thin or damaged personal credit. The good news: business credit is built separately, on the business's own profile (EIN, bank account, vendor relationships) — not personal credit. We help you understand how to build business credit from day one so the business has its own financial identity.
Option C Foundation is not a law firm or reentry legal service, and nothing on this page should be taken as legal advice on your specific situation. Conviction-related licensing, expungement, supervised-release, and tax rules vary by state and case. We strongly recommend consulting your state's legal aid organization, a reentry attorney, or your supervising officer when any of these issues are relevant to your business plans.
There is no single "right" business — but certain models come up repeatedly because they have low startup costs, strong customer demand, no conviction-related licensing barriers, and the ability to scale at the participant's pace.
Low barrier to entry, strong residential and commercial demand, cash flow from week one. Easy to start with a small client base and scale with referrals.
Residential or commercial. Flexible schedule, flexible pricing. Works as a part-time start while keeping another income stream, then expanded into a primary business.
High-margin services with mobile operations. Repeat-customer businesses built largely by word-of-mouth and Google Business Profile visibility.
Handyman work, basic construction, painting, junk removal. If you already have the skill, the program builds the business side around it. Some specialty trades require licensing — we'll flag any that apply to your situation.
Home-kitchen-based food businesses (where state cottage food laws allow), meal prep, catering for events. Requires food handler licensing in most states; conviction-related restrictions are uncommon for this category.
Virtual assistant work, copywriting, graphic design, social media management, online tutoring. No physical presence required, no conviction-related licensing barriers, fully skill-based.
During Stage 0 your mentor helps you identify the business direction that fits your skills, your situation, and your state's licensing realities. See how the framework works →
No commitment, no cost, no background check. Just a clear path to a real answer.
Takes about 5 minutes. We do not ask about your offense. Share your situation in plain language and any business idea you may have.
If you may be a fit, we schedule a short virtual call. This is where we talk through your goals, any reentry conditions to coordinate around, and whether the program makes sense for where you are right now.
If you're on probation or parole, we recommend giving your supervising officer a heads-up about your plans. Most POs welcome legitimate self-employment, and looping them in early prevents friction later.
Once you're accepted, you start the Business Building Machine — research, direction, plan, build. The same path every other accepted participant follows.
No. Option C does not run a background check on applicants and does not ask about your offense on the interest form. We evaluate readiness, motivation, and commitment to building a legitimate business. The specifics of your record are yours to disclose only if and when you choose to.
No. As a business owner, you decide what is and isn't part of your story. Most customers care about the quality of your work and your reliability — not your background. Some entrepreneurs choose to be open about their past as part of their brand; others keep it entirely private. Both are valid.
Some licensed industries — certain financial services, healthcare, transportation, government contracting, security work — have conviction-related restrictions that vary by state and offense type. The vast majority of small business categories do not. During Stage 0 of the Business Building Machine, your mentor helps you identify directions that are actually open to you in your state. We won't steer you toward something you can't legally operate.
Many of our participants are on supervised release. It is not a barrier. We strongly recommend giving your supervising officer a heads-up about your business plans early — in our experience, most POs actively support legitimate self-employment because it lowers risk on every dimension. We can help you structure work and reporting in a way that fits within your supervision conditions.
Yes. Business credit is built separately from personal credit, on the business's own EIN, bank account, and vendor relationships. We help participants understand how to build business credit from day one. Note: Option C does not provide loans or capital; what we provide is education, mentorship, and the launch deliverables themselves.
For service businesses where bonding is required (cleaning, contractor work, etc.), the federal Federal Bonding Program provides fidelity bonding at no cost specifically for individuals who have difficulty obtaining standard commercial bonds because of background factors. We can help you find your state's coordinator and walk through the application.
Eligibility for expungement, sealing, or set-aside varies significantly by state, offense, and time elapsed. Option C is not a legal services organization and we cannot provide that advice. We can point you to your state's legal aid organization, public defender's reentry resources, or a reentry attorney — and many participants pursue both tracks (record relief and business launch) at the same time.
It's free for qualified participants — no fee to apply, no monthly charge, no equity taken, no royalty taken, no fine print. Option C Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by donations, grants, and community partners. The only thing the program does not cover is the participant's own business startup costs (licensing fees, supplies, etc.), which vary widely by business type.
If a prior conviction has made traditional employment harder than it should be, self-employment may be the most direct path to legitimate, stable income. Option C provides the structure, mentorship, and professional execution it normally takes thousands of dollars to access — at no cost to qualified participants. Apply now to see if you qualify. There's no commitment, and no background check.