The Small Business Accelerator is an intensive training program designed to help small businesses headquartered in Austin seek new markets and enhanced value for their enterprise. The program leverages online learning platform, Coursera, to deliver a detailed accredited curriculum focused on growing a small business. In addition to the online learning, participants will regularly meet in-person for enriching supplemental lectures, activities, and peer-to-peer coaching sessions.
Altogether, this program offers over 35 hours of online and in-person training held weekly beginning September 26, 2019 to December 12, 2019, with final presentations on January 16, 2020.
Application Process
To determine selection of applicants, we will take into consideration the following:
- The number of months that the business has been in operation
- Average annual revenue
- Total number of part-time and full-time employees
- Likelihood that the business will hire new employees in the next 12 months
Up to 20 individual business owners will be selected from the application process. Upon acceptance, participants will be required to pay a non-refundable and non-creditable $200 tuition. Classroom in-person sessions will be held on Thursday evenings at the Entrepreneur Center of Austin, 4029 S Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin, TX 78704.
Small Business Accelerator Timeline
Application Deadline: July 1 - August 18, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. CST
Final Participant Selection: August 19, 2019
Fees Due to City of Austin: August 30, 2019
Weekly Classes Begin: September 26, 2019
Final Presentation: January 16, 2020
Course Outline
WEEK 1 - SEPT 26 Course Introduction, |
WEEK 2 - OCT 4 Continued The Truth and Myths |
WEEK 3 - OCT 11 Is My Business Ready for Growth?
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WEEK 4 - OCT 18 The 4 P’s of Growth |
WEEK 5 - OCT 25 Four Ways to Grow a Business |
WEEK 6 - NOV 1 Creating a Growth Plan |
WEEK 7 - NOV 8 Grow to Greatness Part II – |
WEEK 8 - NOV 15 Continued Grow to Greatness |
WEEK 9 - NOV 22 The Secret of High Performance is |
WEEK 10 - NOV 29 Growth is Much More Than a Strategy – |
WEEK 11 - DEC 6 Building a Senior Management Team |
WEEK 12 - JAN 16 In- person Growth Plan Presentation: |