Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY AN “ESTABLISHED BUSINESS” ?
Any business or nonprofit that has been operating for a year or more, has more than a handful of customers or clients, and has a recurring revenue stream.
WHAT IF I HAVE ALREADY INCORPORATED (THIS INCLUDES 501(C)(3)S), HAVE JUST A HANDFUL OF CUSTOMERS, and DON’T REALLY KNOW IF I AM ONTO SOMETHING THAT COULD BE PROFITABLE OR SUSTAINABLE?
If you are open to revisiting the basics of how you think about your business, to put yourself in your customers’ shoes and challenge what you think you know about them, and you are ready to let what you discover guide what you do next - even if you learn they don’t want what you want to give them! – then the Accelerator may be right for you.
I HAVE SOME CLIENTS AND WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR IS A MARKETING PLAN. IS THE ACCELERATOR RIGHT FOR ME?
If you think you already have your business idea all figured out – you know who your target customer is and the value you deliver to them - and you are just looking for some tools to reach more customers, the Accelerator is probably not for you. There are other programs that can help you better than we can. Check out WEDC, SCORE or the many marketing experts out there.
We encourage you to explore the following resources:
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY SOMETHING *NEW*?
You think you have an idea for a product or service that is not being offered by others, or you have a unique idea for how you want to deliver your product or service, or for how your customers will experience your product or service we consider that “new.” If you think there are several businesses doing what you want and you are looking for a “tried and true” (proven) roadmap to execute on the model they are using, the Accelerator is probably not for you.
WHAT IF I WANT TO WORK ON MY IDEA IN MY SPARE TIME? OR WANT TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT WILL BE A “SIDE HUSTLE”, IS THE ACCELERATOR RIGHT FOR ME?
The Accelerator is an intense program and not intended for individuals who are not ready to deeply commit to building a business or nonprofit. Our IDEATION BOOTCAMP might be a better fit.
WHAT IF I EVENTUALLY WANT TO GET INVESTOR FUNDING?
While we will get you well on your way to validating a target customer and value proposition (understanding that EVERYTHING else you need relies on this), the Accelerator does not prepare you for an investor pitch. SO, if you want to get started, validate, refine, and challenge your ideas, understand your risks, create a first business model and get started before preparing for investors, then check us out.