Accelerator Curriculum
The Accelerator Program is the catalyst that enables first-stage entrepreneurs to catapult their business to the next level. Read on below to see the specific learning opportunities provided by the Accelerator program.
Strategy
The keys to sustainable top-line growth are: knowing your core customer, developing a clear brand promise, and developing your BHAG® (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) for sustainable revenue growth.
People
Growth companies’ most difficult decisions involve getting the right people in the right seats. Is everyone in your company aligned, pulling their weight, and contributing as they should?
Execution
One common challenge that quietly sneaks up on successful growth companies is the subtle transition from excellent, precise execution to passivity, complacency, and eventually poor execution disciplines. Tightening up your execution habits can dramatically improve your gross margins and profitability while reducing the time it takes to get work done.
Cash
The first law of entrepreneurial gravity is “Growth sucks cash.” We encourage companies to examine their cash acceleration strategies. This measures the time between spending a dollar (on marketing, design, rent, wages, etc.) and earning that dollar back throughout the company.
Accountability Group
As an Accelerator participant, you will be matched with other participants to form a small group known as Accountability Groups. These groups will ensure that you are learning and growing as an individual, both through the learning provided in the classroom and through the interaction with your peers. Groups will be provided a framework and tools to keep in touch between meetings to help each keep on track with their committed goals.
Connections to Experts
As a program that is facilitated by the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, the Accelerator Program enables you to meet on a quarterly basis with an Entrepreneurs' Organization member in your area. This Entrepreneurs' Organization member, a successful entrepreneur who leads a business with at least US$1 million in annual revenue, will serve as your local Entrepreneurs' Organization Accelerator contact, helping to guide the program locally with a committee of other Entrepreneurs' Organization members who are dedicated to the success of the program and its participants.
Each quarterly program will be led by a trained facilitator who has been a first stage entrepreneur. These moderators will bring a wealth of experience and connections to help you navigate through the content and glean as much as possible from the learning that is presented. The facilitator will answer questions from personal experience, helping you deal with the issues you face in your company with thoughtful and practical insights.
Peer-to-Peer Learning
Once accepted to the Accelerator Program, you will be able to network with other emerging entrepreneurs who can offer lessons and insights from their personal experience. Each location of this powerful program is limited to 30 participants who have been highly screened and qualified. The networking among Accelerator participants will be an invaluable part of the program not only in your local city but in the additional cities launching around the world.